My modern career

From Wax Machines to AI: A Lifetime of Craft and Innovation

My career began at a time when 'cut and paste' literally meant using an X-Acto knife and a wax machine. The work was hands-on. It was a world of mechanical layouts, stat rooms, acetate overlays, and typesetting. It wasn’t just work, it was a craft, and I loved everything about it. The lessons I learned about precision, problem-solving, and adaptability have carried me through every stage of my career. And through every revolution—analog to digital, the dot-com boom, and now AI—those lessons have shaped the leader I am today.

Where It All Began: The Print Shop

It all started with a college summer job at a print shop. I worked on a Compugraphic phototypesetting machine, painstakingly entering text line by line, adjusting kerning and spacing to create perfect layouts. Once the type was set, I’d move to the stat room, a dimly lit space where I manually developed photostats in trays of chemicals. Watching the image emerge felt like magic. It was a slow, careful process that demanded patience and precision.

From there, I’d assemble layouts in the design studio. Wax machines applied adhesive, blueline boards where I'd create a print layout, acetate overlays added precision, and X-Acto knives trimmed with sharp, satisfying accuracy. The glow of lightboxes, the smell of Bestine, the slide of the T-square, and the satisfaction of a completed board. It was a tactile, hands-on process that required focus, creativity, and a deep respect for the craft.

That summer hooked me. I loved the feeling of turning ideas into something tangible, and I carried that love into every job that followed. Those early days taught me the fundamentals of design, problem-solving, and the joy of mastering a craft.

The First Digital Leap

Then came the Macintosh lab at Seton Hall. PageMaker and Illustrator replaced wax machines and acetate overlays, and I couldn’t get enough. I spent hours teaching myself these tools, amazed at how they reimagined everything I’d done by hand. Technology wasn’t a threat to creativity; it became an extension of it.

After college, I launched my career in graphic design. I started at a quick print shop and eventually moved into healthcare advertising agencies. But my role quickly expanded beyond design. I became the go-to person for fixing Macs, installing hardware, and experimenting with cutting-edge tools like early video capture boards. I thrived on the intersection of creativity and technology, always eager to learn and adapt.

Leading the Digital Transition

By the mid-90s, the industry was transforming rapidly, and I leaned into the chaos. This was the time in my career when I transitioned from being solely creative to becoming more strategic, though I didn’t fully realize it at the time. I became deeply invested in process improvement, optimizing tools and workflows, and training teams in new skills. I managed the change from traditional creative production to digital production, transforming all aspects of the agency's creative teams.

I wasn’t just designing; I was building something entirely new. I installed computers, developed digital presentation processes, and even consulted with several large pharmaceutical companies to help them reimagine their creative operations for the digital revolution. It was incredibly satisfying to spend my days immersed in both creative development and the challenge of building out a whole new industry. I took pride in showing how the fundamentals of design and production could translate seamlessly into this digital world, ensuring that creativity and efficiency went hand in hand.

The IT Pivot: A Leap into the Unknown

I was lulled by the idea of IT management. It seemed like the perfect place to grow my career and lean into the technical skills I’d been developing. When I was offered a job managing IT services for the headquarters of a Fortune 500 company in New York City, I was terrified, but I jumped in. It was exhilarating and grueling. Not only was it a new industry, but it was also an entirely new career.

Suddenly, I was a people manager tasked with keeping the desktop and network operations running smoothly in both New York City and Bermuda. I loved the challenge, but it was a drastic change from the creative life I had left behind. Still, this job gave me something I’d never had before: a glimpse of a marketing team on the client side.

I saw a team that was both creative and strategic, working closely with the company’s technology in ways I hadn’t considered before. It clicked. This was where I belonged. The intersection of creativity, technology, and strategy was where I could bring everything together. That realization shaped my next move.

The Dot-Com Boom: Resilience and Innovation

I took an entry-level role helping to set up the Philadelphia field office of an internet networking startup. I was the only non-salesperson in the office, which meant I was in charge of everything: office buildout, services, field marketing, and even sales reporting. It was exhilarating. The fast-paced, high-stakes world of startups taught me how to juggle multiple responsibilities and thrive in the chaos of constant change.

I may not have become a millionaire, but I walked away with a newfound passion for the tumult and creativity of marketing and sales. That experience solidified my love for roles where no two days were the same and where innovation was the driving force.

This leap set the direction for my career from that point forward. The dot-com boom was chaotic and exhilarating, and I was in the thick of it. I launched companies, brought new technologies to market, and navigated IPOs in an era defined by rapid innovation. Every day brought new challenges, and I learned to thrive in uncertainty, adapt quickly, and lead with curiosity.

Taking a step back and essentially starting over with an entry-level role 10 years into my career was a bold reset, but it allowed me to align my creative and strategic talents into a career that has been exciting, challenging, and constantly evolving.

Those years in technology marketing during the digital media revolution set the stage for my future. They taught me how to lead in industries undergoing massive transformation, including my eventual move into higher education—a field that was also in upheaval at the time.

Through every chapter, I’ve built a career around being where change is happening, guiding companies through transitions with confidence and creativity. Now, as we face the next great shift with AI, I’m as excited as ever to dive in. Every revolution I’ve navigated, from manual processes to digital workflows and the dot-com boom, has prepared me to thrive in this one. Each experience taught me how to adapt, innovate, and lead in the face of change.

AI and the Next Revolution

For many, artificial intelligence feels overwhelming, but for those of us who’ve lived through similar upheavals, it feels familiar. From manual processes to digital workflows to the internet age, each transformation has taught me the same thing: the tools may change, but the fundamentals endure. Success still comes down to creativity, problem-solving, and the willingness to figure it out.

AI isn’t just a challenge; it’s an opportunity to reimagine what’s possible. Just as PageMaker and Illustrator once revolutionized design, AI is poised to redefine how we work. Someday, people will look back at this time and see we were on the verge of a massive transformation. They will be envious that they weren’t here to take advantage of all the opportunity this change offers.

Looking back at my career, I don’t see someone whose time has passed. I see someone who has navigated immense change and challenge, and that gives me the confidence to see AI as another change and challenge that I am exquisitely qualified to not only navigate, but to capitalize on. And just like before, the lessons from my early career—curiosity, craftsmanship, and adaptability—will guide me through.

Owning Our Stories

Seasoned professionals often feel pressured to downplay their early careers, as though the tools we mastered and the paths we forged no longer matter. But those experiences are far from irrelevant. For me, wax machines to AI isn’t just a timeline; it’s proof of adaptability, ingenuity, and the power of reinvention.

We’re often told to limit our resumes to the last 10 or 15 years as if anything before that is irrelevant. But that mindset might make us believe those earlier years have no value, and that’s simply not true. While I’m not suggesting anyone create a résumé of their entire career—unfortunately, ageism is real—taking the time to write out your career journey, acknowledging the ups and downs, the breadth of experiences, and the change you’ve led, can reveal just how remarkable your story is. You might just find a new confidence in your job search.

Every transition, every tool, every challenge has prepared me to lead boldly into the future. I’m proud of where I started, and I’m proud of the decades of creativity, adaptability, and problem-solving that have brought me here. The tools may change, but the craft—the heart of what we do—remains constant.