A wise man once gave me some valuable advice by simply saying "remember that when it comes to work -- be like water". Because water, he said, is universal and brings people together. Water is powerful enough to move mountains but bends with the flow and is flexible enough to adapt to the shape of any vessel it may find itself in. Water is transformative but still remains true to its core DNA. Water can infiltrate and it seeks out the deepest place. Water drives growth and rejuvenation.  Thankfully I listened and took his advice.

My unique professional narrative is based on "being like water" and deftly combining deep cultural insights and intuition to powerfully bring together the worlds of creativity, celebrity, digital content and commerce.

I reunited with The Legendary Roots Crew (fifteen years after our first go-round with Levi's) to create a series of multi-sensory consumer experiences and DSM Content Campaigns to drive relevance and volume (+25% vs. YAG) for one of the world's oldest Cognac brands -- Martell.  H.O.M.E (the "House of Martell Experience") immerses consumers in the best in mixology, music, gastronomy and installation art. 

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This compelling short film documents the renowned brilliance of artist Kehinde Wiley and the power of images and image-making. As Executive Producer, I connected the dots to take the film from "words on paper" to a full production that ultimately aired nationally on PBS. Along the way, the movie won several awards and Industry acclaim.

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Before he was a household name, I signed Robin Thicke as part of a strategy to rejuvenate the Remy Martin brand and make it relevant again in the US. Robin joined a cadre of Remy Martin's celebrity ambassadors with the expectation he would do BIG things for the brand -- especially to drive awareness for the US roll-out of Remy Martin V --  a "game-changing" spirits innovation I helped launch. A year later, I cast him and his wife to appear in the first-ever Remy Martin television commercial.

Later, when I heard Blurred Lines for the first time and read the video treatment (crazy as it was), I knew the stars had aligned in a major way. Although no one else supported the video concept, I took the chance, rolled the dice and approved funding to produce a video that went on to become a worldwide cultural phenomenon that garnered  650+ Million Youtube views.  The CPM for all those eyeballs was ridiculous!

The cumulative effect of all the exposure was that the entire Remy Martin portfolio catapulted to the forefront of celebrity and nightlife culture and in turn, case volume and market share increased for four consecutive fiscal years.  

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When the opening credits roll on Beats Rhymes & Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest some people are often surprised to see the Remy Martin name and logo featured as an Executive Producer. Some assumed it was the Bronx-born female rapper of the same name but in reality it was the 300 year-old French Cognac brand. And I was the man behind the brand's decision.

Actor Michael Rappaport made his directorial debut with this film that documents the popularity, impact and ups and downs of one of Hip-Hop's most iconic group's. It ranks as #7 on Complex magazine's list of "25 Best Hip-Hop Documentaries".

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What happens when creativity, intuition and great timing combine with:

• 1 multi-talented global superstar

• brand & category lyrical mentions in a Billboard Top 40 Pop song

• concerts and after-parties in 21 cities across North America and Europe

• almost 1,000,000 screaming fans

• and 24 carat gold Hot Toddies crafted with the world's finest Cognac

What happened was a truly POWERFUL and UNFORGETTABLE experiential marketing program.  Remy Martin was the presenting sponsor of Usher's OMG Tour & Official Afterparties at the height of his worldwide smash hit OMG! The tour grossed over $70 Million in box office sales and continued to put the Remy Martin brand at the center of nightlife and celebrity culture.  

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When Levi Strauss & Company was looking to rejuvenate its storied brand among Urban multi-cultural consumers, I created an experiential tour platform that showcased a new silhouette in denim alongside the stars of the burgeoning "Neo-Classic Soul" musical movement. The tour featured epic jam sessions with The Roots as house-band (long before Jimmy Fallon), Musiq Soulchild, Ledisi, Bilal, Me'shell Ndegeocello and others -- all clad in custom-made Levi's wardrobes.

These "parties with a purpose" also benefitted and highlighted the amazing work of LifeBEAT -- an organization that's helped lead the music industry's fight to combat the scourge of HIV/AIDS.

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At a time of intense competition for Sprite, I led its national Urban marketing agency team in creating episodic campaigns that curated and "participated" in Hip-Hop culture -- which was a strategic evolution from merely featuring the rapper du jour in ads. That work paid off in helping the brand grow from the #7 to the #5 carbonated soft drink brand in terms of volume.

The impact the Sprite Brand had on culture was even more profound. For years, Sprite held the envied position as the official soft drink of Hip-Hop culture and it was a legitimate arbiter of all the elements of the genre (Graffiti, Breakdancing, Lyricism, and Deejaying).

Three of the campaigns I led rank among the "50 Greatest Rap Commercials" by Complex magazine (#9, #31 and #36).

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