One day I came into work and my manager greeted me with "Nice raccoon eyes- do you ever sleep?" From then on the nickname stuck.

Ever since I was a little guy, I'd help my dad run his restaurants up until the last one, a 24-hour restaurant called Nick's 24/7 Pizza, where I managed a high-paced stressful environment. We sold the restaurant, and now I'm a freelance graphic designer. Though I enjoy working alone, I'm comfortable in a team and am able to lead small groups of employees through difficult situations.

If I weren't a designer, I'd go into either stand-up comedy, acting, or the automotive field. I've always enjoyed writing too, and am developing a fictional novel on the side. I'm well-experienced in customer service, and prefer face-to-face business with clients.

Successful design is composed of efficient use of all elements, where nothing is without purpose, directly developed from market research. Being a successful graphic designer isn't only about being creative- it's about professionalism, sound business, and establishing new relationships.