Creating Unapologetically Honest, Deeply Human Strategy, Design, and Content.
Crazy One,creative,podcast host,designer,keynote speaker,founder,
I started learning design at two years old on my father’s letterpress (here’s a photo to prove it) and I’ve been following in his footsteps as a second-generation Designer and Creative Director ever since.
For over 30 years, I’ve been building the strategy, concepts, and design behind campaigns that win awards while dominating markets. My work has shaped multiple global Fortune 100 brands, but the work is only half the story. For more than 15 years, I’ve been leading creative teams on both the agency and client side that run on purpose, not politics. My approach blends strategic clarity with creative risk-taking, because the brands that stand out are the ones brave enough to do what others won’t.
REAL INSIGHTS
Real Data on How I Work, Lead, and Think.
Anyone can talk a big game about their skills, style, or leadership. I’ve always been about transparency, honesty, and accountability, so let’s do this differently.
I’ve taken four different personality assessments so you can understand how I lead teams, solve problems, and build trust. You’ll see the patterns that make me consistent and the flexibility that helps me thrive in unpredictable situations. This isn’t about self-promotion. It’s about letting you see the reality for yourself. Because if we’re going to work together, you deserve more than a polished LinkedIn blurb — you deserve proof.
16 Personalities
Assertive Protagonist (ENFJ-A)
Assertive Protagonists are Extraverted, Intuitive, Feeling, Judging, and Assertive. These warm, forthright types love helping others and have the creative energy to achieve their goals.
Role: Diplomat
Diplomats focus on empathy and cooperation, shining in diplomacy and counseling. They’re imaginative, warm, empathic, and influential people, often playing the role of harmonizers.
My strategy: People Mastery
People Masters seek social contact and have very good communication skills, feeling at ease in social events or directing others. They’re confident and readily express their opinions.
Mind: Extraverted 54%
Energy: Intuitive 64%
Nature: Feeling 83%
Tactics:
Judging 56%
Identity: Assertive 51%
Clifton Strength Finder
Relator – I don’t just work with people; I invest in relationships that make the work better and the team stronger.
Learner – I’m wired to seek out new ideas, master them fast, and put them to work immediately.
Responsibility – If I commit to something, it’s not just on my to-do list — it’s a personal promise I will deliver.
Individualization – I read people like blueprints, spotting exactly how their unique strengths can click together into a high-functioning team.
Strategic – I can cut through the noise in seconds, seeing the patterns and pivots that will actually move the needle.
Enneagram
I'm an Enneagram Type 8
Eights are driven by a strong desire for independence and control, approaching life with confidence, passion, and assertiveness. Natural leaders with an imposing presence, they are action-oriented, quick to make tough decisions, and willing to accept the consequences. They value strength, autonomy, and self-reliance, believing that people should be empowered to help themselves rather than depend on others. Above all, Eights seek to show their resilience, maintain authority, earn respect, and transform challenges into success while avoiding weakness or vulnerability.
Strengths
• Authoritative and determined; Eights own the room
• Full of urgency, initiative and resourcefulness; Eights get things done
• Encouraging and inspiring
• Ready to make sacrifices for the people and causes that are dear to them
• Make a big impact on their surroundings
Challenges
• May attach great importance to their own person
• Fear being controlled and losing their autonomy
• Can be extremely intense, finding it hard to relax and let go
Korn Ferry Leadership
Lower Range – Adjustment
I operate well under pressure but stay laser-focused on results — I’m not easily rattled, but I’m also not chasing some impossible idea of “perfect calm.” I thrive in dynamic environments where change is part of the game.
Moderate Range – Interpersonal Sensitivity
I balance empathy with candor — I connect well with others without shying away from tough conversations or direct feedback.
Moderate Range – Prudence
I know when to follow the rules and when to challenge them. My decision-making blends structure with flexibility, so I can adapt without losing focus.
Higher Range – Ambition
I set the bar high — for myself, for my work, and for the teams I lead — and I’m relentless about reaching it.
Higher Range – Sociability
I build momentum through relationships, making sure people are engaged, informed, and excited about what we’re doing.
Higher Range – Inquisitive
I never stop asking “why” and “what if.” I dig deep into ideas, questioning assumptions until the smartest solution comes forward.
Higher Range – Learning Approach
I treat every project as a chance to level up, constantly seeking new knowledge, tools, and perspectives that sharpen my work.
TeamSight
Influencing Designer
I naturally lead through influence, not just authority — rallying teams around ideas, building alignment, and inspiring action without needing to pull rank.
Cognitive – 99%
I process information at lightning speed, connecting dots others don’t even see yet. This makes me quick to understand complex problems and faster to find creative, workable solutions.
Rational – 81%
I make decisions rooted in logic and clarity, cutting through emotion when the moment calls for focus and objectivity.
Goal Achievement – 90%
Once I set a target, I lock on and don’t let go — consistently finding ways to overcome obstacles and deliver results that matter.
Detail – 46%
I keep my eye on the big picture and delegate detail-heavy execution to the right people, so projects move forward without getting stuck in the weeds.
Motivational Distortion – 11
I show up as I am — low self-censorship, high transparency. People don’t have to guess where I stand because I communicate with clarity and honesty.
The Attachment Project
I have a Secure attachment style
The secure attachment style is considered to be the most balanced and “healthy” of the four styles. The other three attachment styles are the insecure attachment styles: anxious, avoidant, and disorganized. One in three people have one of these forms of insecure attachment and, as a result, likely exhibit attachment disturbances throughout their lives. When working with someone with an insecure attachment style, the aim is to help them transition towards earned security by helping them forge their way on the path of secure attachment.
• I have a favorable view of myself, shaped by a strong sense of self and agency.
• I trust others and my partners’ intentions, rarely feeling jealousy or doubt.
• I seek emotional closeness, enjoy mutual dependency, but am also comfortable being alone.
• I express warmth and feelings openly and can build meaningful long-term relationships.
• I am aware of and able to regulate my emotions, and I can support partners in balancing theirs.
• I enjoy closeness, view relationships positively, and find joy in being connected.
• I am self-aware, handle criticism without distress, and use reflection to understand my impact on others.
THE NEW BIG QUESTION
A.I. does the work. I do the thinking.
AI is everywhere. Substance isn't.
I'm not interested in that version. I've been in enough boardrooms and enough creative reviews to know the difference between a tool and a strategy. AI is a tool. A powerful one. What you do with it depends entirely on the quality of the thinking behind it.
HARD TRUTHS
Flaws. Fumbles. Fuel.
The industry celebrates wins, titles, and shiny logos. But it’s the failures – the risks that backfired, the chances I missed, the times I didn’t know what the hell I was doing – that truly shaped me as a creative and leader. Each one forced me to grow, taught me lessons I couldn’t have learned any other way, and made me stronger. This résumé is a record of those moments of growth, because if we want to build better teams and better work, we need to normalize learning from the hard parts.
Laid Off Three Times
I’ve been laid off three different times in my career. Each one felt like the rug had been pulled out from under me—suddenly the work, the title, the stability, all gone. There were days I couldn’t get out of bed, convinced I had failed myself and the teams who had trusted me.
Lesson: Those moments taught me to fight for myself, to build my own brand, to know my value—and to never lose myself, even when I’m part of an incredible team.
Evicted From My First Apartment
The first agency I worked for went out of business without warning, and just like that, my paycheck was gone. I lived without electricity for two months, scraping by and hoping things would somehow get better. When my roommate moved out and left me with all the bills, I paid what I could, but eventually, I was evicted.
Lesson: I carry that experience as fuel. I never forget what it felt like, and I work every single day to make sure I’ll never end up back there.
Didn’t Graduate from College
I made it all the way to my senior year of college before realizing that finishing wasn’t the right path for me. Walking away was terrifying because I didn’t know what would come next. I carried the fear that not having a degree would hold me back for the rest of my career.
Lesson: That choice taught me that no two journeys are the same—and there’s no single “right” way to build a career.
Hid Who I am as a Creative
For years, I tried to be who I thought people wanted me to be. I adapted my style, softened my opinions, and hid parts of myself I thought were “too much.” Over time, that act eroded my confidence and hurt my work until I finally decided I had to change.
Lesson: The things that make you different aren’t weaknesses. They’re your superpowers.
Failed Amazing People as a Leader
Leadership isn’t clean - it’s messy and human. Over the years, I’ve had to lay off, let down, and flat-out fail more people than I’d like to admit. Sometimes it was because I didn’t know what I was doing; other times it was because I wasn’t strong enough to make the hard call.
Lesson: Leadership isn’t about titles or strategy. It’s about people. Be honest. Be human. Always choose that over the corporate script.
I Had Paralyzing Stage Fright
I wasn’t born comfortable in the spotlight. Until my late twenties, speaking to more than two or three people left me frozen with fear. I turned down opportunities and stayed silent far too often because I couldn’t push past the stage fright.
Lesson: That fear taught me that growth is a lifelong practice. You can evolve, and you can overcome almost anything—if you’re willing to do the work.
Most agencies are built to keep you comfortable.
I built CRZY to make you impossible to ignore.
Most brands hire agencies that deliver polished, safe, forgettable work. The strategy decks are thick. The timelines are long. The result looks like everything else in the category. You’re not paying your agency to tell you the truth. And it shows.
CRZY exists because we’ve been inside that machine and walked away from it. We’re an independent strategy and design studio that builds brands, campaigns, and products with a point of view. Not a committee. Not a process built to sand every edge off a good idea. We work with founders and brand leaders who are done playing it safe and have something to say..
Clients & Collaborators
My career has been built on connecting data with human insight to create work that moves markets. Over two decades, I’ve shaped digital products, global advertising campaigns, and Fortune 500 brands in industries from tech to finance to aerospace. Along the way, I’ve partnered with Amazon, Google, Nike, Verizon, Apple, Bank of America, Rolls-Royce, The Home Depot, HSBC, Frog Design, NASA, and others to launch some of the first experiences on their platforms — work that set the tone for everything that followed.
Apple has featured my work in 10 keynotes, 4 TV commercials, global Apple retail stores, on Apple.com, the iTunes Store, and the Human Interface Guidelines.
"An innovator, visionary and evangelist that any team would want on the front lines"
The Crazy One is an award-winning podcast about creativity, leadership, and making ideas happen.
Each episode delivers honest insights, practical advice, and powerful stories from a career spent building world-class teams, brands, and experiences. Named a Webby Honoree and #1 design podcast by Inside Design, HOW Design Live, and more — this show helps you grow your career, lead with purpose, and own your crazy.
Webby Awards Honoree for Best Technology Podcast
Inside Design’s #1 Favorite Design Podcast
How Design Live #1 Design Leadership Podcast
Spotify’s Top 5% Most Globally Shared Podcast
Rated 5-Stars by Listeners in Over 160 Countries
INTERNATIONAL KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Global Stages. Fresh Perspectives. Real Impact.
I’ve spoken at events ranging from customized talks and coaching for companies like IDEO, Apple, Google, Amazon, The Home Depot, GE, and many more; to large international keynotes at SXSW, HOW Design Live, Awwwards, Pausefest, FUSE, Tech Open Air, Fifteen Seconds Festival and more alongside speakers like Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, Nest founder Tony Fadell, Martha Stewart, Zappos.com CEO Tony Hsieh, and John Maeda.
BECAUSE INDUSTRY VALIDATION IS APPARENTLY A KPI
My work has been recognized with 150+ major design awards, and my app designs have been named one of the World’s 100 Greatest Apps. Apple has featured my work in 10 keynotes, 4 TV commercials, Apple Stores, on Apple.com, the iTunes Store, and the Human Interface Guidelines.
The Webby Awards
3 nominees and 12 honorees
Cannes Cyber Lions
6 Gold & Silver Cyber Lions
ACM SIGGRAPH
Digital Design Pioneer Award Winner (1 of 7 awarded worldwide)
Adobe Site of the Day
5 awards
Addy Awards
19 awards
WebAwards
24 Awards incluing Best Of Show
COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP
I Use My Voice to Help Empower my Hometown, the Design Community, and Stand Up for What Matters.
My speaking engagements and podcast gave me a platform where I can use my voice and influence to take on long-standing industry issues like lack of global mentorship, making space and being an ally for Black, Brown, Indigenous, and/or LGBTQ+ voices, and more.
01HOP Founding Mentor
I'm a Founding Mentor on Hop, the design mentorship platform Design Buddies built for designers who need honesty, not encouragement.
02Member of the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences
IADAS presents The Webby Awards, The Lovie Awards and The Anthem Awards. With a network of over 2000 intellectually diverse members, we help drive the creative, technical & professional progress of the Internet.
03Webby Awards Judge
As part of the prestigious Webby Awards jury, we help recognize and celebrate the best digital work from around the world. It’s an opportunity to highlight outstanding creativity and innovation—and to elevate the global bar for digital excellence.
04General Assembly Career Standards Board
I serve on the Career Standards Board for General Assembly, helping shape curriculum and educational best practices that reflect the evolving needs of the creative industry. Our goal is to bridge the gap between education and the real-world expectations of design careers.
05Mentor at The Warhol Academy
We collaborate with the Warhol Academy to mentor high school students with creative aspirations. It’s a chance to support emerging talent early in their journey—providing guidance, encouragement, and real-world insight to the next generation of artists and designers.
01Amazing Design People List Senior Advisor
Born out of the pandemic, ADPList was co-founded to provide support and mentorship to designers affected by layoffs. It has since evolved into a thriving global platform connecting thousands of creatives with mentors in over 140 countries. I'm proud to have played a foundational role in creating this community that makes the design world a little smaller and a lot more supportive.
07ADPList Top 50 Mentor Worldwide
I have done 300+ free mentoring sessions and 9,000+ minutes helping creatives worldwide with their work and careers.
"Stephen showed me what it means to be a great designer, someone authentic, able to tell their story, create meaningful work, and share what they love. He made me completely rethink how I present my portfolio. It even brought me back to the first design I created as a kid, and the journey that has shaped my career to this day. This was a truly meaningful session!"
