Meet Our Director of Creative Services: Eric

by Dec 23, 2016Inside Resound

Meet Our Director of Creative Services: Eric

by | Dec 23, 2016

eric_and_gracie_1024You know that sensation you get when you feel yourself being equally pulled in 87 different directions? That unmistakeable strain and just a touch of anxiety? Well, that’s been Mike…pretty much all year. Sometimes being a CEO is mostly about figuring out things you don’t have to do.

Enter Eric.

Eric came to Resound mainly to manage our creative team and delight our clients. He comes from a background in military and law enforcement, which is obviously quite perfect for wrangling us creative cats.

After earning his BA in Psychology (minor in Child Development) from ASU, Eric went straight into law enforcement after a military officer training experience. Sidenote: boot camp was fun for him…so we’re a little nervous. While he had sights on the DSS, he was injured on duty and that dream sort of fell apart.

He’s had quite a journey in the workforce, transitioning into training and content development roles for a startup, a small business, and then a Fortune 5 company. He figured out that his sweet spot wasn’t with a big corporation or a true startup, but with small businesses and their potential to grow. However, those other experiences were gold mines in terms of team leadership and client relationship skills.

How did he find us? Honestly, he never thought his path would cross ours professionally, but he worked with Mike’s wife for years and developed a friendship with their family. In his words:

“If I never took the chance to leave the comfort of my “executive” role at the other small company, I don’t think I’d be here today. For me, Resound represents a budding flower that has tremendous beauty still balled up inside. The thing that drives me to be here is the opportunity to help it bloom and grow. If I can be part of that, the reward is so great on the other side. We have a chance to influence the industry in a different way, with a different approach to business. I love that.”

When he’s not making businesses go, Eric has plenty of stuff that keeps him out of trouble:

“I love music. I sing and play guitar, record every once in awhile with my brother…we’re ridiculous. Every so often I flex the tactical muscle from the old law enforcement days and do some tactical shooting stuff, but that’s rare these days. Most of the time, I’m trying to keep up with my two kids and hanging with my girlfriend and her daughter. We enjoy hiking, camping, and doing outdoor-type stuff together. We have a super awesome (and smart) dog named Gracie and the cutest kitty on the planet named Stormy. Yes, I have pictures of them on my phone.”

So now that you’ve “met” our director of creative services, grab a cup of hot cocoa (Merry Christmas Eve Eve, y’all) and enjoy his interview:

Resound: What is the best word that’s ever been invented?

Eric: Moist….because it’s one of the only words that makes me cringe. It’s so gross.

Resound: Tell us about your favorite moment in 2016.

Eric: Frankly, 2016 threw some serious challenges at me on all fronts. Even so, there were some extremely bright moments. My favorite, as sappy as it sounds, was when my girlfriend and I moved in together and I saw that the blending of our kids and our lifestyles worked so smoothly. That may be a bit of an odd favorite moment, but it was really meaningful to me because it doesn’t always work that way for everyone who’s been in that situation. I’m very thankful.

Resound: What’s your favorite Christmas movie (and why)?

Eric: Christmas Vacation…period. I relate to it on every level and I swear my Dad is Clark Griswold.

Resound: How do you take your hot chocolate?

Eric: If I’m in a rush, through a Keurig. But if I have time to craft it, I warm the milk on the stove the old-fashioned way (no microwave), break out the trusty packet of double chocolate Swiss Miss, gently bring the two together in an 8-oz. off-white Longaberger mug (stirring continuously for 30 seconds in a figure-8 motion), and topping it off with a generous handful of bagged mini-marshmallows and a swirl of canned whipped cream.

Resound: What’s your super secret talent?

Eric: If I wanted it to be super secret I probably wouldn’t tell you, so let’s go with dancing….yes, dancing. Although it has been many years, I spent some time training and performing with a local dance company. We did a little bit of everything, so I’m not an expert in anything. I just entertain people at weddings. That’s the only time it comes out. 🙂

Resound: If you could snap your fingers and end anything in the world, what would it be?

Eric: Extremism in any form. I think many of the world’s problems, when broken down into their root causes, come out of some sort of political or social extremism. That creates conflict, and conflict (especially on a large scale) causes a lot of ugly consequences for people who didn’t ask to be in that situation. If I could magically temper extremism I think people could work together to help solve a lot of the other problems we see on the surface.

Resound: What’s one brand you can’t live without?

Eric: Is “love” a brand? Seriously. I’ve been through periods in my life where I didn’t feel or have love in my heart and those times sucked…bad. No product could replace that empty hole, so it sounds cheesy but that’s what I’d say. Oh, and Puma shoes are excellent.

Resound: It’s improv time! Name 10 URLs you’d love to get your hands on.

  1. ChuckNorrisisstillabadass.com
  2. Wishihadbeeninthezackattackband.com
  3. Whateverhappenedtovoltron.com
  4. Songsthathavenobusinessbeingacousticbutididitanyway.com
  5. Socialmediastolemybaby.com
  6. Sippinwineandfeelinfine.com
  7. Lovethatwhiskey.com
  8. Howtobeagoodsingledad.com
  9. BestChristmaslightsfinder.com
  10. Why.com

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