About Daniel

Creative Director & Brand Systems Leader

A Creative Director Shaped by Craft, Systems, and the People Behind the Work

I’ve spent more than two decades working at the intersection of brand expression, creative leadership, and the systems that help creative work feel purposeful. My path hasn’t been linear, but each chapter has shaped the way I think, the way I lead, and how I bring clarity into any creative environment.

The mix of hands-on craft, operational thinking, and genuine care for the people doing the work has become the core of how I approach every project and every team.

Interviewing Olympian Johnny Spillane

A Lifelong Pull Toward Visual Storytelling

I’ve had a camera in my hand since I was four. That early habit of observing, framing, and telling stories never left. It eventually grew into design, then into the broader world of creative direction.

At sixteen, I took my first job at a video production company in Houston. We filmed concerts, performances, and live events. I spent most of my time behind the scenes learning how lighting, audio, staging, and tight coordination shape what an audience ultimately experiences. It was an early lesson in intentionality. Great creative work doesn’t happen by accident. Every detail influences what people feel.

In my early twenties, I spent a short period in the U.S. Army before an injury ended that chapter. Even though it was brief, it changed how I think about leadership, accountability, and communication. Those lessons still guide how I work with teams today.

From Designer to Creative Leader

In 2016, I co-founded Hive180, a Colorado branding and design studio where I continue to lead creative work. Over the years, my role grew from hands-on designer to Creative Director, connecting strategy, brand expression, and execution. It gave me a front-row view of how a clear idea, a strong system, and a steady process can bring a brand to life.

My work now centers on:

Creative direction that shapes brand expression with clarity and cohesion
Brand systems that support consistency without boxing people in
Team leadership rooted in communication, empathy, and shared understanding
Process design that lowers friction and strengthens collaboration
Visual storytelling, supported by professional-level photography and production experience

It’s a blend of craft, clarity, and systems thinking. That mix is the backbone of how I lead and how I build creative work that lasts.

Creative work depends on the environment around it.

Over the years, I’ve seen teams thrive when the direction is clear and the process supports them, and struggle when those pieces fall out of sync. When people understand the goal, feel trusted, and have a structure that helps rather than hinders, the work opens up. Ideas come faster, collaboration feels natural, and the results are stronger.

A few principles guide my approach:

Clarity enables creativity. People do their best work when they understand the “why.”
Structure supports people. Thoughtful boundaries make deeper thinking possible.
Pressure creates noise; clarity creates focus. Great ideas need space, not strain.
Creative work is deeply human. Tools evolve, but intuition, taste, and judgment stay uniquely ours.

These beliefs shape how I lead teams, guide brand expression, and build the systems that support the work.

A Bit More About Me

I live in Fort Collins, Colorado, where mountain air, open space, and a good fly rod help keep things balanced. Outside of creative work, I volunteer with the U.S. Forest Service on outdoor education and trail stewardship, which feels like a small way to give back to the landscape that shaped so much of my life.

Friends and collaborators know me for calm leadership, clear communication, and a dry sense of humor that tends to show up at the right times.

Whether I’m shaping a brand, directing a team, or building the frameworks that support creative work, my goal stays the same: to make the process feel clearer, steadier, and more human for the people doing it.