About Daniel
Creative Director & Producer
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 hands-on production. My path hasn't been linear, but every chapter added a skill I still use, I haven't set any of them down as I've moved up.
The mix of hands-on craft, operational thinking, and genuine care for the people doing the work is the core of how I approach every project and every team.
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 grew into design, then into the broader world of creative direction, but the camera never left my hand either.
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.
Still Behind the Camera
That production work never stopped being part of what I do. I've directed and shot behind-the-scenes interviews with sports broadcaster Verne Lundquist, served as the exclusive photographer for an intimate gathering featuring musician Bibi McGill, and spent a river-side afternoon interviewing Olympian Johnny Spillane. Different subjects, same job: I'm the one setting the light, running the camera, and making the call on what the moment needs.
Interviewing Olympian Johnny Spillane
Interviewing Verne Lundquist
Bibi McGill, photo by...Daniel
From Designer to Creative Director & Still a Producer
In 2016, I co-founded Hive180, a Colorado branding and design studio where I lead creative work. My role has grown from hands-on designer to Creative Director, but growth here meant addition, not replacement, strategy and leadership sit on top of the craft, not instead of it.
My work now centers on:
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Creative direction that shapes brand expression with clarity and cohesion
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Hands-on production - photography, video, and design work I still do myself, not just oversee
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Brand systems that support consistency without boxing people in
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Team leadership rooted in communication, empathy, and shared understanding
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Process design that lowers friction and strengthens collaboration
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.
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 behind a camera myself, my goal stays the same: to make the work feel clearer, steadier, and more human for the people doing it and the people it's for.