Welcome to 1909 DIGITAL, Joel!

Always Learning,

Every day I learn something new. Sometimes its small like a new keyboard shortcut or a TV show I’ve never heard of before. Other times, more often than you’d think, the thing I learn sends me down a rabbit hole about a historical event or changes the way I operate my daily life. I love learning. It’s the expanding knowledge and experience of the planet (and beyond) that keeps me going.

I fell into online marketing as a career by accident thanks to a then-defunct ska band in 2011. That experience set me on a path that has been a wild ride covering crowdfunding, sponsored trips, grand openings, paid speaking engagements, influencer work, parent blogging, craft beverage networking, a national commercial campaign, and the U.S. startup ecosystem.

I can’t see myself doing just one thing with my professional life so my placement at 1909 DIGITAL is perfect. I can do a little bit of many things. I love (almost) everything about WordPress and get to implement that knowledge on a regular basis with clients. I’m learning about account management where my passion for taking complicated technical terms and making them easily understandable comes into play.

My curiosity about how things work has propelled my actions for decades. I love helping people exceed their goals. I’ve been making websites better, faster, and more effective for the last 20-ish years. I also love to travel internationally whenever I get the chance.

Digital marketing is an absolute must for any business or individual operating in society today. I love being able to help established brands and start-ups make their mark on the web in a way that moves their missions forward.

Outside my work with 1909 DIGITAL I enjoy parent blogging, craft liquids, and travel (when a pandemic isn’t happening.)

I started my dad blog when my wife and I were expecting our first. It has been a great way to track my parenthood experience and catalog stories along the way. I’ve enjoyed using the blog and social media posts as a way to document my journey of growth from a completely clueless new parent to someone who is comfortable in their own skin being “Daddy” to two little humans.

I blame my wife for making me like beer. She encouraged me to get into beer to make friends and network with others. It totally worked. I now run a global online brewery directory aimed at connecting beer producers and beer drinkers without ads or membership fees. It started as a Chicago only offering, but the need to grow was something that was quickly realized after launch. This has allowed me to meet some of the industries “big boys,” but also make countless connections with local breweries, beer bloggers, and all-around awesome people. Is the beer scene perfect? No. There is work to do, but it is like a family and I love being part of it.

My wife and I have been married for almost 15 years now. One of the reasons we got married was because of our mutual love of travel. She became a flight attendant shortly after we were married. That job has allowed us to go on some great adventures together to places like India, Australia, Argentina, and all over Western Europe. This is where my love of Photoshop, 360 Photography, video blogging, and drones is best used.

I’m so happy to have been welcomed into the 1909 DIGITAL team. I feel as if these are my people. We work well together and can accomplish some pretty amazing things while enjoying our virtual time together.

Here’s to the next chapter of my life as a part of the 1909 DIGITAL team. Cheers!