Chapter 1 · Why I care
I’ve always loved books for their stories—and for everything that happens around them.
Feeling seen. Escaping into another world. Wanting to share that world with someone else.
Growing up, my dad and I had a ritual. Every week we’d go to Borders, I’d pick out a new book, and we’d stop for water ice on the way home. At the time, it just felt like our thing. Years later, I realized those afternoons taught me that stories aren’t just something we consume—they’re something we share. They become traditions, recommendations, inside jokes, and tiny pieces of ourselves that somehow find their way into other people’s lives.
Maybe that’s why I’ve always been drawn to fandom. After I finished a book, I didn’t want to leave its world. I wanted the interviews, the behind-the-scenes stories, the fan theories, and the people who noticed the same little details I did. There was something comforting about realizing someone else cared just as much as I did. Long before I had the language for it, I think I was searching for belonging, and in retrospect, I can see that I’ve built my career chasing that same feeling.
Publishing gave me a foundation in story, taste, talent, and fandom. Understanding what readers cared about shaped how I approached creative strategy; bringing authors, creators, and teams together taught me how to carry that strategy through to execution. Across publishing, entertainment, technology, and consumer brands, I keep returning to the same question:
How do we create something people genuinely want to be part of?