Tell us a little about your life before Porchlight.

I started out in recruitment advertising for about two and a half years, and then I got a job at The Home Depot through a friend of one of my previous co-workers – funny how things work out! I spent 3.5 years there and then went to an agency to work on The Home Depot’s internal communications for a couple years. Counting my years with Porchlight, I’ve basically been involved with The Home Depot one way or another for about 11 years.

What do you like best about working at Porchlight? What do you think makes a Porchlight different?

It’s a pretty laid back atmosphere – it’s definitely not a corporate type of environment. Everyone has a say in each and every project, and there’s a lot of teamwork involved to come up with the best solution.

What do you think makes a great brand? Who do you think gets it right and why? 

I personally like simplicity and something that’s not too overdone and gets the point across in an almost “classy” way. White space is a good thing! I really like what a store brand like Publix has done. I also like the way Dodge reinvented itself back in the early ‘90s – it still amazes me. The whole Ram Tough tagline really took off (my dad even bought a truck back then) and eliminated the image of Dodge as a third-tier rate truck behind Ford and Chevrolet. And it continues today with how they’ve reinvented their Charger and Challenger lineups.

What’s your go-to item in your garage or toolbox? 

For sure, it’s a stud finder and laser level. I live in an apartment, so one of the few things I can change is what hangs on the walls. I hang a lot of stuff and need those tools to make sure everything is straight.

How would you rate your DIY skills? Have any good stories to share? 

Part of the reason I live in an apartment is because my DIY skills are pretty basic. I’d rather leave most DIY stuff to professionals and spend my time doing other things. The same goes for yard work!

What is something you’ve learned about home improvement or home improvement design while working at Porchlight that the average shopper would never think about?

Oh, for sure it’s the process of getting a product into a store so you even have the opportunity to buy it. A simple $2 product might take six months to a year to even be accepted into a merchandising plan and given shelf space, and for that process to even begin, a buyer has to see it, like it and be able to fit it in their plan. Most people probably think it’s a relatively seamless process, but it’s actually quite involved. Without a really good plan and a strong visual presentation, an otherwise great product might never make it to the store.

Where do you go for inspiration? 

It really depends on what I’m working on, but I do tend to look more at pop culture or what really defined the times during a certain time period. I will say I’ll always gravitate to more classic, simpler looks than something that’s bold or a little too out there. I guess you could say I’m pretty conservative in that regard.

On any given workday, what’s your chosen audio app? What’s playing?

I actually don’t listen to much music in the workplace as I find it distracts me too easily and diminishes my focus on the task at hand. This is especially true if I’m proofreading as I like it to be pretty quiet for that.

When it comes to pop culture, are you into zombies, housewives or mad men? 

Zombies and Mad Men for sure. The housewives are a perfect example of there being way too much stuff on television. You could actually throw about 99% of reality shows into that category, in my opinion. I will say that the recent season of both The Walking Dead and Mad Men aren’t nearly as good as earlier seasons. I am more impressed with the way AMC has really become a force in cable television. They’ve come out of nowhere in the last decade.

What’s the first concert you attended?

Alice in Chains on their Dirt tour back in ’92. It really doesn’t get much better than that for your first concert ever. I think I still even have the ticket stub.

Who’s your favorite band, artist or cultural figure?

I’m more of a classic hard rock guy, so you have to look at the pioneers – Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, etc. You just don’t see those types of bands/innovation any more, particularly in the hard rock genre.

Who’s your ideal client?

A great client is someone who trusts us to do what we do best. Sure, there will be parameters, restrictions, etc. that dictate the product. But, we do our best work when we have the freedom to be creative and put our years of experience to work. We want our clients to succeed just as much as they do.

What’s your main strength in the workplace?

Details, details, details. Pretty much anything that successful project management encompasses – organization, spelling/grammar, meeting deadlines, etc. My job is to make sure that nothing goes out the door with a mistake. I’m basically the quality control department.

Read David’s bio here.