I have a unique background.

I have a unique background, and that gave me the premise to write this book. It's funny to think that I started writing the introduction to this book from the 17th floor of the Ritz Carlton in Fukuoka, Japan. It's a long way from where I grew up, in the suburbs of Philadelphia.

One of my earliest memories is being dropped off at my grandfather's house, my mom's father. He had built his own house outside Pottstown, Pennsylvania. Not just the house itself, but a boat, most of the furniture, and an incredible woodworking shop. He introduced me to the practice of creation. My mom gave me a big Tupperware bin full of craft supplies, and our neighbor Dana Clarke would come over and make random things with me—paper, glue, pipe cleaners. That bin might have been the beginning of all this.

I went to public school in Collegeville, Pennsylvania, where a few teachers stood out: Mr. Parrish, Mr. James, and Mr. Marcchesky. They encouraged my curiosity. Around that time, I also worked with my dad, who ran a canvas awning business, installing and sewing awnings for homes and businesses. It was my first introduction to small business.

At 12, I went hunting in Lycoming County with my father. I decided it wasn't for me, but it helped me understand rural America. Later, I met a man at a battery shop in Norristown, Pennsylvania, who told me ancient Egyptians may have had a form of battery. That idea stuck with me. With the help of family friends, I pursued it as a science fair project and ended up winning second place in a national science fair.

That win inspired people to suggest I apply to private school. Thanks to the generosity of my dad's parents, I enrolled at Germantown Academy. I was the rural kid, affectionately known as the resident hick. The school was an hour away, and the contrast was stark. I played soccer and lacrosse poorly, but I got into the Honors Art Program.

There I met Gabby, my art teacher, who changed everything. She told me, "You're terrible in the darkroom, but you're excellent at Photoshop. Why not try graphic design?" That suggestion led me to apply to art school, and I was accepted at the Savannah College of Art and Design. And that's how this whole thing got started.