July 26: Love & Design
by Nicole

I'm back on the web with a new look! A much happier and healthy look if I might say myself. A lot has happened over the past few years. This is my attempt to sum it up. Here goes nothing!

I believe I left you with announcing my new job at The Weather Channel about three years ago. Since then my career and job have grown exponentially. I went from being the main production artist/designer, which involved designing every custom ad that came in, to managing and art directing along with designing major million-dollar campaigns for clients of The Weather Channel. A few of these campaigns have received national attention and awards. The interesting thing is that I had no idea they were submitted for awards. Getting the email of congratulations was a very pleasant surprise as was seeing my name on the trophy. What a crazy feeling! I'm happy to share some of these works with you here and would love your feedback!

It is hard to describe how amazing the opportunity is to work on such influential platforms. When there is extreme weather, such as tornadoes or hurricanes, the ads I designed for Duracell will go live as a reminder to be prepared for what is coming. Being part of that impact makes my job rewarding. I always tell my friends that when they see one of my custom ads to remember that it is like me saying hello. Creating ads that are relevant to the viewer, that may help prepare them or even remind them their favorite movie will be out in the theaters this weekend, is what it is about and I'm proud to be a part of that ad movement.

On a more personal note, this opportunity was something that was almost taken from me. I suffered a severe back injury which eventually led to surgery and even had me walking with a walker for nearly a month. If it wasn't for the man in the picture above as well as the patience of my awesome team and boss at The Weather Channel, it would have been hard to continue. It was one of the first times I felt like I had an extended family. I had a work family! Once I was able to get back on my feet, I married the man who loved me, even at my weakest point, and my Weather Channel team was there to witness!

I hope you find this blog post as not only as a summary of the past three years but also motivation to never give up and continue to strive for a better future or at least for the integration of more relevant ads. : ) Next up is a little post about our amazing two week honeymoon where we were able to explore and experience an amazing country with stunning landscapes and interesting culture. Stay tuned! Cheers!