Fighting Fires to Designing Brands

Most graphic designers don't have "wildland firefighter" on their resume. I do, and honestly, it's shaped how I run my design studio more than you might think.

My time with the USDA Forest Service fighting wildfires was about as far from a design studio as you can get physically demanding, unpredictable, often dangerous work where precision and teamwork weren't just nice to haves, they were survival skills. But here's what I didn't expect was those experiences taught me more about creative problem solving and client relationships than many design courses ever could.

In firefighting, you're constantly adapting. The wind changes, the terrain throws you a curve, resources are limited you have to think on your feet and make decisions with incomplete information. Sound familiar? That's literally every client project. Scope changes, budgets shift, timelines compress, and you need to deliver something exceptional anyway.

The other thing firefighting taught me was the value of clear communication under pressure. When you're coordinating with a team in challenging conditions, there's no room for ambiguity or ego. You say what you mean, you listen carefully, and you trust your team. Those same principles apply when I'm working with commercial real estate clients who need their branding to work across multiple properties and stakeholders.

When I eventually transitioned fully into graphic design first as a freelancer across multiple industries, then specializing in commercial real estate I brought that firefighter mentality with me. Stay calm under deadline pressure. Adapt quickly. Communicate clearly. Respect the expertise of everyone on the team.

It's an unconventional background for a designer, but I wouldn't trade it. Sometimes the best preparation for creative work comes from places you'd never expect.

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