How did you get your start?
Well, I had a band in school. I’d like to say that we weren’t a “typical” high school band, per se. We practiced religiously-I drove that whip, so we were very polished. We did a lot of shows-empty ones and some full ones, but by the time we were seniors in high school we were very tight on our sound. I’d wager we could have supported going further, we had a couple of shots, but we were from a small town and any momentum we had petered out. Being so young, not understanding the world and the business, etc. We had talked about taking our show out west, to California, but only half of us were convinced and we had no money so eventually we died out made the safe choice and moved on with our lives.
I am a curious person by nature. I was on eBay when it first opened and was buying broken electronics and taking them apart to see how they worked. I learned everything about equipment and recording and music. I was always a “low-budget” type of person, so I spent what I could make and earn and buy what I could use and “hack”. I was attempting to record with the start of digital equipment and just trying to find a place where the band and everything else could exist with a good sound I could make on my own. We bought speakers, different equipment, tons of ideas tried and attempted. I never trusted others very much when I felt that I could do it myself or that I could make it better-that drive I mentioned. I borrowed school cameras, edited on VHS decks, etc.
I went to school for electrical engineering, because I thought it would be a solid career. My dad was an engineer and my mom was an artist so I was straddling that line between the two for as long as I remember. The 3 years of math and physics early on just burned me out, however. I had a terrible advisor and I all I got were the worst classes, so I took a break. While on that break I started PM Studios because I knew that I could do that. After the first year I changed my major to marketing, because I knew I would need that for business and it closely aligned with the multimedia aspects. And since then, I’ve been applying that drive and ingenuity to PM Studios and my business world.
I don’t need the engineering degree so much, I’ve found that things have turned into Legos these days-arduino and what not, so I like to still play around with electronics and build robots. I’ll build lighting equipment and other custom pieces, so I still dabble into building what I like, while enjoying the multimedia aspect of the two. My dad helps on complicated codes and projects if I need it. It can be quite fun-we typically do a large party for my daughter’s birthday (she was born on Halloween), so I try to combine the two. I built a puzzle room for her one year where she and her friends had to solve 10 puzzles interacting with a TV, and electronic switches, rfid tags, paintings and more. I’m sure I’ll eventually release a guide on it, but I’m typically busy and a private person so I don’t like sharing that much. I do that for my clients sometimes-3d projection and other interactive projects, but those are usually one offs. Sometimes I’ll sell the ideas on Etsy as well. But it all depends. I enjoy the challenges, so every time a new idea or project comes up, I’m game.
It’s hard to be cool under pressure, but since I’ve done so much in my career, I feel that I’m at the point where it doesn’t phase me much anymore. I’ve had some near-anxiety breakdowns, but I’ve learned and become better from all of the situations I’ve been put in. I typically carry 2-3 backups, double check and double plan and ensure I’m ready to run and gun. You never know, so it’s better to be safe than sorry. I think it’s the best mindset-solve the problem like an engineer, but have cool and unique products/solutions like an artist. What more could I want?
