I didn't fully appreciate the extent of my error until I arrived in Rome. I had decided―reasonably, I thought―to buy new shoes before leaving, not realizing that my entire perception of style, fashion, and “normal” was about to change. Hours later, I left those Sketchers on the street, wearing a pair of what a week before I would have called bowling shoes, aware on a subconscious level that everything was different now. Several years later, I had a similar feeling. I had transitioned out of a modest stage acting career, through a litany of odd jobs, and ended up working for Children’s National Health System, the children’s hospital in Washington, DC. My new boss produced an incomprehensible Excel spreadsheet which supposedly outlined the numbers for a massive, confidential initiative. I reworked it into a more concise, digestible format, and printed the whole thing on four carefully taped together legal sheets. As he giddily paraded it about the office, I recognized that things were again different. When my wife and I decided to move west two years later, they didn’t let me quit, and kept me on as a full-time remote employee. I eventually became the Associate Director for Creative Services, and produced print and digital pieces in nearly every imaginable format, defined and continuously executed a graphic design system based upon approved brand elements, guided and mentored designers in other departments, and ensured that the quality of everything we made reflected the outstanding care that our organization provides. Engaging Michael Paolantonio Design gives you me: my years of varied and broad experience, my design sensibility, and my determination to help you succeed.