The U.S. Bank Stadium cover was a true copywriting test, considering it was a custom issue I was contracted to do for big-time clients: SMG and MSFA, organizations tasked with creating and running the stadium. So I needed to sell them on a number of things, including a clever tie to the stadium's brand on the cover. The U.S. Bank Stadium issue was published in the fall of 2016, coinciding with the stadium's opening. It won the Gold Award in the 2017 Minnesota Magazine & Publishing Association (MMPA) Excellence Awards in the category of Single-Topic Issue for Business Trade Organizations.

The cover story in the Fall 2016 issue of Minnesota Meetings + Events was all about local wine, including wineries, vineyards, wine tastings and other ways to incorporate wine into your events. The image was shot by our team in-house, and I love the way the splatters, rings and colors work on the white paper background.

The cover story in the Spring 2016 issue of Michigan Meetings + Events highlighted several event entertainers for hire, one of which was a local marching band. I love that this trombone player is aiming right at the camera, giving this image an aggressive edge. I wanted the cover lines to match that aggressiveness.

The Winter 2016 issue of Illinois Meetings + Events highlighted the growing international influence on Chicago's hospitality scene. I thought the zesty dish, especially the rising smoke, really tied the cover line and image together.

Going green isn't just a trend in the meetings and events industry. It's becoming an essential part of each step of doing business. Our feature story on the subject of sustainability highlighted a lot of the hospitality side of the industry, so I wanted the cover to echo that. Plus, nothing beats a food cover when it's done right. This one was mouthwatering yet simple, with short but meaningful words that fit the shape of the clean, delectable dish.

Food photographers were the featured subjects of our Fall 2015 issue of Texas Meetings + Events. I wanted to use a clean shot of colorful, raw, healthy food that presented a visual feast, which made the cover line a natural fit.

The Summer 2015 issue of Northwest Meetings + Events was a special issue dedicated to everything wine in the region. "The Wine Issue" won the Bronze Award in the 2015 Minnesota Magazine & Publishing Association (MMPA) Excellence Awards in the category of Single-Topic Issue for Business/Trade publications.

The Summer 2015 issue of Colorado Meetings + Events featured a story on small dinner gatherings. This was a rare cover format in which we were able to stick the cover line both smack dab in the middle of the page and between the people's conversation. In some instances, I could see that being a distraction, but I think it worked well on this cover do to the spacing and subtle font. The lights really made the image pop, and the expressions of the people helped give this gathering an intimate feel.

The Winter 2015 issue of California Meetings + Events featured a story on the local craft cocktail movement. I wanted to keep the image and copy simple and, yes, refreshing.

Texas is known for doing everything big. So our cover story on the local craft beer boom needed large, frothy beers to fit that image. I wanted the glasses of beer to tell the story and the words to remain a simple complement.

The Spring 2014 issue of Northwest Meetings + Events featured a fun guide to local rooftop bars and eateries. I wanted the cover to inspire excitement for the spring thaw and newly opened urban outdoor spaces.

Cutting-edge food and beverage trends for the new year were on display in the Winter 2014 issue of Minnesota Meetings + Events. Miniature dessert bites were the next big thing at the time, so they made for a decadent, clean cover. I wanted to use words that could help readers taste the image: flavor, savor, bites and tasty.

The Spring 2013 issue of Northwest Meetings + Events was a green-themed issue, featuring every angle of sustainability in the local meetings and events industry. It was an easy choice to let the simple color of the issue speak for itself.

The April 2012 issue of Maple Grove Magazine featured four broadcast journalists from rival stations who all call Maple Grove home. This issue fittingly came out around the same time that "Anchorman 2" was being promoted. Needless to say, this story was a blast. I met all four at a local Starbucks in Maple Grove and we dug into the thin line between reality and ridiculous when it comes to their profession and, of course, Ron Burgundy. I wanted the cover to really hit home for those who had seen the first movie, using Burgundy's rally cry "News team assemble!" But I also wanted the secondary line to stir the curiosity of those who haven't seen the original film.

The June 2011 issue of Maple Grove Magazine took a new spin on our annual Best of Maple Grove awards. I decided to rebrand the awards as the eMGy Awards, and utilized a local trophy maker to create a custom handheld award made of maple wood, staying true to Maple Grove's roots. I chose the categories and the results came from an online readers' choice survey, which I had to organize and count. The winners were honored at an annual awards show.

Chess champion Vladimir Maltsev was the cover subject of our October 2010 issue of Maple Grove Magazine. An incredibly bright talent already at age 12, Maltsev was used to defeating older kids and even adults. He looked at chess "as war." So I wanted to blend that mental aggression and his proud Russian heritage with a famous line in the film Rocky IV from Russian antagonist Ivan Drago: "I will crush you."