Born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA, ever since I could remember, I saw things a little differently than other people, even my own twin brother. My natural creativity, curiosity, and confidence meant that people quickly started saying things like, “Zane marches to the beat of his own drum,” “Zane thinks outside of the box,” and “Zane is sure to go places and the distance when he grows up.” No wonder that while attending Fox Chapel Area School District, I was a varsity athlete, accumulated multiple leadership awards, and started my marketing career early, taking business electives as a junior in high school. Soon, my success in marketing classes and love for the TV series “Mad Men” solidified my path.

No wonder then, I ended up at Fordham University in the Gabelli School of Business, where I began to formally study Marketing and even picked up a minor in Philosophy, and an internship in my field of study. There, I rigorously pursued my academics and continued to thrive socially. I was the social chair for the ultimate frisbee team, was a full-fledged member of the Fordham Marketing Association, continued wrestling at the club level, and acted as an orientation leader for incoming students at Fordham’s exemplary new student summer orientation program.

While all of this is true, it is not the whole truth. Early in my development, it became clear that I had to be diagnosed with a learning disability. This disorder burdened my ability to study, retain information, and focus on everyday tasks. While my creativity bloomed and my social skills flourished in my developmental years, you can also ask my mother, and to this day, she will tell you I struggled to keep up academically with my peers. Then people began to say things like “Zane is lazy,” “Zane is slow,” and “Zane has to limit his choices.” I doubted myself at times, and I struggled more than I’d like to admit, but that forced me down a path. This path is where I built my work ethic, my unique insightfulness, and my problem solving skills – all of which I carry with me to this day and is no more evident in my marketing work you can find in my portfolio.

Now, I have foraged myself into a master problem solver, overcoming any hurdle, navigating any situation, all while expertly managing relationships… all because I had the courage to struggle in order to succeed.

Don’t take my word for it, though – see for yourself.