How do you say your last name again?

Hi there — that’s “FREE-TAG,” with the ‘e’ staying silent. Growing up, my name sparked its fair share of mispronunciations, from “free-tage” to the proper German “Freitag.” Over time, it’s just become part of who I am.

I’ve always had a love for print media. There’s something about holding a magazine and flipping through the pages that still gets me. At one point, I subscribed to over 20 different magazines just for design inspiration. Even when I was working for a health and beauty magazine, I’d find myself deep-diving into major fashion publications just to stay ahead of the trends. I’ve always been fascinated by the puzzle behind every great ad — the typography, the colors, the subtle details that make it all work.

In 2005, I tagged along with a filmmaker friend to the Phoenix Film Festival, not knowing it would kick off what’s now an 18-year (and counting) journey. I started with the Horror & Sci-Fi Film Festival, eventually merging into the main festival, and became the Art Director, leading a team of designers and setting a new visual theme every year. It’s opened a lot of doors for me and continues to be a huge part of my life.

One of those doors led me to Phoenix Comicon (now Phoenix Fan Fusion). I started by helping out at a friend’s booth and ended up becoming their lead designer and Art Manager, all while still volunteering for the film festival. Around the same time, I also landed a role with Zia Record Exchange, where I helped bring their brand to life — from designing store layouts for pop-ups at Coachella™ and Stagecoach™, to creating stage backdrops for artists like Tegan & Sara and Ghost.

As Phoenix Comicon grew past 100,000 attendees, they hired full-time staff, and I was fortunate enough to become the Art Manager. Over five years, I helped shape the convention’s look, branding everything from merchandise to ads, guest announcements, and those giant banners you see hanging across the Phoenix Convention Center. Even now, under the Phoenix Fan Fusion name, my designs are still a part of the event’s identity.

Like many people in the events world, 2020 hit hard. When COVID shut down in-person gatherings, I lost my full-time role with Fan Fusion. The event went on pause for two years, but when we came back, we came back strong. I’ve kept my role as Art Manager ever since. During that downtime, I found full-time work with another great company — and today, in my 50s, I’m happily juggling three jobs (one full-time), a busy family life, and a house full of pets.

Life’s busy, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Thanks for taking the time to check out my journey — I hope you enjoy the work as much as I love creating it.