By Andrea Swangard

Image by Nicole Todd

Lights! Camera! Finance?  

With a degree in business, 2A’s motion designer, Jeff, found himself working in the world of finance after graduating from college. While he enjoyed the business of… business, he also wanted to explore his creative side. A major movie lover, Jeff bought a motion camera and started taking freelance jobs filming and editing. Working with a boutique production company filming spec commercials, he steadily gained experience and a passion for creative work. To be clear, Jeff still had a full-time finance job, so he was spending his off hours working this second job, which quickly gained momentum.  

After copious hours of editing film, Jeff became obsessed with motion graphics, designing stylish video overlays, beautiful backgrounds, and snazzy transitions. Experimenting with various design software opened the door to a world where anything was possible. Jeff dove headfirst into learning all things motion design via the School of Motion and a multitude of animation boot camps. He soon parlayed his experience and talent into full-time work as an agency designer—check out a very cool 3D racecar project Jeff created for IBM. 

Calling the shots on the field and on the job 

Fun fact about Jeff—he played lacrosse in high school and coached it for six years! At one point, Jeff was working a finance job, taking freelance film and design work, and acting as head coach of a high school team—all at the same time. Needless to say, Jeff has no shortage of energy. One of the many perks of having him at 2A? He is always up for a challenge. 

Jeff’s experience as a coach not only brings a can-do attitude and team-player approach to his work ethic, but contributes to his expertise at negotiating for the best outcome. His calm, level-headed demeanor coupled with a drive to bring his team success was essential for the kids he coached back then, and is a major win for his collaborators and clients at 2A. 

Bringing projects to the next level 

A key aspect of Jeff’s work ethos is considering how to make designs better. In his words, “I love having the opportunity to experiment and push a design further. Perhaps we’ve seen something similar before, so how can we do something different to elevate it?” 

When Jeff’s not busy adding sparkle to 2A design projects, he’s golfing and being a dad to adventurous 4-year-old twins. Whether he’s perfecting his golf game or experimenting with new design techniques, Jeff’s enthusiasm and desire for constant improvement make him an essential part of the passionate 2A team.  

By Andrea Swangard

How did music, Japan, and videogames lead our new storyteller, Ashley, to 2A? We’ll begin that answer with another question: How do you know you’re good at playing the flute? When you land a scholarship because of your mad skills! This set the stage for Ashley’s college experience, where she double majored in music performance and English. When she advanced to graduate school, Ashley came across the TESOL program (teaching English as a second language) and discovered a passion for the art of teaching. That led to an internship in Japan teaching English to folks ranging from five-year-olds to senior citizens, igniting Ashley’s love for linguistics and inspiring the right learning approach for a specific audience. It also honed Ashley’s language abilities—in addition to Japanese, she speaks Spanish and Arabic. 

Doctor Who? Finding a path for a lover of language patterns 

While pursuing a PhD in Applied Linguistics with a focus in Second Language Writing and Rhetoric and Composition (with a prestigious fellowship from Purdue), Ashley taught a writing class for engineers. She discovered a gap in teaching methods for academic writing versus industry writing, and researched ways to create customized curriculums for her students. (Ashley also won a dissertation fellowship from the American Association of University Women, but we’re not here to brag…) A professorship brought her to the Pacific Northwest, where Ashley balanced her time teaching with keeping her brain tickled by puzzles and digital games. One of these—the online battle-royale game Apex Legends—brought her to 2A. 

Squad goals: From virtual comrades to real-life coworkers 

Ashley met 2A’s designer extraordinaire, Brandon Conboy, while playing Apex Legends. Their shared love for strategy, teamwork, and being gracious winners fostered an immediate connection. Brandon learned about Ashley’s talent for writing and invited her to explore opportunities at 2A. After a freelance gig where Ashley got to indulge her passion for research and delve deeper into the technology industry, she realized she’d found her true calling. 2A snapped her up full time, and the rest is history! Ashley’s love of language and her teaching experiences (and, let’s be honest, that creative and brilliant mind) bring a dynamic approach to finding the right words to engage a client’s audience. Case in point, a piece she penned about United Airlines is one of the most read AWS case studies of 2023! 

Ashley’s passion for the power of stories keeps 2A’s ebooks fresh and its case studies cutting edge. Whether she’s practicing a new musical piece to perfection or collaborating with other gamers to navigate tricky situations, Ashley loves a challenge. And her research continues to be top notch: Whether it’s finding the winning formula for compelling copy or tracking down the choicest donut in Seattle, Ashley always brings her A-game.