Snow Peak Design is a creative agency. A design studio. An office of strategic storytelling. A place of thinking, doing, creating, and helping your company develop an identity and grow into an oblivion of greatness.

I create and develop brands because I believe in my clients. I believe in helping businesses show their communities who they are, what they do, and why they do it. I like watching businesses succeed. I know how to really listen, collaborate.

Snow Peak Design will intelligently develop your brand with story, design and imagination.

Inspiring Places

I grew up at the base of Snow Peak, in the Idaho mountains. I credit all my early inspiration to those peaks that were my backyard, my playground, my solitude. There I learned some of the most important lessons of my life. How to work, how to play, and how to see things from a different perspective— How to take risks, feel pain, and most of all, how to enjoy the beauty of the things around me. I know we spent lots of time working, but as memories go...the fondest ones are of skiing, hunting, fishing, hiking, dirt biking, riding horses or anything that got us to higher altitudes, crazy lines, killer trails and always craving more snow! So many good times, hard times, happy times and some sad. I learned to find so much joy in little things: the silent sound of snow falling, the spring run off pond in our field, nights under the stars and the smell of fall in the air. Did I mention snow? Oh, the pure bliss of snow! Complete Inspiration.

Snow Peak may have been my first mountain love, but definitely wasn't my last. I've had the opportunity to travel the world and see some pretty amazing things. To pick a favorite one would be like trying to choose between a mini Cadbury egg and a stroopwafle; as different as they can be, yet equally delicious! Later in life, I replaced my rifle with a telephoto lens and added bikes with pedals to my collection of toys. I still ride the same trails and ski the same lines, but have added lots of new experiences and venues to my list of inspirational places. I was always very bias—thinking that my mountains were the most beautiful of all. Although they are still at the top of my list, I've discovered some pretty amazing places. Through all my travels there were a few places where I settled down for a while. Alaska was the first. Just saying the word Alaska really speaks for itself. Between the northern lights and the whales, awww...just magical. Everything about it was inspiring. My Dad let me borrow his Minolta x-380 SLR film camera and I began to see the world differently. When you get behind a camera you see all the tiny details that the eye doesn't—it is comforting and liberating. You appreciate light, texture, movement and shape in a way that is unique to any other experience. It was the first art that got me hooked on creating things...loving the challenge to tell a meaningful story with a single image. I love my computer, but I'm grateful I was able to experience the days of dark rooms and sketch pads.

Next, I lived in Ecuador right in the heart of the Andes Mountains. I was in Quito when the volcano Wawa Pichincha erupted and later lived right at the base of Mount Cayambe. Living in the 3rd world, being at the center of the Equator surrounded by those amazing giants definitely gives you a different perspective on life, the world—pretty much everything. I learned what it was like to have, and to not have, to struggle and to be grateful. Washing my clothes on rocks, showering with buckets and eating pigs feet regularly (if you've ever chewed on dry glue, it's a similar sensation...except it tastes kind of like a pig smells) were also quite the character builders. Complete inspiration. 

After graduating from College and working for a few years, I was still craving more adventure in my life. I headed to Europe and continued my studies in Graphic Design in Switzerland. The only way to describe my experience there is surreal. Like, the real definition of the word; unreal or dreamlike! Awww...the Alps! To be surrounded by such majestic beauty was inspirational—my studies there opened by eyes to a whole new perspective on art and creating. I chose to go into design because I really liked it, but Switzerland is what made me fall in love with what I do. The way we see things in the world were largely influenced by the historical Swiss designs which emphasized cleanliness, readability and objectivity with an earlier preference for illustration and typography, and later photography. Much of my inspiration is still taken from Swiss design history and styles. I may have also developed a slight obsession for old iron clad doors, flower boxes, and cow bells. Talk about effective branding...the Swiss sucked me right in.

Now, here I am, years later—Still creating, learning, growing, evolving. I love to inspire people with my work, but my real hope is to inspire people with my life. We all have a story. Some chapters will be good and some will be bad. Imagination inspires. Adventure inspires. Experience inspires. People inspire.

Inspiring People

I have been lucky to have a life filled with inspirational people.

My Dad was a genius, a structural engineer. I credit my love of building and designing things that are beautiful, but strong and meaningful—to him. He taught me the importance of understanding how and why things work. He was tough and rugged, with worn, leathery hands. He could fix anything—literally, anything. His pockets were always full of nails & screws or anything that could possibly come in handy. (This also made the airport scene quite a zoo!) He taught me the importance of hard work and play. He could out hike any mountain goat, only ever needed one bullet in his gun, no matter how far the shot and could find that last turn in fresh powder long after all the other ski bums had gone home. He believed that you got exactly what you payed for, that you get an honest days pay for an honest days work—and that pure integrity was mandatory. He showed me how to be strong, confident and always see the beauty of the things around me. He taught me to pay attention to the details, that I could do anything—and that the most important legacy we can leave behind is to have inspired, served and loved others.

My mom was the rock, the solid foundation and the joy. She taught me the importance of putting others first, sacrifice, and that life is to be enjoyed.  She is the epitome of sacrifice and self-less service. She taught me the importance of making things memorable. Just sitting here, I can smell the sweet aroma of canned salsa from the garden and homemade bread in the fall. The greatness of art is determined by whether it is memorable and stands the test of time—that would make everything that she did, the perfect art form. She is the hardest working woman I have ever known. She showed me that hard times and trials make us stronger. She taught me the importance of consistency. She was always there—no matter what. I'm really racking my brain here, trying to think of one time she wasn't there...and..., I got nothing. She has been a constant in my life and inspires me every day. Above all, she taught me to look deeper than what meets the eye, to look for the positive, and that faith and hope are the most important things in life. Oh, and that our best, is always enough.

My twin sister has been my sidekick,  biggest supporter and best friend from day one (literally). She inspires me with confidence and love. We spent half of our lives trying to keep up with our 6 brothers...they may have spoiled us some, but they get all credit for the toughness, the pushing ourselves to be better and all the broken bones and stitches. With each scar comes a story that shaped who we are. We feel like the luckiest gals in the world that they are ours. I think the greatest credit to my parents is that these 7 siblings of mine all possess the qualities listed above and then some. When I grow up, I want to be like them. They make me better each day.

All my kiddos inspire me everyday with laughter and  love. They bring joy that is inexplicable. They are fearless, kind and forgiving. They are my whole world.

My friends have inspired me by their constant encouragement and confidence. They get credit for so many experiences and adventures that I never would have had otherwise. They push me to do more than I ever thought I could.

Awww...did I mention, I'm feeling inspired?!