ROB RICCARDO
writer. marketer. creative chameleon.
I’m a bit of a creative chameleon.
From a busy underground newsroom in New York City to the solitude of a Rocky Mountain summit, my diverse professional background has taken me all over the country.
I started as a breaking news writer/producer. After graduating from college with a B.A. in Communications, I took at job working in breaking news for Shepard Smith. I started as a video producer in the basement of the News Corp. headquarters, moved up to graphics production (still in the basement) and soon became a full-fledged news writer (12th floor; no more basement!). That turned into occasional spots on TV. It was cool. The pressure was insane. The experience was amazing. But after five years, I realized it wasn’t what I wanted to do for the rest of my career.
I decided to chase more passionate endeavors, and I landed a job in media relations and marketing for one of the world’s leading environmental conservation organizations, The Nature Conservancy. Honestly, I loved it. But I was over New York. I yearned for the mountains. My wife did, too. So, we moved to the picturesque American Southwest to explore the tallest summits, deepest canyons, and hidden gems in our desert backyard with the two best rescue pups in all the land.
The move to Arizona sent me into the exciting world of digital marketing. I wore many hats at a boutique branding agency. How many hats? Like, a LOT of hats. I was hired for social media strategy and management, but I soon found myself traveling around the country with my camera to capture moments and craft stories for our clients. Several of the brands were located in Colorado, which is how I ended up on some sweet summits for work. I supported nearly 20 clients during my time at the agency before transitioning to a head copywriting job in the higher education sector. From that role, copywriting and content production has been my main creative focus and area of expertise. I’ve had the opportunity to further grow those skills in agency roles and working as a key member in marketing divisions for a variety of remarkable private companies and nonprofits that include leaders in the endurance sports and music industries—my two favorite things!
On the side, I’ve also been able to successfully utilize my audio production and music-making skills. I’ve written, engineered, and recorded several albums; scored television commercials and documentaries; and produced a variety of podcasts.
The adventure goes on and on, but that’s pretty much how it all got started for me.
Keep creating. Keep climbing.
-Rob Riccardo
This is me, Rob Riccardo. Oh, and I made that shirt, too.