Sacramento Entrepreneur's Education Opens Up Innovative Solutions

Not only has Sacramento resident, Aaron Winters, established his own creative agency garnering local and international attention, Winters has cultivated a sense for advising and satisfying clients and their creative needs. Armed with a keen ear for communication and extensive knowledge of his craft, Winters meets the demand for an endless supply of creative projects in Sacramento and beyond.

What does your job entail?

"The largest portion of my job is running a small creative design agency. This role can range from project management and client services to web development and identity design. I also teach graphic and web design at Sacramento City College and the Art Institute."

What parts of your job do you find enjoyable?

"In my personal practice, I most enjoy creating. This might be self-initiated projects, especially publishing, where I'm in complete control, but I also take a lot of pride in satisfying clients within their particular set of constraints. It's always a nice feeling to hold your finished work in your hands or see it being used online."

Do you think your education has helped you in your career?

"The story goes: you don't need a degree to be a designer, and, to a certain extent, that's true -- no one's checking. What I gained over the course of time, and hundreds of units, is a more well-rounded approach to lots of different types of ideas and personalities. The problem-solving role of the designer can only be improved by an ability to find multiple approaches. The terminal degree opened up some doors as far as teaching is concerned, but the greater value, by far, has been the effect it has had on my development as a more confident businessman, critical thinker, and empathetic communicator."

Any advice to someone hoping to pursue a similar career?

"Be engaged, keep an open mind, learn how to learn. Read. Write. Talk with people, not at them. While technical skills are essential, being a decent human being with an understanding of and appreciation for people—what they need and how they get it—makes an enormous difference in the quality of work you will inevitably produce."

Paulo Acoba is a California native raised in the Bay Area and living in the Central Valley. He enjoys distance running, cycling and grassroots motorsports. He holds a degree in management from the University of California Merced. Paulo has been writing for Examiner.com since 2012 and covering the Fresno area.