Hi, I'm A.J.
Over the past 15 years, I've worked with brands big and small to bring them answers through research. From the coffee kickstarting your day to the airline getting you home on a red-eye; from foundational strategy work to quick-turn, tactical projects. Regardless of scale, the work I find most rewarding is complex—the path forward isn't always obvious, and success depends on translating messy reality into clear, actionable insight.
I'm currently based in Cincinnati, Ohio, working at The Directions Group.
Three priorities guide the way I work:
Collaborative Foundation
I don't just take a brief and run with it; I take the time to understand what a client already knows, what's keeping them up at night, and what they truly need to move forward. This means asking questions that go beyond the stated objectives and building a shared understanding that makes everything else possible.
Human-Centered Insight
It's tempting to get caught up in metrics, but the insights that actually move the needle come from remembering that behind the data are real people with real reasons for doing what they do. I ensure that human element shines through in the end, however weird, messy, or beautiful it may be.
Compelling Communication
The value of research should be measured in the action it inspires. I turn complex data into clear narratives that speak directly to decision makers, showing them not just what we learned but what it means for them. I use data visualization as a storytelling tool—not decoration—to make insights easy to understand and hard to ignore.
Experience
Key Industries
Consumer Packaged Goods
Retail + Grocery
Foodservice
Travel + Transportation
Healthcare
Research Applications
Consumer + Category Landscape
Shopper Journey + Path to Purchase
Customer Experience
New Product Development
Portfolio Optimization + Pricing
Areas of Expertise
Project Leadership
Research Design + Planning
Multi-Modal Synthesis
Insight Translation
Data Visualization + Storytelling