Education: St. Ambrose College in Davenport, IA. I studied under Father Catich, who was world-renowned in calligraphy, history of letterforms and graphic design.

Hobbies: Classic cars.

What was your first car? 1956 Chevy Bel Air, 2-door hardtop.

Tell us about starting Kuhn & Wittenborn. We were pretty gutsy when we started out. But scared too. My wife and I had just bought a new house. We had two kids. And both Whitey and I had good jobs at Hallmark. Then we decided to start an agency. We wanted to do graphic design, but we didn't know who we would work for. We just knew we were going to do good work. We rented a 600-square-foot space above a flower shop and had a couple of drawing boards. It was our plan eventually to get a camera.

What makes a great brand? Trust. Trust comes from consistent performance. This is true of people, products and services.

Who is the person who makes you laugh the hardest? Alan Doan.

What got you into the business in the first place? I was an art major. When I graduated from St. Ambrose, I interviewed at Hallmark. I met with Howard Kemper - a wonderful man. He was the epitome of what a corporate person should be: relationship oriented and concerned about people. He spent two-and-a-half hours with me, and he made me want to know more about Hallmark. I went to Kansas City and began working for Hallmark in the lettering department.

What was your most embarrassing moment in this business? Probably on a golf course somewhere.

What was your most obscure job? I shoveled the beef rail at the International Harvester Foundry. The Foundry poured iron for tractors, and to cool, the iron pieces would hang outside like beef. Sand would drip off them onto a 300-yard rail. My job was to shovel the sand into trucks every night.

Who was the biggest influence in your career? I'd say it was the talented pool of people at Hallmark in the 1970's. The 70's was the golden era for Hallmark. Whitey and I wanted to emulate Hallmark values when we started our own agency - respect for people, nice working environment, good benefits and good salary. I learned every minute while I was there.

What are you most proud of? I'm most proud of Kuhn & Wittenborn - its success, my lasting relationship with Whitey, and the opportunity to work with the people I have for 30 years. It's been wonderful.

Who has had the most influence in your life? Several people over the years. But two men stand out: my father-in-law and one of my first bosses. To help my mom, I lied about my age to get my first job at 13 at the local grocery store. I worked up to $1 an hour. The manager, Bob Melody, became a mentor and a friend. He was an artist of designing produce displays - he knew how to arrange the colors of bibb lettuce, radishes, and other vegetables to look beautiful. I learned how to do that too.

Then, I worked for my father-in-law, who was a contractor, when I was in college. He was the most well-read, educated man, yet without much formal education. He taught me incredible things.

What would you do if you won $1 million in the lottery. I'd donate it to the American Stroke Foundation.