Meet Allan

My mantra has always been "There are no strangers, only friends you haven't met." On this journey I hope to meet and spend time with many friends. And if I happen to be lucky enough to meet and spend time with you, I'd hope you'd find me interesting, fun, full of energy and animated. Other descriptors or adjectives might come to mind, but I'll let you hold them to yourself or whisper in my ear.

But that's me, on a motorcycle loaded with gear. "Where you going?" might be your first question, and I just might choose to answer it with where I've been. Because the sum of the character, the person the soul is the experience. New experience will continue to add dimension and character to who I am, but where I've been and the stories in my eyes and my mind might tell you more. Where I'm going? I'm on an adventure. A thrilling journey of discovery.

My past. If you must. I grew up in Connecticut, went to school in upstate New York and since then lived in Southern California.

I'm a creative, technology and communications consultant with clearcloud ctc in Newport Beach, California. I help my clients with brand reengineering, brand communications, business process and development and online and offline marketing communications strategies and initiatives.

But on July 4, 2005 I began my two-year hiatus from my consulting duties at clearcloud and embark on a solo journey that will take me around the world on a motorcycle. I will strive to be the first man to circumnavigate the world top to bottom and all the way around, touching all seven continents traveling on a motorcycle without a support team in tow.

And I guess I've always had motorcycling in my blood. I've owned a number of motorcycles and by the looks of this ancient photo, I guess my dream to ride the world must have started when i was a little toe-head whose legs didn't even reach the pegs of my dad's little Honda.

So the ride around the world - WorldRider - it is. Let's go.

For those of you interested in resume type of information, this is from my corporate biography:

Prior to clearlcoud, Karl co-founded Wirestone one of the the leading interactive agencies in North America, according to AdWeek. At Wirestone, Karl served as director and executive vice president and managed the Southern California office.

Prior to founding Wirestone, Karl held the position of vice president and creative director for PRISCOMM, one of Orange County's top high-tech marketing communications firms.

Karl is designer and architect of clearBranding a unique methodology and fast-track interactive process that helps companies and organizations gain clarity, focus and consensus on key issues related to marketing, branding, product development and communications. He also authored 'next marketing' a four-step process to leverage opportunities to success in the next economy. He also designs and leads interactive workshops for companies designed to stimulate creative thinking and promote alignment and consensus within the organization.

Karl is responsible for both the strategic and creative development of marketing, advertising and branding campaigns for high technology, consumer and dot-com firms. Karl has worked with many global 2000 and middle market high technology clients including AT&T, Hewlett-Packard, Quest Software, Watchguard Technologies, Rainbow Technologies, SMC Networks and TEAC America.

An industry veteran, Karl has won several advertising and creative awards, and is past president and board member of the American Advertising Federation in Orange County. Additionally, Karl has served a number of non-profit organizations including director of the South Coast Fine Arts Festival benefiting the South Coast Children Society and pro-bono creative work for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

A graduate of Syracuse University's Newhouse School of Public Communications, Karl lectures, speaks and leads workshops on branding, marketing communications, Internet marketing, relationship marketing and strategic planning.

Now if that didn't bore you, I'm sure I could find lengthy documents from my days serving the corporate world, but I won't. Let's talk life, motorcycles, culture, history and adventure. We'll share our discoveries and therefore be much more interesting!