L: Tell us a little about your background; where you were raised, your current role, how you create:

D: I’m Danny Mcnabb. Born in Zimbabwe, bred in California. I moved to the states in third grade and fell in love with sports and fashion culture. My mom raised me as a single parents and taught me all the foundational elements that have helped me through life, the most important being to always question the way things can be done. I played on travel baseball teams until I was in High School and then dabbled in Water Polo and Soccer in between baseball season. Early on in High School I was also running a T shirt company called Rype clothing, which introduced myself to my entrepreneurial spirit and taught me how to network properly. 

After HS I went to Junior College to figure shit out and ended up getting a baseball scholarship to a small school in Oregon. I ended up rooming with a kid named Matt who would become a business partner a few months after we met. During our free time between school and baseball we put our heads together and realized we could flip Nike’s from the Oregon outlet’s, online (eBay), risk free. There was no tax in Oregon either so we were scoring crazy deals and finding some super rare items in the outlets.

We would buy shoes in bulk, list them and if they didn’t sell, we would return them for full refund. This became a full time hustle between baseball and it really helped us learn about business, stack cash and ultimately were able to get college units from the business school for presenting the business plan and all accounting. Flipping sneakers grew my love for the culture that came with and sooner than later I was hooked. 

We quickly moved from selling sneakers into the world of marketing, as we realized margins were much higher if we helped brands sell shoes instead. We were in the Portland area, surrounded by all these creative agencies doing big projects for Nike and adidas. After each trying to get a job and being laughed at for lack of experience we realized, we needed to just create our own instead.  Shortly there after, we launched a creative agency called Andrew x Paul with all our friends who were creating in the photo and video space, so we could look much bigger than we were and started sending out pitch decks to people who worked for brands. A couple small projects later and a full year from sending the first email, we got our first big reply from Foot Locker. From there we established that we could create sneaker focused content, cheaper and more authentically than the companies they were using- and we haven’t stopped since. Using that work we were able to bring in some other clients and grow the portfolio. During that time I was able to nurture a relationship with an agency called Archrival and figured out a way that I could come on full time as a content producer for them. They blessed me with the opportunity to work from home and still work on my side projects. I’ve been grinding  with Archrival since then and it’s been such an incredible experience learning from some really talented creatives. We ended up closing shop on our agency, Andrew x Paul and have each been doing our thing solo now. Still working together when it makes sense. 

My roles with Archrival and my side projects always change with client needs, but my true passion is in Creative Directing visual content. This past year I was able to switch gears a focus more on bringing visuals to life and I’ve never been happier. Being able to own the creative direction from start to finish is really where I feel I thrive, and to have brands trust me is something I’m forever grateful for. That said, you will still catch me behind the lens, shooting photos and videos for brands when needed. It’s 2020 - who say’s you can’t do it all?

Danny was the Creative Director of the shoots shown above.

L: What inspires you to create?

D: I’m inspired by people. I love seeing what a human can do and how they can completely rethink/innovate something. I’m extremely inspired by South Africa as well. In the past 10 years, they have been able to get their hands on technology and supplies that we take for granted and it has evened the playing fields a bit. We are seeing a whole new level of creative thinking coming from the art community there.  They always made things work - now they get the resources to create even greater things. The world is starting to take notice. I’m also inspired by the projects I get to work on, and the pressure of knowing that in the agency world you're only as good as your last idea. I love that pressure, it feels like I’m back playing a sport, and helps me kick into a new gear.

L: What has been the highlight of your career?

D: Footlocker gave me the opportunity to direct a Nike commercial for their Swoosh pack campaign. That was the most trust a brand has put in my hands and it opened a lot of doors for me. 

L: Who are the top 3 people you look up to?

D: My Mom, my mentor Jon Reisinger, & Bobby Hundreds.

L: How do you hope to leave your mark, & inspire others?

D: I hope to one day create a video commercial that becomes a staple in our timeline. A piece that blends culture and sport effortlessly with a game-changing message. I also hope to inspire anyone to “decide.” No matter what your dream is, it starts with an unwavering belief that you can succeed and compete amongst the best. Just decide. 

One of the main reasons I wanted to highlight Danny is because of his way of showing support for others. In the short amount of time I’ve known Danny he has been an inspiration for Geza & I. He continues to set an example for young creators to support each other and help each other win. I think more than anything, his positivity and talent shines through every project he works on.

Thank you Danny for wanting to be a part of this community of creators!

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