Lisa and Bill go all the way back to Minneapolis. They first met when Lisa was a young, up-and-coming photo stylist and Bill was the new creative director at Fallon, one the country’s hottest ad agencies (then and now).

Sometimes people just click and that’s what happened here. Lisa credits Bill with igniting her creativity. As friend and mentor, he encouraged Lisa to open up her site lines – to move beyond the world of set design and explore the immense creative potential of interior design.

And, as for Bill? Well, Bill being Bill, the glam and exciting agency world was not quite enough. So in addition to being one of the most accomplished ad men in the country, Bill also conceived and developed a town, planted and nurtured a vineyard, pursued photography and watercolor, and honed his craft as a writer (his very first love).

If there is one thing Bill just hates, it’s a boundary (in fact, one of his current creative endeavors is called “no fences”). He is a true visionary. We are delighted to snag him for Conversations With. Creativity is contagious!

Image Via

Okay, you just got a new dog. What kind or breed? What would you name the new pooch (and why)?

Probably a Portuguese Water Dog. Call him Sailor Man. It keeps alive the fantasy of going to down to sea in a boat which lives (or should) within every man.

Solitude or in-the-company-of people? Where will we find you and why?

I enjoy company and get energy from being around smart people, particularly smart, creative people.  People who show their emotions and put it out there and risk everything: their ego, respect, reputation, even their career for a creative line in the sand.

Tell us about the last time you questioned authority. Did you win or lose?

Clients, publishers, film producers etc.. have the ultimate authority in business/creative relationships. They have the checkbook. On the other hand, creative people want to produce work, of course, but here’s the thing: the bit between creating and producing is called selling. Selling turns an idea into a film, or a book, or a pillow with stripes. Show me a great creative person and I’ll show you someone who knows how to sell ideas to authority.

You and your identical twin were separated at birth (horror!) and are about to be reunited for the first time. You want to bring a small gift to make up for all those lost birthdays. What is it?

Each of us brings to the other a book of our lives…a compilation of photographs, bits and pieces etc along with written narrative. And a bottle of scotch. It would be interesting to see if the scotch matches.

What’s next hot thing are you seeing that seems absent from other radars?

The return of privacy as a virtue.

For our inaugural Conversations With, we reached out to Michelle Adams, founder and editor-in-chief of LonnyMag (one of our personal faves). We caught her in between photo shoots (like the one pictured here with LSI from last summer). We love all things Michelle! What a talent. Read on…