And Now a Few Words on What I Also Really Do, and Why

I started my own business at the age of twenty-five—hung out my shingle and began to consult with a dozen or so design and engineering firms. I worked on branding and positioning, wrote brochures and proposals, conducted research, trained internal staff. I continued along in my tried-and-true Undercover fashion, ghosting articles and writing talks for the city's architects.

Within a few years (following a brief full-time stint for a major consultancy), I had expanded my range—put my History and