Jamie Harden is president and chief executive officer of Creative Sign Designs. CDS employs more than 130 people throughout the state of Florida, with the majority based at its Tampa headquarters.
CDS provides consultation, design, project management, fabrication and installation services for a full range of interior, exterior and digital signage products.
Harden and his family returned to Tampa in April 2005. Before that, he was senior vice president and commercial banking group market executive for Bank of America. He served in this role from 1999 to 2005, in various locations including Los Angeles, Dallas and Kansas City.
- College alma mater? The Florida State University.
- Favorite TV show of all time? Tough one … Justified, The Sopranos and Band of Brothers.
- Preferred place for a business meeting? My office.
- Social media time suck of choice? I don’t really have one, thankfully.
- What time do you wake up on workdays? 6:15 a.m.
- What’s a life hack you swear by? Bourbon!
- A movie that terrified you as a child? The Wizard of Oz (those winged monkeys!)
- Favorite local restaurant? Mise en Place.
- Last book you read? John Sandford’s most recent – Judgment Prey.
- Biggest business failure? Not properly preparing for, or anticipating, the residential downturn of 2007 and 2008. The silver lining is that this experience led to the creation of Creative Sign Designs, as it is today.
- Best concert you’ve ever seen, live? Red Hot Chili Peppers.
- Something you cook really well? Most anything on the grill.
- Most famous person you’ve ever met? George H.W. Bush.
- Coca-Cola or Pepsi? Diet Coke.
- How do you manage the volume of emails you receive? Forward and delete!
- Last thing you ordered from Amazon? Dog food.
- Most used emoji? Thumbs up.
- Charity you support? Meals on Wheels, Hospice and Metropolitan Ministries.
- What is something silly you got in trouble for as a child? Biting my nails. My mom hated this and I still do it. Ugh.
- Best advice ever received? Really more of a quote from Winston Churchill – “If you are going through hell, keep going.”