My creative career began in 1993 with a position at a Chicago business publisher where I honed my computer design and production skills and even followed jobs all the way through to the on site printing presses.

For the next several years I chose a creative contractor path in which I worked for a variety of marketing and advertising firms on a project basis. Some of these were longer term commitments, such as those for Frankel, Ambrosi & Associates, Stephen B. Starr Design, McDougel Littell and Lain & Associates. The work I did consisted of either art directing projects from concept to completion or supporting other art directors in any manner of preparing such work.

After 12 years of providing creative services to some leading marketing firms on a contractor basis, I incorporated as Robert Grillo Creative, prompted by a shift in my career goals from just keeping myself busy to growing a larger business built on a team of professionals.