After graduating from Ringling School of Art & Design in 1986, Joel moved to Music City and worked at Carden & Cherry Advertising for 7 years, winning an Emmy Award for his work on a CBS kid’s show. He co-founded Anderson Thomas Design in 1993, producing countless award-winning creative projects. In 2007, Joel retooled the firm to specialize in branding, packaging and poster art. The Nashville Advertising Foundation named him Art Director of the Year in 2010.