About Me

Hi there! My name is Dusty Sharp (Sharp=Filoso in Spanish, get it?). I am a professional marketer, graphic designer, writer and purveyor of Cool Stuff. I’ve spent over twenty years in the recreational and automotive aftermarket products industries, as well as too many hobbies, side projects and quirky endeavors to count. Filoso Press is my place to bring the various projects from these disparate ventures together in one place and present them to you, for good or ill.  Here I offer my wares as well as my skills as a freelance marketing and design specialist.

My career has spanned a lifetime, with the last twenty years solidly in marketing.  The industries I’ve been involved in have mostly been manufacturers, and I have always been proud to work for companies that actually build things.  My first “real job” was for a company that built robotic manufacturing cells used in the sheetmetal and machining industries.  It was there that I first started doing technical documentation on a professional level.  Next, I spent nine years working for one of the nation’s largest recreational vehicle manufacturers.  I started in the engineering department doing tech docs, but soon moved into marketing, where I eventually rose to marketing manager.  But that company dissolved during the financial crisis of the late 2000’s (which I prefer to blame for its demise, rather than my marketing prowess!).  I spent the next two years as a partner in a tiny company that built custom Ford Broncos and manufactured aftermarket products for them.  In 2009 I jumped at an opportunity to switch gears, and help develop a small local Jeep products company called Poison Spyder.  I was there for nine years, helping the company grow from zero to over $10M in annual sales.  After several buy-outs by larger corporations I eventually became jaded in the corporate world and decided to return to my roots in helping small companies grow.

I am primarily self-taught in professional graphic design software.  I studied Business Administration at Cal Poly SLO in the late 80’s and early 90’s, but from an early age I’ve been fascinated with graphics and the hands-on aspects of marketing, advertising and design.  My first computer was a Mac Plus, and I’ve been using Adobe Photoshop since version 2.0 in 1991 (it’s currently on version 20, 28 years later as I write this).  I was only dinking around with it back then, but I eventually became self-taught in it.  At about the same time I began dabbling in Aldus Freehand, and switched to Illustrator when Adobe bought Aldus a couple years later.  For desktop publishing, my first projects were in QuarkXpress, which was more powerful than Adobe’s PageMaker.  But today, my three main tools are the current versions of Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign, having used each of them and their predecessors for decades.  I began focusing my career on marketing in the late 90’s, as my interest in graphic design, desktop publishing and the software to accomplish it transitioned into professional pursuits.

Writing is my other passion.  Throughout my career, I have distinguished myself as a competent and proficient writer, across all disciplines.  I have written everything from advertising copy and press releases to technical documentation and editorial content for print and online,  Whether the copy needs to be persuasive, logical, emotive, concise, passive or aggressive, I’ve always been able to find the words to strike just the right tone and get the message across clearly.  I even write fiction and am a self-published author.  It has been a handy combination of skills, to be able to combine copy writing, graphic design, photo editing and desktop publishing all into a project single-handed.

I enjoy reading and writing, off-roading, camping and exploring, shooting, fishing, hunting, working in our shop building or fixing things, including our Early Ford Broncos.  I also brew beer and have been threatening to build a still.  I love history and am a proud member of the Billy Holcomb chapter of E Clampus Vitus.  I don’t get involved in politics much these days, but my philosophy leans heavily libertarian.

My wife and I are serial hobbyists and entrepreneurs.  Some of these things we do just for the fun of it, while some of them actually manage to create some income.  Stephanie’s current project is Sharp’s All Natural, where she raises quail for eggs, meat and by-products for the local markets.  She also stays busy with our English Mastiffs, which she has been breeding and showing as Goldrush Mastiffs for nearly 20 years (please excuse her outdated website!).  My primary extracurricular pursuit is writing fiction, mostly thrillers so far.  You can check out my books at, Dusty Sharp – Author if you’re looking for your next great read.  Together we’re active in So Cal Broncos our Early Bronco Brotherhood of Southern California, which I launched in 2001.  We’re also active in our local Moose Lodge and the associated Mentone Moose Tracks 4X4 Club.

If you want to discuss a marketing or design project, have a question about anything on this site or just want to send me a great Instant-Pot recipe, you can drop me a line any time at dusty@filosopress.com.

Thanks for checking out my site!