The LCT Family - Randy Self (Head Mushroom)

Some call it the Design Studio and some call it the Mushroom Farm, but, it's inmates are all unique individuals. Inside, it’s always dark. And, if you aren’t careful, you could find yourself in the crossfire of one of their impromptu Nerf wars.

The hours are long and the work is filled with strict deadlines and high-pressure projects, so, relieving stress with a soft Nerf bullet or a practical joke played on a co-worker is understandable and a welcome relief.

The head of this unique group, Randy Self, is a very talented Designer and Art Director. He is not only a visionary, but, also a hands-on, skilled craftsman--one of the originators of the Letters alive™ software that is putting Logical Choice on the cutting edge of educational augmented reality curriculum.

But how did someone like Randy come to be the “head mushroom in charge” in Logical Choice’s Mushroom Farm?

Randy’s degree in Media Arts and Animation from the Art Institute of Atlanta enabled this Sandy Springs, Georgia native to get a job with a special effects company in Lawrenceville, GA. All too often, that job led to a misunderstanding with area police. At 4 am, Randy and co-workers would stop by the local QT to buy a drink and a hotdog while covered in the blood (corn syrup and food coloring) used to make their ghoulish designs look like they were bleeding. The manufactured body parts in the trunk of his car did little to alleviate the concerns of the peace officers. When paychecks started arriving sporadically, Randy decided that as much as he enjoyed his job, he needed to find one with regular income.

Randy joined Logical Choice after the gaming company he worked for laid off its entire staff. The project they were working on, a MMO (Massive Multiplayer Online) game which had an educational focus was almost  complete when it fell victim to a lack of financial backing. He began his career here as an installer where he lasted a whole day and a half before being introduced to the Customer Care Team. It was in that environment where he introduced our CEO, Cynthia Kaye, to Augmented Reality which led to the creation of Letters alive™.

The influence of his mother, a photographer, and his father, an engineer, prepared him for the path that his career would take here at Logical Choice. “My mom is a creative person who sees things in a creative way and taught me to do that, too. And, my dad is a step-by-step engineer who taught me to follow the steps and work logically,” Randy shared. “He also taught me to use power tools and build things. I had no idea there were people like plumbers and electricians and builders that you paid until I was older because I thought every project was done by father and son.”

Randy shared a little about what makes this company special. “Honestly, I love this company. There are companies that say they are family oriented, but, it doesn’t really work that way. Here, it feels genuine. We joke with each other and people actually get it and don’t get offended. We really are a family.” 

With his unique set of skills, quick wit, and fun sense of humor, Randy is an office favorite. He sees a bright future for Letters alive™ and future augmented reality products and software. “We can go anywhere. As we start dealing with it, we see what it can do – what the potential really is. There are opportunities for infinite expansion,” according to Randy. 

With the Head Mushroom, Randy Self, (alias Randolf Seawolf thanks to a nickname from C.K.), the journey is never boring, always enlightening and full of lots of laughter and Nerf bullets.

-Lisa K.