Today we’d like to introduce you to Robert M. Albertsen Jr..
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I am originally from El Paso, Texas, and I moved to the Charlotte County area to live with my grandparents so I could finish my schooling before enlisting in the United States Army under a Ranger contract. Service was not simply a career path for me—it was something I felt called to do, along with being third generation, its tradition. Unfortunately, during airborne training, I severely damaged my knee and was unable to continue into the higher tiers of Special Operations Command. What felt like a devastating setback at the time became a redirection.
At Fort Bragg with the 82nd Airborne Division, I found a home within the airborne community, where I healed, prospered, and excelled. Over five years of service, I deployed to several countries and earned honors including the Expert Infantry Badge—an award with an 80% to 90% failure rate—German Jump Wings, and multiple campaign awards. During my final deployment, I received injuries while in Kosovo, what was later identified as a traumatic brain injury (TBI), along with other physical injuries. I eventually reached a point where I was no longer combat effective and had to return home with the intention of healing and possibly returning later.
After returning home, I briefly attended Charlotte Vocational School to study culinary arts because I believed I wanted to become a chef. It didn’t take long for me to realize that construction and design were my true calling. I pivoted into Computer Aided Design and built a successful career that eventually led to launching my own architectural design firm, primarily servicing DeSoto, Charlotte, and Lee counties. Over time, I was sought out to design structures across the United States.
One of my proudest projects during that time was designing the suspended ship façade entrance to a pirate bar at Fishermen’s Village in Punta Gorda, Florida. I also contributed to the design and light engineering of a cantilevered swimming pool in California that extended from a home built into a steep cliff face. When the economy shifted, however, I was forced to close my firm.
The years that followed were humbling. I worked wherever I could—McDonald’s, FedEx, landscaping jobs—doing whatever it took to survive and provide. A fellow service member and life-long friend Justin Mahan, from the Florida National Guard recognized my aptitude and introduced me to the IT field, teaching me A+ and other foundational skills that led to employment with Miva/Findwhat, later rebranded as Perot Systems. When that industry contracted due to economic woes, I found myself starting over once again.
Believing trucking to be recession-proof, I used my severance pay to attend Truckmaster Driving School and was hired by Werner Enterprises out of Omaha, Nebraska, operating from the Lakeland, Florida office. Though Werner had a strong reputation, over-the-road life proved unsustainable for me. I experienced some intense moments, including a near disaster in the Appalachian Mountains when a sedan cut into my lane and nearly caused a catastrophic accident. During a freezing winter delivery in Markham, Illinois, a fellow 82nd Airborne Division veteran working as a night watchman invited me to warm up inside a freezer—ironically warmer than the warehouse or my truck cab. I still laugh at the absurdity of finding warmth in a freezer.
Eventually, I returned home and moved to Orlando, enrolling at Valencia College to pursue architecture again, though finances prevented me from completing the program. Through my service member brother, Justin, I secured a desktop support role at Holiday Inn Club Vacations Orange Lake Resort, where I thrived for several years before attempting once more to pursue my passion for design.
Then came the accident that changed everything.
While helping a close friend, Sean Broadwater, repair hurricane damage to his roof, I fell from the garage roof to the pavement below. EMS later suggested that I may have grabbed the ladder during the fall, creating a parabolic arc that slowed my descent enough to save my life. But survival did not come from physics alone. A small brown-and-black dog belonging to a retired Air Force veteran insisted on being walked at an unusual hour and led its owner down an unfamiliar street—directly to me as I was bleeding out. The veteran did not have a cellphone, so he went door-to-door until someone called 911. Two firehouses responded, traffic was halted on Highway 27, and I was airlifted to Osceola Regional Medical Center’s trauma center.
Under the care of Dr. Fransico Noda, I underwent multiple surgeries for bilateral elbow fractures that required plates and screws. Dr. Noda once joked that he was “not very good at jigsaw puzzles,” which I appreciated the dark humor, it brought levity at low point. Recovery was deeply humbling. My mother flew in to care for me for nearly a year. I lost my savings. I had to rebuild independence one small victory at a time.
Eventually, I found healing and renewed purpose working security at Universal Studios Florida’s Volcano Bay. I rose to the rank of corporal, instructed fellow officers, and handled administrative leadership responsibilities. During the COVID-19 shutdown, while patrolling near Stage 25, I noticed a door ajar at The DAVE School (Digital Animation and Visual Effects School). After years of attempting to enroll when it was still housed in a trailer, I discovered that because of COVID restrictions, there was finally space available.
I met Mike Keith, alumni turned Director of Career Services, during an emotional interview where I presented a portfolio of custom challenge coins. Around that same time, I had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease, described as early onset and rapidly progressive. I was also undergoing therapy to better understand and manage the emotional effects of my TBI. Despite being told I might not have much time, I chose to pursue the 18-month virtual production program anyway.
At Universal, I shared my plan with my friend Ace Johnson, author of the Warrior Women of Superian Island series, beginning with The Legend of the Six-Breasted Man. I promised him I would learn everything I could and redesign his book covers the way he had always envisioned. Since then, we have completed three award-winning covers, with more in development.
At The DAVE School, I reconnected with Greg Poole, a gifted artist I had known from Volcano Bay. Greg became a texture specialist, and together we collaborated on highly detailed digital environments for Ace Johnson’s books and even produced a commercial for an AC company in Houston. Instructors PJ Salamon and Braden Brunk taught us how to apply 3D modeling skills across industries. Amy Ramsmussen supported me during health setbacks and assisted me in getting granted me a six-month extension. Zach Hamelton and Jacob Oliver later guided me through producing a VFX-heavy feature that debuted on YouTube and became a Silver Telly Award winner. Greg Poole later secured work in Missouri alongside fellow animator Jordan.
Today, I am a co-founder of Spicy Gator Productions, LLC—a name created by my wife. Our team includes Sean Broadwater Chief Business Officer, Greg Poole Chief of Talent Aquistions, Ace Johnson Chief Operations Officer, Bradley Menyhert Chief Networking Officer, and our newest arrival Josh Boesch Chief Sales, & Production Officer. We have completed editing work for Hannah Carter, a BAFTA-recognized writer, and helped bring Kling Brothers Entertainment to Orlando for a new television pilot featuring talent from Truthful Acting Studios under Marco DiGeorge. Using skills we try to promote entrepreneurs and creatives like Jake and Rowan Solima, with their company Working Title Vacation Homes, themed AirBnB homes in different strategically located homes.
Spicy Gator Productions operates on determination, talent, and adaptability, but our biggest upcoming milestone is the announcement and release push for our newest project—the Olympus Vanguard mobile game. Alongside that major launch, we continue to expand our creative product line with ten brand-new Crystal Art Canvas designs, a new high-detail challenge coin, and a growing collection of 3D props, including custom made-to-order pieces such as a Wonder Woman: Bloodlines sword. We are also producing Galactic Armory licensed armor and weapon pieces, while continuing our work in film production through the upcoming Kling Brothers Entertainment TV pilot titled “The Things I Didn’t Do”. All of these projects will be showcased as we debut our newest work at MegaCon March 19–22.
My life has never followed a straight path. From airborne operations to architectural design, from trauma to digital production, I have learned that resilience is not loud—it is persistent. My mission remains simple: build something meaningful, support others, and refuse to let circumstance dictate my destiny.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Throughout my life, obstacles have not been occasional—they have been constant turning points that forced me to adapt, rebuild, and redefine what success looks like.
One of the first major challenges I faced came early in my military career. I enlisted in the United States Army under a Ranger contract, fully committed to pushing myself into the highest tiers of Special Operations community. During airborne training, I suffered a severe knee injury that ended that pipeline. It was a hard reality to accept, because it wasn’t just an injury—it felt like the collapse of the future I had planned. However, I was fortunate enough to find a home within the airborne community, where I was able to heal, grow, and continue serving with pride.
Later, during my deployment to Kosovo, I was suffering from what was at the time an undiagnosed traumatic brain injury (TBI), along with other physical injuries. The hardest part about that experience was that the damage wasn’t always visible. Over time, it became clear that I was no longer combat effective, and I had to return home to recover. That transition was emotionally difficult, because I still felt like I had more to give.
After leaving active service, I faced the challenge of rebuilding a career from the ground up. I tried culinary arts, then quickly realized my true passion was in construction and design. I worked hard to build a successful career in Computer Aided Design, eventually owning and operating my own architectural design firm. I was proud of what I built, but the economic downturn forced me to close my doors. Watching years of effort and ambition collapse because of circumstances outside my control was one of the most painful professional experiences of my life.
That financial instability led to a long stretch of working whatever jobs I could find—McDonald’s, FedEx, landscaping, and anything else that would keep me afloat. Those years taught me humility, patience, and the ability to survive without ego. Still, the constant cycle of rebuilding was exhausting.
When I transitioned into IT, I believed I had found stability. I worked for Miva/Findwhat, later rebranded as Perot Systems, but once again economic shifts in the industry resulted in job loss. The pattern became familiar: every time I built momentum, the ground shifted beneath me.
Even my attempt at trucking, which I believed would be recession-proof, came with its own hardships. Life on the road was physically and mentally demanding, and being paid by the mile while constantly being assigned short runs made it nearly impossible to sustain a stable income. I also experienced frightening moments, including nearly losing control of my truck in the Appalachian Mountains when a car cut into my lane.
The most life-altering obstacle came when I fell from a roof while helping a friend repair hurricane damage. I suffered bilateral fractures in both elbows, required multiple surgeries, and spent nearly a year recovering. The physical pain was intense, but the emotional toll was just as heavy. I lost my independence and burned through my savings. I needed my mother to drop everything and fly in to care for me, which was humbling in ways that are difficult to describe.
Recovery was slow, uncertain, and filled with setbacks. Yet that period also taught me gratitude. I survived because of circumstances that still feel almost unbelievable—first responders, medical staff, Dr. Fransico Noda, and even a small dog that led a retired Air Force veteran to find me bleeding out.
Later, as I began to rebuild again, I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease. Being told it may be early onset and rapidly progressive forced me to confront a harsh reality: time might not be on my side. That diagnosis could have stopped me, but instead it pushed me to chase my creative goals with urgency and purpose.
At the same time, I was also coming to terms with the effects of my TBI, including emotional intensity that I had to learn to manage through therapy. Balancing physical limitations, neurological challenges, and the pressure of starting over yet again became one of the most complex struggles of my life.
Despite everything, I continued forward. I found purpose at Universal Studios Florida, and later took a leap of faith by attending The DAVE School. From there, I built new skills, reconnected with creative collaborators, and helped form Spicy Gator Productions, LLC.
The obstacles I’ve faced—injury, economic collapse, job loss, near-death experiences, and medical diagnoses—have shaped me into someone who understands that success is not about a perfect path. It is about resilience, adaptation, and the refusal to quit, even when life makes quitting seem like the easiest option.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
My work is the result of a lifetime of learning, adapting, and rebuilding. It is not limited to a single industry or a single title. Over the years, I have worked in military service, architectural design, construction, information technology, and creative production, and each chapter has contributed something meaningful to the way I approach what I create today.
Before stepping fully into the creative world, I spent nearly a decade working as a designer and contractor, developing residential and commercial structures across DeSoto, Charlotte, and Lee counties. During that time, I built a reputation for problem solving, precision, and bringing unique ideas to life. Some of my most memorable projects included designing the suspended ship façade entrance to a pirate-themed bar at Fishermen’s Village in Punta Gorda, Florida, and helping to design and lightly engineer a cantilevered swimming pool in California attached to a home built into a steep cliffside.
While that phase of my life was rooted in construction, the foundation was always creativity. I’ve always been drawn to designing things that feel bold, functional, and memorable—work that leaves an impression.
In more recent years, I transitioned into digital art and production through my education at The DAVE School, where I trained in virtual production, 3D modeling, and visual effects. That experience opened the door for me to combine my technical mindset with creative storytelling. It also led to professional collaborations that I am incredibly proud of, including creating award-winning book covers for author Ace Johnson’s Warrior Women of Superian Island series, beginning with The Legend of the Six-Breasted Man. Those covers were not only artistic projects, but also personal victories—proof that I could reinvent myself and succeed in an entirely new field.
Today, much of my work is produced through Spicy Gator Productions, LLC, a creative company built alongside talented collaborators including Sean Broadwater, Greg Poole, Ace Johnson, and Bradley Menyhert. Together, we’ve taken on a wide range of creative projects, from cover art and digital environments to editing and media production. We have also completed an editing project for a film festival entry by Hannah Carter, a BAFTA-recognized writer, and supported the growth of Orlando-based creative productions through partnerships such as Kling Brothers Entertainment and Truthful Acting Studios under Marco DiGeorge.
A major part of my work also includes creating custom challenge coins, which has become one of my most meaningful and successful product lines. These coins represent more than collectibles—they are personal symbols of identity, pride, and achievement, often connected to military, law enforcement, or community organizations. I take pride in making each piece unique and intentional.
As our business continues to grow, we have expanded into new product lines, including 3D props and Crystal Canvas Art Kits, blending creativity with hands-on craftsmanship. Whether I’m working in digital production, designing physical products, or collaborating on storytelling projects, the goal remains the same: to build something original, high-quality, and meaningful.
At its core, my work is about creation. It is about taking imagination, experience, and skill—and turning them into something real.
What do you like and dislike about the city?
Likes
I am naturally drawn to creativity, problem solving, and building things that matter. Whether it’s designing a structure, creating a custom challenge coin, developing digital environments, or collaborating on a film or book cover, I genuinely enjoy the process of taking an idea and turning it into something tangible.
I appreciate discipline and hard work. My time in the military instilled in me a deep respect for structure, accountability, and pushing beyond perceived limits. I like environments where people are committed to growth and where excellence is the standard.
I also value collaboration. Working alongside talented individuals such as Sean Broadwater, Greg Poole, Ace Johnson, and Bradley Menyhert through Spicy Gator Productions, LLC has reinforced how powerful teamwork can be when everyone is aligned toward a shared vision.
I enjoy learning new skills and adapting to new industries. From architectural design to IT, from trucking to digital production at The DAVE School, growth has always been something I actively pursue rather than avoid.
Above all, I value authenticity, loyalty, and people who keep their word. Those qualities matter to me both personally and professionally.
Dislikes
I struggle with complacency. I have never been comfortable standing still or settling for “good enough” when something could be improved. A lack of effort or integrity is difficult for me to ignore.
I dislike wasted potential—whether that is in systems, projects, or people. I believe most obstacles can be worked through with the right mindset, and it frustrates me when fear or negativity prevents progress.
I also dislike instability that is outside of one’s control, though I have learned to accept it as part of life. Economic downturns, sudden job loss, or unexpected health diagnoses have taught me resilience, but they have also reinforced how fragile stability can be.
Finally, I dislike giving up. Even when circumstances have made quitting seem reasonable, I have always felt compelled to keep moving forward. That persistence is not always easy, but it defines who I am.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.spicygatorproductions.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spicygatorproductions/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/spicygatorproductions
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-m-albertsen-jr/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@SpicyGatorProductions
- Other: https://www.albiesart.com/
Image Credits
My Headshot with Spouse and dogs was taken by Brandon Miles from Phaeros Films www.phaerosfilms.com
All other images were taken by me, with the exception of the suit and US Army Department of Defense Photo.
