Smith was a science reporter and photographer for The Beacon in Research Triangle Park, before moving to Canada and opening his first design company. He now lives in Tokyo, Japan, where he recently established Polyglot Studios, KK. His cats are Bibi and Onion. He is the grandson of the late North Carolina Poet Laureate, Secretary of the Arts, and national president of the Associated Press Managing Editors Association, Dr. Sam Ragan. An avid reader of world history, contemporary science, anthropology, psychology, and police procedural novels, Smith recently published The Path Book I: Spirit and Mind, and The Path Book II: Mind and Body, which apply cutting-edge neuroscience, anthropology, applied psychology, and nutrition to the field of self help. He is currently co-writing "Sampo no Nikki" (A Walking Diary), a series of short travel books on Japan, the first to be published in Spring 2012.  

A UNC Chancellor's Scholar and multiple Dean's List honoree in journalism,
he also holds A+, Network+ and Microsoft PC engineering certifications, national certification in Japanese
and is owner and founder of Polyglot Studios, KK in Tokyo, Japan.