Q: What would you like to see your team accomplish in 2019?
I’d like to see my teams grow cross-discipline. We pride ourselves on being truly integrated across functions and departments. Focus on growth of our people’s skill sets makes for smarter teams and better outcomes for our clients.
Q: Who is your role model or hero?
I respect and admire a lot of people, but I think it’s short-sighted to lionize any one person. People change and when they do – so do their heroes. At the moment – my wife is my hero.
Q: What is your favorite book?
“The Grapes of Wrath.” It embodies the American spirit. Not even the wrath of nature or the economy can hold people down.
Q: Do you use any specific method or system to run daily operations?
We’ve recently adopted Google’s OKR methodology, spearheaded by one of my partners, David Gross. It’s been helpful in creating accountability by using outcomes as a drivers, instead of tasks.
Q: Why did you choose your present industry at this time?
I’ve been in advertising my entire career. Everyone says it’s in a total and complete state of upheaval. However, that’s the zone where we thrive. Being independent, allows us to not be beholden to legacy ways of operating, and we’ve been successful because of that.
Q: What is the best/worst moment you can remember in your career?
Worst: Having to shut down my first company. Best: Getting back up again and starting a new company that has become smarter, better and bigger, but not necessarily faster.
Q: Looking back – if you could advise a younger version of yourself to do something different – what would it be?
Don’t sell your company too quickly. There’s no such thing as easy or fast money.