Wednesday, November 28, 2018

How change early on defined us

It's the 26th of November of 2018 and I'm sitting here in my office thinking to myself, 'where has the time gone'?  It's been 11 years now at Mooreshots Direct and a day doesn't go by that I don't think about how we got started.

So here we go.

I never had ambitions of being an advertising agency.  I really didn't.  We started out with an upscale direct mail product called Gloss Pak, and everything evolved from there.  I was working long hours selling the product, producing the product, collecting for the product, and trying to deliver results to clients so they could see the impact.  We were forced to make an executive decision moving forward. It was time to switch gears.

“When patterns are broken, new worlds emerge.” —Tuli Kupferberg

Six months into this thing I had 12 agency clients on my lap and we were off and running with Mooreshots.  It was time to embrace what we never had ambitions of doing and run with it.  We didn't have time for Gloss Pak anymore.  We were a full blown advertising agency.

We never looked back.      

As I zoom out now there's plenty that we could have changed along the way.  We focused on all the things we do well and kept things simple.  We tell stories and tell other people's stories.  We compare results of campaigns, some are good, and as always in advertising, some we push under the rug.  One thing remains constant, we work hard every day to gain market share for our clients and partners.  We treat every decision as if it was our own.  We look at every situation as if it was our own business.  I think we make better decisions and are more efficient because of it.


Everyone needs a mentor.

One of our B2B products
All of us have that one person that has been instrumental in our success.  In my case his name is Danny Traffas.  When I was thinking of going out on my own he was the first person I called.  After talking to him I didn't need to talk to anyone else.   He assured me and guided me through the process.  He was a great support system.  Little did I know he would become my friend, my golf buddy, and most importantly,  my mentor.  A few years ago Danny died suddenly and a day doesn't go by when I wish I could pick up the phone and call him.  He was always there for me regardless of the situation, and his positive attitude always got me through the tough times.  He gave me the opportunity to work in many radio and TV markets and help them with their advertising and drive revenue.   It was a nice addition to what I was already doing.  We sold a B2B product all over the country helping TV and Radio groups gain market share.  It was a huge success early on.  We had a great partnership together.  He even called me "Touchdown Tommy".

I miss Danny every day.

As we move into another year,  we continue to grow, learn, and adjust to the changing environment in marketing and advertising.  The strong momentum of digital media is taking a strong hold.  Regardless of what you hear or read, TV continues to be a powerhouse-the 800 lb gorilla, and in our market and the surrounding ones,  radio still serves its purpose.   But one thing remains the same.  The great people of this community and the areas around it make it a very formidable place to be.  It's our clients and partners who play a big role in making it so great.  There is no bigger compliment than you putting your trust in our hands.

We are very thankful for that.