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Member Spotlight: The Shop

 - August 2, 2017
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Common Desk members are honestly nothing short of exceptional. Take The Shop guys, for instance. The Shop is a startup advertising agency who has six months of work under their belt, but in the past six months, they’ve managed to successfully land huge brands like Tiff’s Treats (who we all love and cherish) and make big waves in the bustling Dallas advertising scene.

David, Matt, and Dustin are living proof that success can be found quickly as long as determination, friendship, and a fun approach to work are the foundation. These three guys work as long as it takes to get the job done, but unlike most, they make it fun and actually love what they do (just see their Insta for proof); this flows over into all that they do for their beloved brands and ultimately makes these brands stand out in noteworthy ways.

So Without Further Ado, Here’s The Full Story Behind The Shop Guys:

What kind of work does your team specialize in?

We focus on creative-driven advertising. Basically, anything from TV commercials to billboards to social content to logos/brand identity.

Tell us more about the full story: your background / passions / education, and how that led you all to what you do today?

The 3 of us met at our last advertising agency, Moroch Partners. Dustin and David were Creative Directors on the McDonald’s account and Matt was the Account Supervisor on a myriad of other brands, including Dickies Workwear, Wilsonart, Fiora, and more. After working together on a project, we quickly learned that we all shared a love for creating brand personalities at the highest level and an addiction to the hustle that goes with it. Months later, The Shop was open for business.

How did you guys get your start in advertising?

Dustin and David both graduated from portfolio school at The University of Texas in Austin. After bouncing around agencies big and small across the country, they eventually met at Moroch Partners. Matt’s story is a bit different. Born in Liverpool, England, Matt found his way to Texas after living in 4 different countries on 3 different continents. He began his advertising career at a scrappy agency called Signal, which instilled in him a “get in done” philosophy that Matt continues to lean on to this very day.

How did you end up starting your business in Dallas? Are you originally from Dallas?

We are all married with kids – 6 total between the 3 of us – so, it was definitely the most convenient thing to do. That said, we do take many trips down to Austin and up to Denver to visit our clients.

Who are your ideal clients?

Honestly, our current clients are pretty ideal – small to mid-size brands that are beloved by fans (I.E. Tiff’s Treats, among others). That said, we just want more of them and to continue growing the current companies we have by helping them get their stories out there in the most exciting/engaging ways possible.

Here’s a video they recently produced for client, Tiff’s Treats:

What would you say are the unique and defining characteristics of your company, professional style, or business model?

In our field, today’s landscape is really shaking up. You’re seeing more and more advertising agencies moving away from the creative side of advertising and focusing more on data, metrics, numbers, etc. We initially got into this because we fell in love with the craft and beauty of creativity itself. This is something that we focus on doing every day and will continue to preserve as long as our doors are open and there are people out there who’re still receptive to it.

What stage would you say your company is currently in?

Stage 1

In what ways do you expect your company/profession to grow in the next 5 years?

The hope is to grow both in size and ability. While we hope to increase the size of our staff, we’d love to get to the point where we can offer services currently outside of our scope (media buying, PR, back-end development, etc.). What problem does your business solve and who do you solve these problems for? We help turn businesses into brands. We do it for any/all businesses seeking to get their names out there and become household brands that people are excited to talk about. Our focus is currently on consumer goods, restaurants, alcohol brands, energy and financial companies; however, we’re always interested in looking for awesome brands led by passionate people who want to do great work.

Anything else you want to share with us?

The Cowboys are going to win the Super Bowl this year. You heard it here first.

And last but not least, how did you end up at Common Desk?

We toured about 8 co-working spaces around town. This was, by far, our favorite. Great location. Great people. Great staff. Great vibe. Oh, and great beer. How big is your team? Are you guys planning on growing / hiring any time soon? As of today, there are 3 partners and a summer intern. The plan is definitely to grow. But we want to grow the right way. One of our favorite mantras is “Nail it before you scale it.” Check out the full testimony below:

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Common Desk isn’t just a coworking space; it’s a tight-knit community of game-changers, difference-makers, and global influencers.

Common Desk isn’t just a coworking space; it’s a tight-knit community of game-changers, difference-makers, and global influencers.
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