My Second Agency Exit – Engauge is part of the Publicis family

Five years and four months after selling my first agency, Spunlogic, to Halyard Capital, Jeff Hilimire, Raghu Kakarala, and I just helped sell Engauge to Publicis Groupe (Press Release). The past five years have been a learning journey for me and I’m a better entrepreneur and executive because of my experience with Engauge. It’s an exciting time for both Engauge and Moxie Interactive; this combination creates a powerhouse in the Southeast that we’ve not seen since the .com days of the early 2000’s. I look forward to the journey ahead.

When I think back to my first agency, Spunlogic, (co-founded with Jeff Hilimire), it’s amazing how much I didn’t know about agencies in general, M&A, holding companies, operations, etc. Thinking back I’m amazed we grew Spunlogic to 75 people and sold it in 2008. I’ve always said we were successful then because of what we didn’t know as opposed to what we did know. Back then we knew how to build value for clients, but I’m not sure we knew how to build value for the agency or investors, at least not purposefully or strategically. Halyard and Engauge have taught me about the latter (creating value for the agency and shareholders) and I’m grateful for the exposure.

Here are some quick highlights of the last 5 years with Engauge:

• I got to take a 4 month sabbatical and travel around the world. Not many companies would let you do that.
• I managed and grew our digital division as Managing Director, built out a bad-ass office and doubled the revenues and head count (140 people) of the Atlanta office.
• I merged the three legacy agencies (4 offices) and built new operational systems and processes.
• Most importantly, I had the privilege to work with amazing people that I’ve learned so much from. Thank you all for the support and friendship.

As my journey continues, I’m thankful for all I’ve learned and I’m excited for what the future has in store for me.