I launched my first company in 1976. EMS Music manufactured a tape player that worked 24/7/365 in commercial environments, and we leased tapes of “foreground music” to restaurants and retailers throughout the US and Canada. We were one of three companies in the “industry” — all based in Seattle.
I sold my shares and moved to SoCal in ’81 with my “street degree” in business, joined a friend’s ad agency, and helped grow it from 2 to 35 employees in five years. Next, I transitioned to my own virtual agency in ’86 — just me and a list of SoCal’s best freelance creatives.
My clients ranged from start-ups to a handful of very large corporations, but most were midsize companies — manufacturers, distributors, inventors, service providers. They all had a common problem — get their product in front of people who needed it and convince them it was the right solution for their most immediate problem.
