Name: Bryan McCarty
Bio: I’m a copywriter who loves advertising, marketing, startups, tech and running. I’m also vegetarian and live a straight edge lifestyle.
Title: Product Marketing Manager at T8 Webware
Age: 27
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Residence: Cedar Falls, Iowa (Original 319 Crew)
Website: bryanmccarty.com
Twitter: @bryanmccarty
Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/bryanmccarty
Intro music: “We Can Make The World Stop” by The Glitch Mob
Silicon Prairie News: After working to land a job in a new city in the throes of a recession (Denver in 2008), what are some of the most valuable lessons you came away with?
Bryan McCarty: Your 8.5×11 resume really doesn’t mean squat. It’s all about getting your foot in the door in creative ways. Personality goes a long ways. Go introduce yourself and shake a hand. An email will never keep up with that. Learn to be in the right place at the right time. Be okay with rejection. Fail and grow from it. Always chase your dreams.
SPN: What will T8’s impending expansion to Des Moines mean for the company, and what will the T8 presence in the Des Moines bring to the city?
BM: We currently have a small group of guys in Des Moines, and they are all anxious to be in the same building when our new office opens! Des Moines has already made T8 feel welcomed, and we’re all stoked to plant more roots in Iowa and push our growth forward. Iowa is a great place for a tech company, and we couldn’t be more excited about joining all of our tech friends down south.
SPN: Having run the advertising gamut, from “national direct mail campaigns for higher education to writing and producing Web videos for sports teams and luxury cars,” can you describe one campaign you didn’t figure you’d like but you ended up enjoying?
BM: The work Jason Fliehler, Aaron Smock and I did for the University of Northern Iowa. At first, I wasn’t too jacked. The work I’d seen in the past was very blah. Once we took ahold of the account, the client was incredibly awesome and completely trusted us with their brand. They let us put our talents to work and do our thing. The “This is Panthertown” campaign has been some of the most fun I’ve ever had, and it’s work I’m truly proud of.
SPN: In a blog post earlier this year, you declared 2012 as “the year of extending yourself.” Can you explain what that means and how you’ve tried to live up to that goal?
BM: Too often we follow the same daily routine. I’m trying to experience new things, meet new people, drive a different way to work, try new things and push myself. These are the things that keep me creatively inspired and humbled. I don’t want to live life taking the same path every single day. 2012 is the year to mix things up … it’s good for the soul.
SPN: As an avid runner and occasional reviewer of running gear, what are the three best innovations you’ve seen in running equipment in the last couple years, and why?
BM: I’m fortunate to be a part of the Running Village family! I can’t narrow it down to just three, but it’s interesting to see such a big push in the minimal/barefoot running scene over the past couple of years. In this movement, it’s all about getting back to the roots of running and actually stripping away some of the technology/advancements and focusing on the bare essentials of how we should run.
Credits: Photo courtesy of McCarty.
Prairie Portraits: To learn more about this series, see our introduction post, or visit our archives for past Prairie Portraits. To suggest an individual for a future Prairie Portrait, contact editor@siliconprairienews.com.
Prairie Portraits are brought to you by Hudl.
We’re a young gang of nerds, marketers, designers, and former jocks who love sports and tech. Where the two meet is our playground. People always tell us, “You guys must have so much fun.” We do. Want to work with us? Check out our current openings: www.hudl.com/jobs.
