A few months ago, I read something about the "safest employee" you can have. Mid-career, high-performing, well-compensated, and unlikely to take risks. As I read through it, I realized it was describing me. Exactly.
- Someone between the ages of 40–50. Check.
- High performer in upper management. Check.
- Feels valued by leadership. Check.
- Sees a clear career path, even if growth has stalled due to limited roles above. Check.
- Makes enough to be comfortable, but not enough to retire early. Check.
- Has responsibilities at home that require stability. Check.
The article that hit too close to home
That realization hit me hard. I used to be the "young, ambitious rising star." Now I was the "safe employee." The one who wouldn't leave, wouldn't take risks, and wouldn't disrupt the plan. It forced me to ask myself some tough questions:
- Was I proud of my career?
- Was I satisfied with where I was or where I was going?
Those questions ultimately led to the creation of 8 East Agency and the biggest risk of my career.
The truth is, I have a lot to be proud of. I've held leadership roles at two of the top media companies in the country across major markets, consistently delivering strong results and being recognized as a top leader in the organization. Most recently leading the business operations of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the Wisconsin State Journal, and Amplified Digital Agency in those markets.
But I was never fully satisfied. And I knew I wouldn't be if I stayed. There would always be a question in the back of my mind: What if?
My dad owned his own accounting firm for over 45 years, so I grew up seeing firsthand both the challenges and rewards of building something of your own. But my career took off, and the opportunity, or maybe the courage, to take that leap never came.
Until one phone call.
The phone call that almost didn't happen
Tyler Schoettmer is one of my closest friends. Our kids are roughly the same age and went to the same school, so it was inevitable that we were together all the time. He and his wife were the first people I told when we decided to leave Cincinnati for me to take on the role in St. Louis almost 6 years ago. I was afraid of losing that friendship.
With the grind of life, career, and kids, we naturally didn't stay in touch as much as we did when we were only a 5-minute drive away. We would still see each other a few times a year around the holidays or take a vacation with the families, and the occasional texts back and forth catching up. It was out of the ordinary for us to ever talk on the phone, so when I randomly called one night, and he actually answered, it was less frequent than Michigan beating Ohio State without cheating.
After the typical banter making fun of each other and catching up on family news, we started talking about our careers. Tyler was an owner of a logistics company that was sold in 2024. He was still working for the company that bought them. Well, until that day. Tyler had just resigned that morning. I started talking to him about the article I had read and how it applied to both of us. He had already taken the risk. I didn't have the guts to do it, yet.
When discussing my career, I kept referencing how colleagues and I would randomly talk about how things would be different if we did it on our own. How we could partner with the best in the industry, and not the ones the big corporation told us to. How we could be more nimble without all the corporate red tape. How we could build a customer experience that was beneficial to the customer and not just the best experience we could provide within the company's structure.
After about 5 minutes of me rambling, Tyler cut me off and said, "(insert word here) it, let's just do it!"
We spent the next few hours discussing what we would do, and how we could do it. By the end of the call, we had convinced ourselves it was possible. We didn't know if we would follow through on our crazy plan, but we committed to talking to each other every Thursday at the same time.
That call started at 8:00 PM Eastern.
Finding our "Why"
The "what" was easy. We had to figure out the "why".
Like most people, my family is everything to me. But too often, my time and energy were going to the wrong places. The most valuable thing I can give them is my presence, mentally and physically, and I wasn't always showing up the way I should. Tyler felt the same way.
As we talked through it, one thing became clear.
Our why: It's About Time.
- It's about time we were more present for the people who matter most.
- It's about investing our time to build something for our families.
- It's about running out of time to finally do it.
For our customers, the message is just as simple: It's About Time.
- It's about giving business owners their time back so they can focus on what they do best.
- It's about driving results quickly, turning time into revenue.
- It's about time to do something different to accelerate growth.
What comes next
We don't know exactly how this journey will end. But based on our experience, relationships, and the team we're building, we believe we're on the right path.
Our team is made up of industry experts. Every member brings at least 15 years of experience. We're all in. This isn't a placeholder until the next job. We walked away from the safe path to build something better. We left because we knew we'd regret it if we didn't.
We don't know exactly how this ends.
But we do know one thing...
It's about time we found out.
— Kevin Hart (the other one)