Let’s start by getting to know you a little better. Tell us about yourself.

My name is Matt, I’m a rock climber, writer, and unprofessional cook. I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember, but I officially began publishing at 19 in the Dallas Observer, doing editorial pieces about art installations, concerts, and a little bit of everything else, too. The Observer was a lot of fun for a college kid, but ultimately, journalism just wasn’t worth the byline for me. There were a lot of late nights, all of the deadlines were hot, and the pay just wasn’t worth it.

What’s something you love to do?

I love learning, anything that stimulates the left side of my brain, really. I learn something every time I cook, climb and read or write. Learning plays a huge role in cooking, and every time I try a new recipe, I’m learning about the smells, geography, and people of a place. It tells me about what ingredients surround some far-off location, informs me about the tradition and values of an area. Cooking really is an amazing tool for exploration.

What’s your favorite place?

Nocelle, Italy, which is up the mountain from Positano on the Amalfi coast. The natural beauty combined with the hospitality of the people, the food, and the laid-back attitude is everything to me – everything I want from life can be found there. It’s an other-worldly, ethereal escape. Plus, they have incredible coastal climbing there.

If you could do anything besides what you are doing now, what would you do professionally?

Probably cook, but I would try to do it in a place where local ingredients and techniques mean something more than profits. This is definitely a “pie-in-the-sky” sort of dream because commercial restaurants are all about the bottom-line. I’d be completely happy with a shack by the coast that cranks out good, local, authentic cuisine where people can relax and share a quiet meal and some killer wine.

What is the last thing you binge-watched?

The Boys, on Amazon. It’s a show that asks the question “what if superheroes lived among us, and had real human motivations?” It’s great – it’s cool to see what would happen if someone with superhuman powers was tempted by social power, money, lust, etc. I strongly recommend it. Plus, it has an amazing, dry sense of humor and fantastic cast.

If you could live in any sitcom, which would it be?

Community. The humor is off the wall and there’s an irreverence that exists in community college that they really lean into. The world they’ve created is lighthearted, good-natured and idyllic, so it just speaks to me. In spite of all of the weirdness and wild plot-points and disfunction, the show is character-driven by a small group of students that care about each other and their school. 

Are you a listener or a talker?

Listener, full stop.

If you had to eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be?

This is really hard. My dad is my primary culinary influence, and we’ve always played this game where you have to describe everything on your plate that you’d eat for your final meal. Over the years, that food has changed.
My dad’s cooking is southwestern, focused on green chile and traditional New Mexican food. It’s a family staple, and I can’t recall a time when he didn’t roast and press his own red chile. So, it would be red chile enchiladas from Big John’s Chile Farm in Las Cruces, with a fried egg on top and a glass of milk for the heat. If it were something that I was cooking, it’d be homemade pasta and pesto. But, I gotta give this one to my dad.

What’s your favorite children’s story?

Jack Tales, from my Grandpa T, which is a book of folk tales he used to tell us as children. They’re Appalachian folktales from the Blue Hills region – Arkansas, Kentucky, Tennessee, all those Smoky Mountain states. They’re the earliest stories I can recall, and my grandfather is an amazing orator – he was a physics professor for years and has a rich voice and enjoys telling stories. It’s just a magical book, and I don’t think I will ever be able to locate a copy. 

If you had an extra hour of free time every day, what would you spend it doing?

Definitely spend quality time with my wife, Blair; probably cooking, hiking, or gardening.

If there weren’t any more computers, what would be your new occupation?

I’d probably still be a writer in some capacity, I would just use a pen and paper instead of a computer and accept the carpal tunnel consequences.

What do you love about the job?

I love using both sides of my brain to tell stories and earn results. My role is a blend of analytical crowd trend analysis and branded storytelling, so it’s fun to research and learn about the market, and then create strategies and content that performs within the vertical. Both sides of the job present different challenges, and I love that – it’s never boring.

Why Schaefer?

Good people and good challenges.

Let’s start by getting to know you a little better. Tell us about yourself.
I’m a writer, and from San Antonio originally. I love dogs, and I have two of them. Every dog I’ve ever owned has actually found me. I’m married to Matt Arnold, and we’ve known each other since we were in seventh grade, but didn’t get together until we were in college at UTSA. I got my start in PR, but transitioned into advertising because I was more curious about it, and I’ve always had a pension for ads. When I was little (like watching Nickelodeon little) I would get excited about the commercials, and when we eventually got a TiVo, I would fast-forward through the boring parts of the shows to get to the commercials.

What’s something you love to do?
I love vacuuming, because there’s something so cathartic and therapeutic about seeing a floor before and after it’s been cleaned. But not just floors, I would vacuum any surface. I love finding new music and sharing it with someone I know will enjoy it. I love listening. When you truly listen, people tell you their story—how they got here, what their opinions are, their world view. But my favorite stories always involve what someone learned from an experience. I love asking questions—the “why” behind something is a huge driver for me. My mom definitely got annoyed with that one.

What’s your favorite place?
This is a funny one, and so generic but, home. Home is San Antonio. When I think about it, it warms me up. My family and friends, the scenery, the familiarity of the routes you drive, all of it makes me warm and fuzzy.

If you could do anything besides what you are doing now, what would you do professionally?
I don’t know what it’s called, but the people who create soundtracks for movies. Not a composer. But the people that select the music from an existing library to set a tone in a moment or even the entire movie. The people that see a script and decide what musical emotion needs to hit the hardest to make this movie/scene/feeling ‘pop’ or resonate. I don’t know what they’re called, but I would love that job.
(After post-interview research, we found that the title is ‘Music Director’ or Music Supervisor)

What is the last thing you binge watched?
Cheer, don’t judge.

What’s your favorite book?
My favorite book is actually a children’s book called Where the Sidewalk Ends. It has a lot of poems and life lessons and it still holds up well in adulthood. I think there’s something lovely about finding something really enlightening in something so simple.

If you could live in any sitcom, which would it be?
I honestly would say Boy Meets World. It’s kind of like a throwback to growing up: your problems are simple, life is light and every day is a new adventure with your best friends so definitely Boy Meets World.

Why Schaefer?
The camaraderie, and that it feels like a home. Culture is something every agency talks about, but at Schaefer you can feel it. And right away. I love that we do projects that extend into the community, and at a higher-level, I really think that we live our motto and make life better for people all over the world.

If there weren’t any more computers, what would be your new occupation?
Couldn’t I still do the same thing? Put pencil to paper, you know what I mean?
(She’s right, she could still be a copywriter.)

What’s your favorite children’s story?
Clown Arounds Go on Vacation, it’s a riot. And the first book I ever read. The whole thing is told through a series of jokes. It used to make me laugh out loud as a child. It’s kind of a family heirloom. Complete with family drama and everything! When my cousin found out my aunt had given me the original from our childhood, dinner got uncomfortably tense… we still don’t talk about it. You can get a copy on Amazon, but it’s not the same.

If you had an extra hour of free time every day, what would you spend it doing?
I would spend it talking to my granny, my mom’s mom. She lives in San Antonio, and my favorite memory of her is getting in the car with and belting the entire soundtrack of the “Sister Act,” which by the way is a great album. It has a lot of pop-y renditions of church hymnals that you can’t get out of your head.

Let’s start by getting to know you a little better. Tell us about yourself.
I’ve lived all over – from Oklahoma to Colorado, Ohio to Indiana, and finally, we settled in Texas, which is always where I wanted to be. My desire for design goes back to when I was a child. My first project was building a matchbox city with my brother, and I got to create logos and billboards for the faux businesses in the city. It was a lot of fun.

What’s something you love to do?
I enjoy photography and playing games with my family. Lately, we’re enjoying playing Ticket to Ride, which is the perfect balance of strategy and enjoying each other’s company. It’s not so demanding that you can’t visit with people at the table.

What’s your favorite place?
The Rocky Mountains. I just love the experience of the mountains. When I was growing up in Denver, we’d go into the mountains just about every weekend to camp, and fish in the streams. I spent a lot of summers near Aspen, and I just fell in love with the experience.

What do you love about the job?
I love working with the creative team to help deliver high-level solutions for our clients.

If you could do anything besides what you are doing now, what would you do professionally?
If I weren’t in design or production, I’d like to be a writer. I have written a children’s book, and I just really love writing. I like being able to get all of the ideas out of my head. I have notes everywhere because I’m thinking all of the time.

What’s your favorite book?
Rework, by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson. I really love the concept they present about viewing our work and approaching it from a healthy perspective.

What’s your favorite children’s story?
Oh, the Places You’ll Go, by Dr. Seuss. I love all things Dr. Seuss, but that one is my favorite.

Are you a listener or a talker?
I’m a better listener than a talker. I love learning about things and people. My dad taught me that I need to approach interacting with people like a news reporter – to ask questions and seek to understand people.

If you had to eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Pizza, because you can use it as a platform and customize with whatever toppings you like.

If there weren’t any more computers, what would you do with your time?
Either researching or writing about something having to do with social studies, history and how people interact with each other.

What’s the scariest thing you’ve done for fun?
The only thing I can think of isn’t all that scary. A friend of mine took me and some of my kids rock climbing in Oklahoma. He was really good at climbing and setting up everything and teaching us about climbing – it was just a really neat experience.

Why Schaefer?
I was introduced to Schaefer through a creative placement opportunity, where I was able to work freelance for just over a year. I was extremely impressed with the culture and the people.

Let’s start by getting to know you a little better. Tell us about yourself.
I was born and raised in North Richland Hills, but I would always come to Fort Worth whenever I got the chance. I live in Arlington Heights right now so I get to hangout in Fairmount, the Historic District and West 7^th. I’m basically right in the center of everything, it’s the best. I love Fort Worth.

I’m the youngest of five children – I have one sister and three brothers. With all of their spouses and children it’s a crazy blast and I love it, I love being around a lot of crazy passionate people, so it’s good that I work at Schaefer (laughs).

I have a dachshund named Luka (after the Dallas Mavericks player). I’ve been a Mavericks fan for as long as I can remember, and had a dachshund named Dirk growing up, so his name is a nod to the next generation.

What’s something you love to do?
I love cooking, and I’ve loved moving into the city and experiencing all of the fun and weird stuff happening around Fort Worth. Going to big events like the Main Street Arts Festival, finding new restaurants and just experiencing the city is a lot of fun.

What’s your favorite place?
My family’s lake house on Lake Cypress Springs, which is about two hours east of Fort Worth. We attempt some really bad wake surfing – we call ourselves the Mickey Mouse Club of the lake. But it’s really just great everyone being together.

What do you love about the job?
I love that every day is very different. I’m in a unique position in the agency where I get to work with for several wonderful account managers, and I actually get to work with just about every person in the agency. It’s really cool to watch experts do their thing. I really enjoy the research aspect of my job.

If you could do anything besides what you are doing now, what would you do professionally?
I’ve always thought it would be really fun to be a newscaster. Every character in pop culture named “Meredith” is either a mean girl or a newscaster, and I’d much rather be a newscaster. Look at The Parent Trap (mean blonde mom named Meredith), Meredith from The Office, or Meredith Grey from Grey’s Anatomy, who isn’t crazy, but is definitely high strung. For newscasters, you obviously have Meredith Land who I grew up with as the Dallas NBC anchor. So yeah, mean girl or newscaster.

What is the last thing you binge-watched?
Boy Meets World on Disney+. I’m basically reliving my childhood everyday after work. It’s so wholesome, and so good. I love that it’s truly a family show – great jokes for adults and kids.

What’s your favorite book?
Most recently, I read Anthony Bourdain’s Kitchen Confidential, which I read in like 3 days. It’s so fascinating, I love cooking, so it’s fun to observe a subculture that I knew nothing about. It was awesome to read about him growing up on the line in weird restaurants, and watch restaurants work or fail, and understanding the business side of them as well.

If you had to eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Enchiladas, sour cream chicken enchiladas to be more specific. My trick is to go to Rosa’s and order the kid’s chicken enchilada meal and size up the drink and you save like 4 bucks – it’s amazing.

What’s the scariest thing you’ve done for fun?
I got lost in Hong Kong and was like “eh, we’re good.” I was studying abroad, and it was myself and four of my friends, and the five of us had gone off to do a beach day, and we were coming back from our beach day, but we realized that we didn’t know the number of the cab company. So, we’re on a remote beach in Hong Kong, and we eventually figured out the cab number and got back to the area where we were going. So, we wandered around for a bit in Hong Kong to find the most affordable Michelin Star restaurant on the eastern hemisphere, and we had amazing dim sum and pork sticky buns. I think we ordered like six helpings of them, every time the server came by we ordered more.

Why Schaefer?
I had a couple of friendly connections at Schaefer, but the biggest reason is that I wanted to work at a place where I was valued, and felt like I could grow. Schaefer is very different than other agencies – for a lot of reasons – from the building to the people, it’s just a different feel.

Any words of advice?
Something we always say in account service is “if you get through your entire day and don’t scratch anything off of your to-do list, you still had a productive day.” You can start the day with expectations and a list of things to do, but it’s impossible to predict what the day will throw at you. It’s always about managing the project that’s currently in front of you.