opinionated
We didn’t plan to start an agency. One day we were freelancing for Bob’s Discount Furniture from a dining room table; the next, we were being acquired by Tombras, one of the hottest agencies in the country. Somewhere in between, we moved into a three-story building, partnered with some of the world’s biggest brands, and worked alongside some of the smartest people in the business.
2017-2026
In 2017, I moved back to Portland to help an old friend start an agency.
Bob’s Discount Furniture was our first client. A conversation with SnapChat turned into our second. We started at Mark’s dining room table and worked out of my WeWork account.
One thing led to another.
We bought a printer.
Then we bought toner.
Toner became a KPI. It’s one thing to have a printer, but we were printing!
Not long after, another old friend joined, and the three of us set out to build something together. It felt like a second chance—for all of us. In a lot of ways, it was recovery. Literally and figuratively. We didn’t overthink it. We just tried to do good work and let it happen.
Over time, the momentum compounded. By December 2025, Opinionated had been named Ad Age Small Agency of the Year six times and was included on the A-List alongside some of the best agencies in the country.
A month later, the agency was acquired by Tombras.
From a dining room table to 40 full-time people in our own building. In 2017 we had one client. In 2025 revenue was over 14 million. adidas, Panda Express, Shake Shack, Dick's Sporting Goods. All great clients. A lot of great work.
But acquisitions have a way of surfacing the truth. The process is designed to expose what’s real—and what isn’t. The business was real. The success was real. And there were some really unfortunate truths as well.
I am super proud of Opinionated and my role in building it. I have chosen to move on and build again, armed with a shit-ton of knowledge and a far better lawyer.
