An Interview With Fotis Georgiadis

“My better is better than your better.”

As a part of our series about business leaders who are shaking things up in their industry, I had the pleasure of interviewing Troy Gallo, Director of Brand Strategy at Braintrust.

Troy Gallo has worked with leading brands and agencies across the nation for nearly twenty years. As an industry powerhouse, he creates the organic foundation of a brand identity that unites how brands are perceived both internally and externally. In a time where brands struggle to breakout, Gallo continues to innovate for brands to breakthrough.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory”? What led you to this particular career path?

Well, I was born and raised in Las Vegas, that’s where my story begins. As I kid, I really wanted to play professional football, so after high school, I accepted a partial scholarship and went down to play in Arizona. After three years of bouncing from school to school and facing multiple doses of reality, I realized that the gridiron wasn’t in the cards for me. I came back home to Las Vegas and finished my degree at UNLV. That’s where I met my favorite professor, Sonny Mathias.

Professor Mathias was the lead copywriter at DDB in his heyday and worked directly with advertising legend, Bill Bernbach. I remember how mesmerized I was by Sonny’s passion for the industry, he really painted a picture about creation that was fun and inspiring. Not to mention, he thought I was a good writer and had natural skill in the art of advertising. That vote of confidence stayed with me and helped steer me to finally find the career direction that until then had evaded me. That led to my degree; which led to my first internship; which led to my first job in Los Angeles at Wongdoody. That’s where I fell in love with advertising.

I love that Wongdoody is where this amazing career path of mine began (shoutout to Tracy Wong and Pat Doody). I worked on a myriad of brands and got firsthand knowledge of what it takes to execute at a high level. It was an agency where creation and ideation were encouraged, so even though I was in account management, it wasn’t long before I was helping to concept and develop ideas with creative leaders. I was incredibly lucky to learn directly from directors, experienced advertising executives, and even the owners themselves. They helped me understand the industry and learn the difference between the forest and the trees.

Can you tell our readers what it is about the work you’re doing that’s disruptive?

My job is to create organic, multi-purpose brand identities for my clients. That doesn’t just mean a new logo, tagline, or a marketing campaign, it means spearheading a foundational shift of the company. That’s rare for someone working at an advertising agency in Las Vegas to specialize in. My work is focused on looking beyond our client’s data and research to discover what I call the “Human Truth” — our instinctual responses to life — and then incorporate those findings into their internal and external communications. My work unites strategies and impacts how brands communicate with their customers and their employees.

I believe that the best brands can connect with anyone, whether or not they’re a customer. Those are the brands that I want to build, brands that go beyond their products and have the flexibility to react to every evolution their company may encounter. What I’m really trying to do is to redefine Brand Strategy in Las Vegas. I want companies from across the country to know that there’s strategic thinking coming out of my city and that my agency can dissect and develop brands with the best of them.

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

It happened during my first year at Wongdoody. I was working on five accounts at once and was not sleeping well at home. One day on a call with a client, I dozed off right there in my chair in front of my supervisor and my director. It was maybe only 10 seconds, but long enough for them both to notice. I still get embarrassed thinking about it to this day.

That instance taught me a very valuable lesson — that everything you do matters. It may have been a simple mishap, but it could have easily set a precedent that wasn’t at all true. Was I lazy? No. Did I care about my job? Of course, I did. But if someone heard that story in the wrong context, they could have made an opposite assumption. So, I learned then and there to always be in control of what I do, in order to best control the narrative about me. Another lesson I learned from this — go to bed earlier.

We all need a little help along the journey. Who have been some of your mentors? Can you share a story about how they made an impact?

There are two people who come to mind when I think about my personal and professional mentors. The first is my mother, Debra Gallo. She worked so hard to keep my sister and I happy and safe at a time when she was enduring a lot of physical and emotional pain. She was committed to giving us a life free from struggle and her relentless drive is what empowered me growing up. Professionally, she was the definition of a leader. She has an uncanny ability to cut right through the noise and find the right solution to the problem at hand. As an accomplished lobbyist for Southwest Gas, she’s known for fighting for her bills and caring deeply about her causes. That’s exactly where I get it from.

Second is one of my first account directors, Chris Bruyere. He and I worked together on multiple accounts, and I was able to directly learn how to think beyond the brief and infuse the brand into the work. I also feel that Chris saved my career. When I started, I was a deer in headlights and couldn’t keep up with the pace of the account I was working on. I was struggling, confused, and I’m pretty sure I was about to be let go. But then Chris pulled me onto his accounts and took me under his wing. He showed me how to apply my skills and style to the job, how to see the bigger picture, and how to work out my kinks. I owe so much to him and I am forever grateful. He’s currently leading the brand creative department at Nike, my favorite brand, so I’m also jealous.

In today’s parlance, being disruptive is usually a positive adjective. But is disrupting always good? When do we say the converse, that a system or structure has ‘withstood the test of time’? Can you articulate to our readers when disrupting an industry is positive, and when disrupting an industry is ‘not so positive’? Can you share some examples of what you mean?

Apple is the best example of true, utter disruption. When they launch a new product, they consistently reset the bar and re-engage their customers with new campaign messaging, new user features, and new innovations to keep their customers chasing after their brand. Cryptocurrency is currently trying to do that with our financial systems, a structure that has 100% withstood the test of time. But that’s the thing about disruption, it requires consistency. It’s not a one-time action; it’s a constant commitment to change shared between those trying to create the change and those wanting to adopt it. And both are necessary to create real disruption.

When an industry or a practice is truly disrupted, it’s altered forever. Netflix didn’t just improve how we watch movies and TV shows at home, they reformatted the way we do it. Disrupting something is like causing an earthquake on purpose to rebuild the entire landscape and reset the guidelines. Is that a good thing? Not for those that succeeded in that landscape and thrived with those guidelines (see Blockbuster). That’s why I don’t think disruption should be measure by good or bad, but instead by impactful/not impactful. Change happens every day but it’s only when that change is felt that it becomes disruption. I mean, Taco Bell can make breakfast all they want but until there is an impact felt in the market or by customers, there is no disruption felt. So, if you’re hoping to really shake things up, you need to do it in a big way that hasn’t been done before.

Can you share five of the best words of advice you’ve gotten along your journey? Please give a story or example for each.

• “My better is better than your better.” — Nike Sparq Training Commercial (2008)
• This advice wasn’t given to me, but I love it. In my opinion, it’s one of the best lines ever written in advertising. It’s a simple phrase that’s incredibly inspiring to those with a competitive drive, and it’s something that speaks right to the heart of mine. It reminds me that if I give my best effort, I’m hard to beat. Since my job requires me to put my best ideas forward, whether it’s for new business or a new campaign ideation, I need to keep my belief in myself high in order to deliver my best work.
• “You’re not good enough to throw your clubs.” — Course Golf Pro
• I was golfing in L.A. with my boss, another co-worker, and an older golf pro from the course. On one of the holes, I hit three terrible shots back-to-back-to-back and just chucked my club about 40 yards in frustration after the last one. The golf pro walks up to me slowly and whispers those words of advice to me. They really stuck with me and serve as a smart reminder that put things in perspective. I’m not a professional golfer, so why am I mad? It also showed me that if you care enough about something to get mad about it, then you should put in the work to be good at it.
• If you stay ready, you ain’t gotta get ready.” — DJ Quik
• This is from a song I heard a lot as a kid and it’s a quote that I still use. If you’re prepared, you don’t have to waste time getting prepared. It’s a good reminder to stay sharp and to keep adding more knowledge and insight to my professional arsenal. Think ahead and plan for the things that could possibly come your way.
• “Don’t try and ‘outsuit’ the room.” — Michael Bryce
• This was told to me by my creative director at Deutsch L.A. after I presented a campaign to a client. He pulled me aside in the hallway and he saw that I was really putting on for the client and not being myself. He gave me a lot of good advice, but this quote made an impression and reminds me that I don’t need to be anyone but myself.
• “I don’t get it.” — Josh Baskin (Tom Hanks) in the movie BIG
• This is from the scene where Josh, a 12-year-old boy, finds himself in meeting filled with executives talking about new toys. After hearing a forgettable pitch about a new toy, Josh just raises his hand and states that same line repeatedly. It disrupts the meeting and makes it a little awkward in the room but by explaining what he doesn’t understand, he ends up sparking a conversation that leads to a new, better idea about the toy that everyone loves. That directly applies to what I do in my job — poking around like a curious kid until I find something that feels real and believable within a brand. Maybe I am Josh Baskin…?

We are sure you aren’t done. How are you going to shake things up next?

I want to bring my style of ideation and brand strategy to businesses, big or small, across the country. Every company should have a strong brand that drives everything they do, and I want to a sought-after source for this process that’s known for locating and articulating that soul for any brand put in front of me. I want to evolve how businesses see their customers and their employees through strategic thought that simplifies and strengthens what they stand for. My plan is to become a “Brand Whisperer” that gets them to look within and discover original solutions to their communication problems.

Do you have a book, podcast, or talk that’s had a deep impact on your thinking? Can you share a story with us? Can you explain why it was so resonant with you?

Absolutely. The book is David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants by Malcom Gladwell. It’s a collection of true tales about taking a different look at what an “advantage” really is and finding smarter ways to approach a problem. The bible tale of David vs. Goliath is the primary example of this point. David is remembered as the underdog in that tale but in reality, he had the advantage. He defeated his giant because of his mobility, his tactics, and his strategy, and the book shares many examples of how what seems to be isn’t always what is and how the less likely situation is just as likely to come to fruition. So often we come across challenges that seem insurmountable and we allow them to have this foreboding presence in our minds. This book drives home that if we change our thinking and adjust our perspectives, we can find new and innovative ways to conquer our giants and even change the status quo.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

“Don’t forget to look up.”

I worked in New York for just under 16 months. Not a lot of time but New York gets you fast. During my time there I remember talking to someone on the subway about how I was new to the city, and he gave me that advice. I’m sure he was just telling to check out the cool buildings and architecture of New York, but the words spoke to me. They help me remember to take a breath and appreciate every moment of life, even small moments like looking up at the sky. It’s been something that keeps me grounded and focused on what’s significant in my life.

You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂

World hunger. People are dying from a lack of food and that’s just stupid to me. I want to inspire a movement that encourages the world to help ensure that no one ever dies from starvation. I’m currently working on a grassroots fundraising campaign to help impact this cause and stop that number of deaths from growing. One dollar at a time. One person at a time. Whatever it takes. I know it’s the hardest problem there is, but if we all commit, I believe it can be done.

How can our readers follow you online?

@Troy_Gallo on Twitter and @officiallytroygallo on IG.

They can also go to troygallo.com to check out what I’ve been up to ☺

This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for joining us!

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Meet The Disruptors: Troy Gallo of BRAINTRUST On The Five Things You Need To Shake Up Your Industry was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.