Meet Tripp Westbrook | President and Chief Creative Officer of Firehouse

We had the good fortune of connecting with Tripp Westbrook and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Tripp, what do you attribute your success to?
I think the biggest factor behind our success is that we approach every problem with the same question: what’s the right thing to do?

Sure, there are always going to be considerations that impact your final decisions, but start by setting aside expediency, politics, personal biases, client biases and all that other stuff. If your solution is rooted in doing what’s right you can’t go wrong.

This approach has helped with both internal and external decision making and has been the foundation for the values we hold ourselves accountable to. Not only does it inform day to day behaviors, but also how/who we hire, who we will and won’t take on as clients and how both of those relationships are maintained.

What should our readers know about your business?
Firehouse is an advertising strategy and creative boutique. We handle brands on both a national and regional level across a number of different industries. We’re able to do this because we’ve chosen to specialize in working with clients of a particular mindset as opposed to a particular industry. What do I mean by this? CMO’s are people and every person has their own approach to their job. We find that we do our best, most effective work with CMO’s who are leaning forward in their seats. People who are playing to win, versus playing not to lose. It’s a progressive, open-minded and collaborative approach that challenges the status quo in any industry.

What set’s us apart is what we call having “courage in the face of convention”. When we took a hard look at our greatest successes, they all had one thing in common-they bucked the system and created change in a particular industry. I’m very proud of the process we’ve created to identify the habits or “unwritten rules” of any category and then selectively break a few of them to differentiate our clients and make them stand out.

Certainly, doing this isn’t easy and it takes a client partner willing to be open minded and walk with you. But the results can be exponential and business changing.

But the truth is, not every CMO or brand has the appetite for it. We’ve sometimes learned that the hard way by trying to force something into a system that wasn’t ready to embrace it. It’s why we’re up front when speaking with prospective clients that our approach isn’t right for everyone and that sometimes we need to take things a bit slower to ensure a good fit.

It’s why I said earlier that we specialize in a mindset. And that mindset exists across many different kinds of companies and industries. It’s why we’re able to do incredibly effective work for car companies, restaurants, colleges, packaged goods and HVAC brands.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I love sending people down to the museum district to check out the Nasher and DMA. Then I suggest getting a bite to eat in the Bishop Arts area. It’s always fun to do a little high-end (window?) shopping at Highland Park Village or NorthPark Mall. Lastly, depending on the season, catching some pro sports with either the Cowboys, Mavs or Rangers is always a good time.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Certainly this shoutout goes to the people I work with everyday. Success is rarely a solo achievement and having incredibly talented and dedicated folks around you is hugely important. From my business partner, Steve Smith, to our leadership team, to the Firehouser’s who come in every day and give 100% for each other…I just can’t say enough great things.

Lastly, I just wouldn’t be the leader I am today without the support and mentorship of my father. Much of my work ethic and value system flowed from what I learned from him.

Website: www.firehouse.agency

Instagram: @firehouseagency

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trippwestbrook/