Reid Hutchins

I knew advertising was right for me when I sold my first major piece of business, did the creative work for it and then saw and heard it on the air. That was in 1979, and I have been working with clients to solve their problems and meet their advertising needs ever since. And, it is just as exciting to me today as it was when I started in the business.

For many years I was the CEO of Ryan/Hutchins/Arthur/Southwick, an advertising, public relations and research firm headquartered in Portland, OR. With a staff of up to 35. I was in charge of all aspects of operations and oversaw sales and new client development. In 1997, I decided to launch Hutchins Advertising enabling me to actually get back to doing the advertising, working on creative and meeting with clients.

Here’s just a bit of what we can cover in our PivotPlanet session(s):
• How to create your own agency and keep it fresh
• The daily grind of the agency business. What you need to know about OWNING vs. being staff member
• How to work with clients and prioritize workloads
• How to prospect and find new business
• How to find the right supporting cast. Writers, graphic designers, media. What is your area of expertise and how do you find the right creative team to work with you full time or as contractors
• And anything else you want to ask about the profession I love!

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You don't have to have a huge staff in a big giant office to do great advertising. In fact, in many ways, an independent environment frees you to find just the right combination of folks to do work for you. I am most proud I started on my own in 1997 without one piece of business and have been able to build a successful agency book of business over the past 15 years.

I will share with you general insights on working in the advertising and public relations industry and specifics about working as a sole proprietor - how to get organized; what steps need to be taken to make it work; how to discipline yourself in a home/work environment and how to find good suppliers and freelancers. As a sole proprietor, I have a group of freelance artists, writers and media planners who work with me on various projects. In most cases, all have the same goal - to be independent and yet still do great advertising.