Stephen Penning
Stephen Penning
Partner at Truth & Consequences
Philadelphia, PA
www.welcometruth.com
instagram @truth.consequences
WHAT DO YOU DO?
“I’m one of the five partners at Truth & Consequences, a branding agency in Philadelphia. ”
We're small, so I wear a lot of hats. On any given week I could be working on business development, brand strategy, marketing plans, and providing creative direction. My background is as a designer and creative director.
WHAT STEPS DID YOU TAKE TO GET TO WHERE YOU ARE NOW?
I began my career as designer a couple decades ago. My first job was working at what you would consider a traditional ad agency. I was drawn there out of school with the prospect of working on brands with some name recognition. While that did happen to a small degree the process doing so was mostly chaotic. I learned through this experience that methodology and organization were important to me and that I preferred graphic design over advertising. After 2.5 years I left that first job and became a designer at a small design studio called 160over90. I was their ninth employee.
Over the course of the next 15 years I climbed the ladder there and helped transform the studio into a branding agency of two hundred people with four offices across the United States. By 2016 I was a partner and Executive Creative Director. The agency was sold that year to a private equity firm, and then sold again two years later. I left the agency before the second sale along with half of the other partners as we came to understand that the things we built the agency on weren't a priority to leadership.
I had a two year noncompete. I switched gears and excepted an in-house position as the Chief Marketing Officer at the University of Maryland. During my time there I stayed in contact with the partners that I left 160over90 with. We began discussing what it would like to build another agency together. Somewhere along the line someone had the audacious idea of building the most desirable agency in the world. That mission drives everything we do at Truth & Consequences.
How do you stand out in your field?
I'm 6'7.
The truth is, most agencies are built pretty much the same. What separates the good ones from the great ones is talent and experience. So our goal is to hire the most talented and experienced people in the industry. How? By trying to remove the barriers most people experience when trying to make great work. Those barriers include outside things which is why offer 100% healthcare coverage, unlimited PTO, a liberal work from home policy, and the opportunity for ownership in the company after an employee's first year. When you take care of people in this way and they don't have to worry about paying high prescription costs or taking off to care for a family member they're happier and can perform their best. This also means hiring people who aren't ego driven, and are open to feedback and learning to make the best work possible. When we all row the oars together, great things can happen.
WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON RIGHT NOW?
A brand for an elite liberal arts school. A marketing plan for a beef jerky brand. An assignment to name a podcast series for an NFL football team.
WHAT'S YOUR STYLE/PERSPECTIVE/TASTE? DO YOU HAVE A PROJECT THAT REPRESENTS THIS?
We're style agnostic. Our work looks to uncover the truth of the brand and let that drive the style.
WE ARE ALL SLASHIES WITH MULTIPLE SKILLS, WHICH ONE DO YOU WISH YOU COULD DO MORE OFTEN?
Graphic design.
WHAT IS FRUSTRATING YOU RIGHT NOW?
The biggest frustrations right now are all the limitations that come with the pandemic.
IF YOU COULD HIRE SOMEONE FOR $20/HR, WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE THEM DO TO MAKE YOUR DAY EASIER?
I would have them help my kids with their school work.
LET'S BRING OUT THE TIME MACHINE. WHAT DO YOU WISH YOU COULD HAVE TOLD YOURSELF, WHEN, AND WHY?
I wish I would I could have told myself to be less trustworthy in the lead up to the sale of 160over90. Greed can bring out the worst in people.
IF YOU COULD TALK TO AN EXPERT TO GAIN MORE INSIGHT ON SOMETHING, WHAT WOULD IT BE ABOUT?
How to instill work ethic.
WHAT KIND OF OPPORTUNITIES/PROJECTS ARE YOU LOOKING FOR?
We're interested in opportunities with brands that make a positive impact on society with clients that are looking for a true partnership.
DESCRIBE YOUR IDEAL JOB/CLIENT/COLLABORATION.
A client with an interesting product that benefits society is a good place to start. The client themselves would strike the balance of trusting our expertise and pushing us to do great work.
Who is a creative that has helped you elevate your work?
Jim Walls & Brendan Quinn.
HOW DO YOU STAY CREATIVE?
Finding times of quiet.
This member profile was originally published in February 2021.