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One man’s journey
‘Adguy’ finds Holdrege is a long ways from Los Angeles...in more ways than one.
Growing up in Denver, Phil Soreide never dreamed of being an ad man – or an “adguy” as he likes to refer to himself. In fact, he never considered advertising as a career at all until he was fully immersed in it and by then, he says, “it was too late.”
“My first job out of college was working for a small ad agency, but for a smart, experienced man who was willing to teach me what I needed to know. I got to wear a lot of hats while I was there, so I learned not just about ad design and production – which is why I’d been hired – but also about copywriting, media planning, account service, PR – all the functions that make an ad agency work.”
That grounding in the overall structure led Soreide to a 30-odd-year career in marketing communications, as a vice president and creative director in Los Angeles, as partner in a Longmont, Colorado agency, and finally, as the sole proprietor of One Good Adguy LLC in rural Holdrege, Nebraska.
The path to rural Nebraska
When his mentor had a heart attack and decided to close the agency, Soreide stayed in Denver and worked in newspapers for a time – his degree is in journalism, after all – but soon after he moved to Los Angeles to pursue a copywriting career.
“Advertising is a lot more fun than journalism because you have so much more creative leeway,” he says. “It’s not just because you have to tell the truth in journalism, because legally and ethically you have to tell the truth in advertising as well. It’s just that journalism is supposed to be neutral, while advertising is all about advocating. It’s about using emotions to shape perceptions and move people; it’s about persuading people to consider a particular point of view by how you write the headline or how you present the graphic elements.”
While in California, Soreide had the opportunity to work on some relatively big-name accounts including Epson, Canon and Callaway Golf.
“I’ve been fortunate to work on some really wonderful projects,” Soreide says. “I got to make real, Hollywood-style commercials – one of them was even nominated for a CLEO. I had the chance to meet and work with amazing creative people – actors, artists, art directors, writers, audio engineers. I got the behind-the-scenes view of all kinds of companies and organizations. I had the opportunity to direct a lot of different communications campaigns for a lot of different clients. I’ve had a great time.”
Partner to sole proprietor
Soreide jokingly says his mid-life crisis brought him back from California to his native Colorado in 1993.
“California just wasn’t where we wanted to raise kids,” he says.
In 1995 Soreide and a partner opened Linnell & Soreide Marketing Partners, a firm that eventually grew to a staff of ten, with clients in multi-housing, precision optics, satellite communications and other market areas.
“We did really well until 9/11,” Soreide says. “Then clients cancelled advertising and other projects or delayed them for months. We took a huge hit.” When the partnership fell apart in the following year, he decided to go it alone.
“There’s a whole level of boogie that goes with having employees,” Soreide says. “And in this day and age, one savvy guy with a computer and an address book full of talented people can accomplish as much as a small ad agency. Sometimes, if you just have one good adguy, that’s all you need.”
That business model has worked well for Soreide who has clients in Colorado, Arizona and Wyoming in addition to the local business he’s developed in and around Holdrege.
“Even with local clients, I do the vast majority of my work on the phone or over the Internet,” Soreide says. “The availability of high-speed Internet service means I can work from almost anywhere.”
Why Holdrege?
“My wife was a top-level executive for a big national law firm,” Soreide says. “The stress was really telling on her. When she saw a job advertised as the library director in a small Midwestern town, we thought, ‘Why not? Maybe it’s time to lower our stress level and move on to the next chapter in our lives.’”
The move turned out to be positive for both Soreides and their 13-year-old daughter, Katy.
“There are all kinds of advantages to small-town life,” Soreide says. “My wife walks to work and I can walk to three of my clients as well as the bank, the post office and the theater. The schools are on par or better than where we came from. The housing is affordable, insurance is cheaper, the pace is slower – there are plenty of good reasons to opt for a more rural lifestyle.”
Plus, Soreide says, there’s a surprising local demand for his services. “A lot of companies and organizations want professional level work but don’t have easy access to or can’t stand the expense of a full-on ad agency. I fill that gap.”
Among Soreide’s projects are this Web site and other work for Nebraska Rural Living.
“Running my business from a small town really works out well for me,” Soreide says. “I’ll bet if people would open their minds to it, they’d find it’s a lifestyle that would work for a lot of people.”
Who To Contact...
One Good Adguy LLC
Phil Soreide
718 East Avenue
Holdrege, NE 68949
309-991-4753
www.onegoodadguy.com
phil.soreide@onegoodadguy.com
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