Gary Mueller

What role do you play as part of BVK Leadership?

I’ve always seen my role as mix of creative leader, strategic thinker, rule breaker, problem-solver, cat herder and cheerleader. I try to always be the voice of calm and reason amidst the controlled chaos.

What do you think makes BVK unique as an agency/why do you choose to work at BVK?

BVK is a big agency that acts small. We hire great, self-motivated, passionate people, give them freedom and resources, and then let them do what they do best. We don’t micro-manage good people. Some people see that as a lack of structure, but we’ve always viewed the entrepreneurial atmosphere as one of our biggest assets to attracting the next generation of talented leaders who are stuck in the bureaucracy and politics of their agency. People genuinely care about each other here. They have each other’s back and are always willing to help out. It’s more like family than a large corporation.

What unique perspective or talent or interest or experience do you bring to the agency and how does it add value to your leadership and client work?

I have always loved to study people of all ages and all backgrounds. What they aspire to be. Their fears. What drives them. Knowing an audience and truly understanding what makes them tick makes it so much easier to communicate with them and develop ideas that truly move them. I also think my desire to give back through public service sets me apart from a lot of people in our industry and sets an example to others. Clients and coworkers understand and trust that I have their best interests in mind and that my goal is to create work that truly has the ability to change people’s lives.

What’s one piece of advice you’d give to any client?

Be open to being a little uncomfortable when developing the next campaign. Nothing truly great ever happened without some level of nervousness or anxiety. If you’re not feeling the butterflies before a launch, the campaign you’re launching most likely will not be as effective as it could be.