Bio:
Gay Warren Gaddis is the president and founder of T3 (The Think Tank), the second largest advertising agency in Austin, Texas, and the largest privately held agency wholly owned by a woman in the country. Committed to creating the most innovative advertising agency culture in the United States, Gaddis has grown her company from three employees in 1989, to the current staff of 118.
T3 works with a range of regional, national and global clients including Dell Inc., Marriott International, Inc., JCPenney, MSN, i3 Research, Nortel Networks, Samsung Telecommunications, Ingenix, Spheris, Despair.com, Baker Botts, and Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA).
Gaddis started her career at The Richards Group in Dallas. She later became the director of public relations for Baylor University Medical Center, and then the marketing director for Leadership Dynamics, a national management-consulting firm in Atlanta.
In 1982, she joined the William Lacy Company in Austin. The firm was renamed Fellers and Gaddis, and Gaddis became a full partner in 1986. In 1989, Gaddis opened her own advertising agency, Warren/Martino. In 1994, she changed the name of the agency to T3 to better reflect ?The Think Tank? business philosophy ? smart people doing smart things. Gaddis heads all new business efforts, oversees finances and mentors the staff.
Gaddis and her husband Lee are parents to three: Sam, a freshman at The University of Texas at Austin, Rebecca, a sophomore at Baylor University in Waco, Texas, and Ben, a recent graduate from Texas A&M in College Station.
Community involvement:
Gaddis is committed to making the Austin community a better place to live and work. She has served as a board member for organizations including The Salvation Army, 1989-2003, Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce and the Governor?s Business Council. Her recent invitation to join the GBC enables Gaddis to work with other council members in helping the Governor improve and strengthen Texas.
Throughout the years, T3 has donated financial support and pro bono work to nonprofit organizations including The Salvation Army, Helping Hand Home for Children, Breast Cancer Research Center, Austin Independent School District?s Partner in Education, Austin Lyric Opera, Women?s Symphony League, Ballet Austin, Paramount Theater and Big Brothers/Big Sisters.
Person most admired:
I most admire my mother because she has faced much adversity throughout her life and is still one of the most positive, energetic and active people I know. She is a two-time cancer survivor, suffered the loss of her husband, my dad, in her early 40s, but has influenced the lives of many young people as a successful first-grade teacher.
Favorite book:
My favorite book is The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown because it combines my interest in art history and religion into a thought provoking story. As a studio art major in college, I studied in many of the European cities mentioned in this book, making it very personal to me.
What I enjoy most about my work:
I enjoy creating a work environment where high energy, artistic people can be extremely creative, take risks and maintain their profitability while helping T3 surpass our clients? needs. I also enjoy speaking on national circuits because I can share my experiences while learning from others as we exchange ideas. It?s what makes our ?Think Tank? philosophy really work.
Greatest accomplishment:
My daughter Rebecca is my greatest accomplishment.
Greatest challenge:
My greatest challenge was having the courage to walk out of my job and start my own company. I learned that I had the business savvy, determination and capabilities to make my dream of owning my own business a reality.
Advances I envision in my field over the next 10 years:
Advances over the next 10 years will be truly remarkable because of improved wireless, enhanced interactive, market segmentation and the ability to more clearly define targeted prospects. Companies like ours will be able to produce one-on-one marketing campaigns that are highly customized for the targeted individual or organization.
Strategies to maintain balance in my life:
Spending time with my family and dogs, being on our ranch, shopping for vintage clothing and cooking are all great ways to relax, unwind and put life into perspective. For the last 30 years, I have also taken black and white photographs capturing people simply living their lives. Photography is a great form of ?escapism? for me and I enjoy the time alone.
Advice for emerging entrepreneurs:
Be realistic about your risk tolerance.
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