Meet Jay Roth | Creative Guy, Writing, Nice Guy
We had the good fortune of connecting with Jay Roth and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Jay, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Going independent as a concept-minded copywriter was something I plotted a long time ago. Being thick in the weeds working full time for a pair of large, well-known Denver agencies, my plan was twofold. First, do great work and earn the trust of hundreds of peers who would later migrate to crosstown shops and second, train myself to float back and forth between different types of clients without a hitch. To give you an example, I spent years developing lampoonish campaigns for Keystone Light beer. Fun stuff. Wacky stuff. My CD, my AD and I couldn’t stop laughing at our lunacy. But when Marsico Funds, a more serious-minded mutual funds startup, rolled into the agency, I asked to also work on this rather challenging account. My coworkers thought I was nuts. But flipping from a sophomoric voice one minute to a sophisticated one the next gave me the focus to hone on craftsmanship, tone and voice. Both brands turned out stellar IMO.
That’s really the gist behind my one-man band, Jay Roth Creative. I’m a hired mercenary who knocks out headlines, scripts, mantras, social and sometimes all of the above at once. I’m very fortunate to work on a grab bag of interesting and varied clients. Over this past year, I’ve helped create a holistic holiday campaign for toffee, launch campaign ideas for equipment leasing options for farms and ranches, penned web copy for a university renowned for its business prowess, developed a social campaign for a California grape company, and assembled radio scripts for a zoo. It’s a mix like this that keeps my braincells fresh and fuels me to bring it big day in, day out. The payoff is that most agencies and brands return with additional requests, granting me the chance to dive deeper into their brands. The Colorado community trusts me, and for that, I am eternally grateful and privileged to be in this position. It is important to me that I respect this, always.
Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Working with large agencies allowed me to forge a hefty network of creative and account professionals. But I didn’t stop there. Knowing I was pretty invisible to the community being at those agencies, I volunteered for Art Director’s Club of Denver (revamped today as One Club Denver) and Ad Club Colorado. The former I assumed the title of president and the latter I use my knowledge of the Colorado advertising scene and writing skills to be a valued asset for the club. So lucky for me, my network’s deep as the Pacific. It was hard at first identifying which agencies and companies were an appropriate fit. Because let’s face facts, chemistry doesn’t always click. It’s better to live up to that than fake it through. It didn’t take long to understand who I valued and who valued me. I am appreciative of that, every day.
Regardless of how deep my relationships run, I’m still a guest in their homes. And as a guest, I best act appropriately. Be the calm during any storms they’re swimming through. Blood pressures of agencies are through the roof. The last thing they want is some egomaniac coming in and turning the pressure cooker to red. Keep it light. Keep it simple. Keep it humorous. Be a ray of light in their days. They need it. Know what? I need it too.
Leaning toward optimism, I stick to a pretty important philosophy: there’s always a better idea. Always. Naysayers will say all ideas are used up or good enough is good enough. But my juice is to keep looking for new ways to strategize, new ways to communicate, new ways to share ideas. It’s that drive that will never evaporate. It’s a pleasure and honor every day to find shiny new ideas in communication to keep brands from being in the shadows. It’s something I take very much to heart.
I also say thank you. A lot. Thank yous are vital to recognize the people kind enough to hire me for the talents they want. IMO, the thank you store can never run out. It’s important to be appreciative—I send out thank yous for every payment I receive. That’s why it’s important to say thank you. Like always.
Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I have a deep fascination with the eclectic mix of new and old boutiques and restaurants along Broadway, both north and south of I-25. Mutiny Coffeehouse often serves as my secret lair where I immerse myself in this rebellious playground meet underground of comic books, pinball, and cultural touches that became teenage influences—the perfect refuge to ante up wicked ideas and writing. Slightly south, the savvy Mexican cantina Adelita’s crushes it with their thoughtfully-prepared carne asada and al pastor tacos. Brutal Poodle is another fun haunt, grilling eclectic burgers with the heaviest of heavy metal blasting over the loudspeakers. The health-conscious knows the poke bowls at Turtle House do it every time. All Broadway. The street can’t steer wrong.
My family also has an affinity for El Tapatio, a small cantina chain that just kills it every time with their carne adobado. And the hard-to-find-but-100%-worth-it food truck, Taste Bud Bullies replicates Cajun and Creole food that rivals NOLA’s best. Seriously. Their crawfish etouffee smothered catfish? Should be illegal.
On certain weekends, we go for flights of beer from favorite craft breweries. For us, Locavore in Littleton is king. Between Blackberry Betty and Split the Baby, you’d be hard pressed to find a stinker in their lineup of experimental brews. Littleton also houses independent Southside Pizza, curator of some mean pies. Their Compton is a carnivore’s dream.
My boots are near bald with all the mountain hiking I do with my wife Tonja and my friends up and down the front range. Brutal hikes, but I get rewarded with buffalo wings (my kryptonite). So, it’s all good. For several seasons now, I’ve also had the privilege of coaching 25 wonderful 7- to 10-year-old girls in the beautiful game of soccer. It’s an honor to build their abilities and confidence while it builds my leadership skills.
Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
So many people in the Colorado ad industry have been directly or indirectly helpful with my career that I really can’t list anyone without knowing I’ve left someone out. Just too many people. I’d feel like a jerk leaving anyone off the list. I’m just grateful for the doors and windows that have opened up to keep the engine humming along, and all the people to make that happen.
I do want to show my deep appreciation for my wife Tonja and my three wonderful kids, Dylon, Logan, and Alena. We’re all unique from another and they inspire me with their beliefs, their passions, their life stories every day. They are my air. They give me the juice to be passionate, keep being passionate and never stop being passionate. Because without passion, who are we? So this goes out to them.
Website: cargocollective.com/jayroth
Nominate Someone: ShoutoutColorado is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
