Meet Matt Dean | Co-Founder, CEO – Dean&Co.

We had the good fortune of connecting with Matt Dean and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Matt, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
When I was a freshman at The Savannah College of Art & Design I quickly realized that my passion was focused on building great teams of talented individuals. This led to the idea that I wanted to own an agency by the time I was 30. Every decision I made in my career was aimed at this goal. Something else transpired over the years when I started to notice that the creative industry has some downfalls that I wanted to attempt to change. As years passed it became clear how I wanted to run an agency, what our values would be, and the type of culture I wanted to create. My wife and I formed our agency with one mission: Do Good Work With Good People. This is a simple goal but it has been our entire guiding light for what success looks like. We wanted to create an agency that treats its employees well, delivers excellent service to our client-partners, and creates a culture where everyone’s favorite meeting of the week is a Dean&Co. meeting. Jackie and I have two small children who love everything about Dean&Co. It has been a sense of pride for our entire family and we want to build something that our kids can be proud of, enjoy, and hey, maybe one day take over!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Something I am particularly proud of is the development of my career by sticking to a philosophy I introduced at the age of 19. I’ve called it ‘Creating Your Ultimate Goal.’ Little did I know Arnold Schwarzenegger would write about this same philosophy in his book ‘Be Useful’ which helped him achieve success in his life. This philosophy is based on the idea of working smarter while working harder. If you have your ultimate goal in mind, you can then work backward and make the right decisions that will help you get there.

The best example of this is my ultimate goal of wanting to own an agency. I saw an opportunity in the world of commercial real estate which opened a door for me to achieve my dream. I took a job as a low-level marketing associate at a CRE firm where I was designing on a PC. Yes, that happened. This was tough but I told myself if I can design on a PC, I can design on anything. Furthermore, I used this position in my career to learn everything about CRE so I could speak the language while bringing my creative background to the table which ultimately led to finding my niche.

Nothing in life comes easy and challenges make us stronger. As long as you have a vision for where you want to be in your life or career, you can take the challenges head on knowing that you are making progress towards your ultimate goal.

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?
We have family coming into town this weekend so this question is timely! Denver and the surrounding areas provide a ton of options but we certainly have our areas that we enjoy. We’ll be taking them to Red Rocks and stopping in the town of Morrison for a bite at The Cow which is sort of nostalgic for us. Other places on the list while we have the kids are the Botanical Gardens, Golden to enjoy Clear Creek, Ace Eat & Serve for some ping pong action, Hops & Pie, and a couple of other staples.

When we get an adult night out we will be hitting some of our favorite spots including Forget Me Not, Room For Milly, Death & Co. (great name), White Pie, A5 Steakhouse, Sunday Vinyl, Run For The Roses, and a few others.

Seeing a concert at Red Rocks is always an experience I try to take people to enjoy, there is nothing like it! When the winter rolls around we always head to the mountains which always provide good times. Breck and Copper are our typical stomping grounds!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
First and foremost, my mom. She is the person in my life who supported me the most from day one and let me find my passion for whatever made me the happiest in life. Once I did, she fueled that fire in any way that she possibly could. My dad has been a life mentor, sort of like a caddie in golf, teaching me kindness and patience at every turn. The older I get, the more I understand the lessons he provided me and it becomes increasingly meaningful.

Growing up playing lacrosse, a gentleman named Jack Francis became a mentor who taught me toughness and to get the job done, no matter what it takes. In college, Professor Jeffrey DeVincent showed me a superpower in public speaking that unlocked invaluable leadership skills. Professionally, I have so many people who helped me succeed that it would be hard to name them all but I am grateful for everyone who has helped and continues to help guide me.

Now for the most important, my wife, Jackie Dean. Jackie has been by my side since my first year in college and has listened to me dream big while supporting me every step of the way. Without her, I am not sure I would be here. We run Dean&Co. together, we have two beautiful kids together, and it is the most incredible relationship I have ever had.

Website: https://www.deancostudio.com/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-dean-deanco/