Joe and Gretchen Erwin to present at Endeavor’s September Collaborators & Cocktails networking event
September 14, 2016
GREENVILLE, SC – Endeavor, a membership-based co-working community for independent companies and freelancers in the creative services fields, is hosting its next Collaborators & Cocktails, a monthly networking series for members and pre-registered guests, on Wednesday, September 21, 2016. The speakers are Joe and Gretchen Erwin, agency co-founders, entrepreneurs and philanthropists, who will talk about the challenges, triumphs and best practices in the lifecycle of growing a company.
The duo will cover strategies for starting a business, growing it, selling it and continuing on in leadership positions post-sale, as well as how best to work with family and how to hire to create an optimal culture. Additionally, they will discuss building solid relationships with the right clients, pursuing new business, the importance of giving back to the communities that have supported your growth, and share a few rarely-told anecdotes.
“Supporting the growth of creative organizations is the heart of what Endeavor stands for,” said Joe Erwin, president of Erwin Creates and founder of Endeavor. “Gretchen and I are excited to share the lessons learned from our experiences over the years to help Endeavor members and guests on their journeys to grow their companies, especially as they collaborate with each other to pursue business.”
Entrepreneur Joe Erwin is the co-founder and former president of marketing agency Erwin Penland, the co-founder of Clemson University’s Erwin Center for Brand Communications, and as president of Erwin Creates, opened Endeavor in May 2016. A graduate of Clemson University, Joe began his career at Greenville’s Leslie Advertising, and joined DMB&B in New York before returning to Greenville in 1986 to purchase Penland Advertising. He and his wife, Gretchen, opened Erwin Penland with one account and two employees, and ultimately grew it to more than 400 staff in Greenville and New York. Erwin’s client experience includes work for Corning, Quincy’s Family Steakhouse, Verizon, Lockheed Martin, ScanSource, Denny’s and the Partnership for a Drug-Free America. During his tenure, the agency received numerous awards for creative and strategic excellence, for having one of the best internship programs in the country, and was recognized as one of the “Best Places to Work” by Advertising Age, PR News and the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce.
Gretchen Erwin is a graduate of University of Georgia’s Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communications, which served as the foundation for her career in agency media. She began her career at Abbott Advertising in Kentucky and moved to Greenville to join Leslie Advertising’s media department. She was recruited by Dancer Fitzgerald Sample/Saatchi & Saatchi in New York City as a media supervisor, and returned to Greenville in 1986 to co-found Erwin Penland and lead its growing media group. Erwin’s national and regional retail client experience includes work for Wendy’s, Sears, South Carolina Tourism, Molson Beer and Ale, Skippy Peanut Butter, and Verizon. Since leaving Erwin Penland in 2006, she has remained very active in community and education efforts, including co-founding Clemson University’s Erwin Center for Brand Communications in 2012. In 2015, Erwin was named a Grady Fellow by the University of Georgia.
Collaborators & Cocktails is a new series of monthly networking events that Endeavor hosts for members. The event will start with networking at 5:00 pm, with Joe and Gretchen Erwin giving a presentation and Q&A session at 5:45 pm. The event is free to members, with a limited number of guest tickets available for $25. Registration is required, no walks-in accepted. Contact [email protected] for ticket information.
About Endeavor
Endeavor is a membership-based co-working community for independent companies and freelancers in the creative services fields. Endeavor’s premium location in the ONE Development in Greenville, SC provides members with state-of-the-art work and meeting space, and uniquely, surrounds them with a diverse array of creative peers who offer a broad range of marketing services and experience. Training opportunities, networking events and business consulting are available for the creatives who call Endeavor home every day, as well as corporate creative professionals and resource-seekers across the region. For more information, visit www.endeavorgreenville.com.
About Erwin Creates
Erwin Creates was established in 2016 by Joe Erwin, co-founder and former president of national marketing agency Erwin Penland. It serves as the platform to support Erwin’s continued entrepreneurial involvement in business consulting, education, training and civic activities, including his commitment to growing The Erwin Center for Brand Communications at Clemson University. In spring 2016, Erwin Creates will open Endeavor (www.endeavorgreenville.com), a creative, collaborative community which will offer co-working space and business-building opportunities for creative services professionals — and serve as a destination for companies and individuals looking to connect with and help cultivate the Upstate’s vibrant creative class.
