Featured WBE Interview

Terri Hall, President of Doubletake Studios.

Tell us a little bit about Doubletake Studios.

Doubletake Studios is a creative graphic design & advertising firm and our mission there is to “know your company and creatively make your company known.” What we do there is try to find unique aspects about your product or service.

What made you go into this business?

What really made me go into this business is the fact that you can still have some connection with art. I’ve always been interested in art and the fine arts. I started out studying that and then realized that I really wasn’t interested in being an art teacher and wanted to figure out a way to have a career where I can still incorporate art and the creative process into my everyday life.

What has been the worst or the biggest obstacle you’ve faced or had to overcome?

As far as obstacles, maybe one of the bigger ones we had at Doubletake was right after 9/11 – we had a really strong client base that was tourism and attraction accounts, and at that time everyone stopped traveling and they were afraid to travel. The budgets and everything really took a nosedive in that industry so we had to creative ways and innovative ways to go out there and hopefully see the attractions and keep our clients fluent with cash flow.

What has been your biggest triumph?

Being persistent and actually focusing on specific accounts that you really want and even though it takes a very long time to get them – staying persistent enough to get them as your account.

What is the best advice you’ve ever received?

I’ve gotten a lot of advice given to me and some of it’s nice and really good – I guess probably the advice I remember the most was from my grandfather. He was always self-employed and he always told me if I really wanted to control my own destiny is to go into business for myself – so I guess to me that’s the sage advice that I treasure the most.

Is there anyone who inspired you and why?

There are a lot of people and artists out there that are inspiring, but probably my mother from the beginning – she was always very creative from the get-go and would always come up with interesting ways to do things. My grandfather as well – he always worked very hard and I always perceived him as being very successful. He retired early in his 50’s and I always felt he was an inspiration.

What is the best book you ever read and would recommend?

I like to read a lot – as far as business, I really like this book called Jump Start Your Brain by Doug Hall. It’s really a fun thing because it explores your creative mind, gives you a lot of exercises to do and actually is a lot of fun. He also had a follow-up book titled Jump Start Your Business Brain – both of those are really good.

What is your favorite quote?

I have one that I really like a lot by Benjamin Franklin. It was:

“Speak Little. Do Much. Words may show a man’s wit – but actions, his meaning.”

What are your goals now and where do you see yourself going?

Right now our goals would be to increase our business – which we have been doing thanks to WBENC and the WBDC by the way. I’d like to see it increase by 25% - a controlled growth and also raise the level of the clientele we’ve been working with and raise the bar on our work.

How has being a member of the WBDC and WBENC helped you?

The WBDC and WBENC has helped us a lot. We’ve only been a member not quite two years and it’s been incredible with the networking opportunities, the contacts we’ve made, and by participating in the things they offer – they’ve been invaluable for information and actually getting new business. Everyone’s been incredibly supportive. It’s like having an instant network. So it’s been a wonderful tool for Doubletake.

What do you want to be remembered for?

I’d like to be remembered as someone who made a difference in some way – whether it was known for our good quality work that helped someone succeed in their business or just someone that could be counted on for as a reliable friend or a good support person.

How does someone get in contact with you at Doubletake?

You can contact us via our website at www.doubletakestudios.com or give me a call at 813-251-6308 – we’d be happy to talk to anyone about any project they would like to do.