Today we’d like to introduce you to Cynthia Smoot.
Cynthia, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I left the University of North Texas with a degree in Clothing and Textiles and fell into sales for New Times Media as an Account Executive for the Dallas Observer. I started with local sales efforts and, within a few years, was specializing in Regional and National sales for 17 markets. Village Voice Media represented across the country. After 12 years with New Times/Village Voice Media, I left to work with D Magazine Partners, specifically to launch their new business magazine, D CEO and spent three years with D Magazine Partners developing D CEO, selling advertising and event sponsorships for D Magazine publications.
In 2008, my personal passion for social media and digital marketing led me to leave the publishing world and join my husband’s marketing agency, Gangway Advertising. As the self-appointed “Coordinator of Chaos” at Gangway, I use my skills to communicate and connect to oversee social media and public relations for clients. Through my work at Gangway, I has helped create buzz and build brand awareness for some of Dallas’ most iconic brands, such as Bread Winners Café & Bakery, Pat & Emmitt Smith Charities, the Dallas Zoo, Café Brazil, Wells Fargo Advisors, Truluck’s, and Fletcher’s Original Corny Dogs.
In 2008, I also created Oh So Cynthia. Initially, the site was more of a “Mommy blog” talking about my life as a parent in Dallas and spotlighting the places and events my family experienced around town. The blog quickly became the go-to website for those who have a passion for fashion, food, philanthropy, events and reality TV. I have described the blog as my “love letter to the city of Dallas” and enjoy taking readers along for the ride as I experience all that our city has to offer. Over the years, I have been blogging less and focusing my coverage of the city through my social media channels. I am a sought-after expert on Dallas events and celebrity happenings and serve as the Dallas Editor for Society Texas magazine and a Contributor to Dallas Hotel Magazine.
Has it been a smooth road?
The fantasy of being your own boss and not having to answer to anyone also comes with the reality of having to figure out how to pay the bills, handle insurance and benefits, and manage all aspects of the company. I was used to waltzing into the office, doing my job and leaving. I was really good at staying in my lane. When you step out of that corporate environment, you also leave behind the bumper guards that protect and shield you from all of the layers of minutia that it takes to run a business. That was the biggest part of the grind for me. Having to learn HOW to run a successful business and juggle the fun parts with the must-do parts.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Gangway Advertising – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Gangway is a full-service marketing agency based in Dallas, Texas. Our specialty is working with lifestyle brands to create marketing strategies and solutions that allow you to compete at any level in the marketplace. By specializing in lifestyle brands, we get to work with “the fun stuff,” meaning restaurants and bars, liquor brands, fashion manufacturers and boutiques, hotel and travel brands, and non-profits of all sorts. We believe that any concept if marketed creatively with wise strategy and unbridled passion, can rival and compete with those larger and more established in the marketplace. At Gangway, we connect clients to consumers and brands to partners.
These days the client we are best known for is the iconic Texas brand, Fletcher’s Original Corny Dogs. For 78, Fletcher’s has primarily been available at the State Fair of Texas. In the last two years, they have been focused on creating a mobile catering division to serve the year-round demand for their services. When the pandemic hit and the State Fair of Texas announced closure for 2020, they were perfectly positioned to take their product to the people. Through our marketing and PR efforts, we have elevated their brand to new heights and helped them to create many new partnerships that will last well beyond this pandemic. Everyone I talk to says, “I am reading, or seeing, about Fletcher’s everywhere!”
What sets Gangway apart is our full-service strategy. We provide our clients with a complete wrap-around of services from logo and branding creations to graphic design, website design, public relations and influencer outreach, social media marketing and virtual events. By being a one-stop-shop for brands, we are able to really wrap our arms around every aspect of their business and make sure that all facets of the brand are working together for maximum exposure and capacity.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
What I love most about Dallas is that it has such a big heart. We take our philanthropic responsibility seriously and there is a give-back mentality that runs deep in our corporate and private culture. I also love our thriving arts scene. From performing arts to live music, world-class art museums to parks, Dallas has amazing cultural diversity to offer its citizens. My only regret about living here is our lack of mountains or beaches. What we lack in a landscape, we make up for in other ways!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.gangwayadvertising.com
- Email: cynthia@gangwayadvertising.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gangwayadv/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GangwayAdv/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/gangwayadv
Image Credit:
Credit Cynthia Smoot and Thomas Garza
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