Today we’d like to introduce you to Eric McGehearty.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Eric. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Necessity is the mother of all invention. As a child and young adult, I wanted to pursue a career as an artist. I went so far as to getting my Masters in Fine Art in Sculpture. I pursued a career in teaching and was an art professor for a few years. I showed my work in galleries and museums across the country. Like many artists, I was always looking for ways to make additional income. With this modest goal in mind, I initially started an e-commerce business selling baby products online.
When my wife got pregnant with twins, kids 2 and 3 respectively, she announced she was going to be a stay-at-home mom and I needed to make up her half of the household income overnight. At that moment, I decided I would start a digital marketing agency utilizing my e-commerce expertise. Unlike any sane person, I should’ve found a job with stable salary and benefits. But, I thought I could do better going it alone and supporting my young family with a new business venture. Thankfully, I was right!
Over the years I have been blessed to surround myself with an amazing team, and we have been able to grow into one of the best marketing agencies in Dallas.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
When I think back on the journey of building Globe Runner, there are many examples of failures and challenges we ran into, and ultimately overcame. One specific story that jumps out at me is a year that I decided we would build low-cost websites for small businesses. What I did not realize is we were losing money on every website I sold.
In my naiveté, I thought that revenue could cure all problems. Very quickly over the course of a few months, I sold 30 websites at well below the cost of production. I thought I was a hero and rock star salesman, but in reality, I almost bankrupted my company. I effectively generated one month’s revenue, but it took us four months to build all the websites, and my team was so busy making these websites, they couldn’t take on any other work.
Needless to say, this was a great learning moment for me. Much like life, these experiences are great teaching moments that build grit and resiliency that make for successful people and successful companies.
Please tell us about Globe Runner.
Globe runner is a digitally-driven, integrated marketing agency. We focus on developing long-lasting relationships with our clients through our open, honest, and consistent communication with a collaborative approach. We create an environment where people matter, growth is possible, and ideas come to life.
Originally founded in 2009, Globe Runner became well known as a leading search marketing agency with expertise in SEO, search marketing, social media, web development and content marketing. At the beginning of 2017, Globe Runner acquired and fully integrated with Black Lab Creative, a full-service brand strategy agency. After the acquisition, Globe Runner has evolved into an agency that offers holistic brand development with a focus on digital activation.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
For this story to make sense, you must first know that I am dyslexic. In the summer between 4th and 5th grade, my parents put me in summer school primarily for intensive remedial reading classes, which in my mind was the closest thing to torture. As a reward, for the second half of the day, they enrolled me in an art class, a subject I greatly enjoyed.
Unfortunately, in the first few days of class, I broke my hand and had a cast that covered my arm. Instead of having me sit out of class, my art teacher decided to teach me a valuable lesson. When I complained that I could not paint or draw, she said, “How do you think people that have severe physical disabilities create art?” She went on to explain that even if they did not have the use of their hands, they would find another way to express themselves artistically. Whether that be holding a paintbrush with their mouth or drawing with their feet, there’s always a way to accomplish your goal.
Today dyslexia doesn’t stop me from achieving my goals in life, just as my broken arm did not stop me from creating art the rest of that summer. To this day I value that lesson she taught me and continue to seek creative ways to accomplish my objectives.
Contact Info:
- Address: 16415 Addison Rd #550, Addison, TX 75001
- Website: GlobeRunner.com
- Phone: 972-979-8597
- Email: eric@globerunner.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/globerunner__/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GlobeRunnerAgency/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/GlobeRunner_
- Other: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtUunvpmEchVnk7iQc6Np_Q
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