Today we’d like to introduce you to Michael Gonzalez.
Hi Michael, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I’ve always been a creator and a problem solver. As a kid, I wasn’t content just playing with my G.I. Joe figures—I would take them apart, combine different pieces, and create entirely new characters. I was equally fascinated by electronics, often disassembling them just to understand how they worked and see if I could build something different. Looking back, that curiosity to understand, improve, and create has been the common thread throughout my life.
That mindset led me to pursue computer engineering at Texas A&M University. I loved the technical challenge, but while I was there, something unexpected happened. My brother had recently returned from military service and started a record label along with a brick-and-mortar music and DJ equipment store. He would ask me to design album covers for his vinyl remix releases and artist mixtapes. What started as helping family quickly became something I looked forward to more than my engineering coursework. Through that experience, I realized I wasn’t just drawn to solving technical problems—I was passionate about communicating ideas through design.
That realization made me take a hard look at what I truly wanted to do. I made the decision to transfer from Texas A&M, just one semester shy of graduating, to Southwest Texas State University (now Texas State University) to pursue a degree in Communication Design. It was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I immediately found my passion, excelled in the program, and knew I had found the career I wanted to pursue for the rest of my life.
Being bilingual also became one of the biggest advantages early in my career. It allowed me to work across both English and Spanish-language creative, opening doors to opportunities that many designers simply didn’t have. Much of my early career—and the early years of El Creative—was rooted in Hispanic marketing and Spanish-language campaigns. It gave me the opportunity to help brands authentically connect with diverse audiences while building a unique niche for the agency that continues to influence our work today.
In 2005, I founded El Creative with a simple philosophy: great design should be intentional. I wanted to build a studio that created visually compelling work rooted in strategy—not just work that looked good, but work that solved problems and helped clients achieve meaningful results. I also wanted to create a different kind of agency experience—one without unnecessary layers, politics, or ego—just talented people collaborating to create thoughtful solutions, while maintaining a healthy work life balance
Twenty years later, that mission hasn’t changed. With great friends by my side since the beginning (Brian Keith and Robert Zepeda) we’ve had the privilege of partnering with everyone from local startups to global brands, but our approach remains the same: understand the challenge, think strategically, and create work that makes a lasting impact. Looking back, it’s amazing how one small opportunity can change the course of your life. I never would have imagined that those early design projects would grow into a creative studio that’s still thriving more than twenty years later. It’s a reminder that you don’t always need to see the entire path—you just have to be willing to take the first step.
Alright, 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?
One of the biggest challenges I faced early on was credibility. I started El Creative at a relatively young age after only a few years in the industry. To make matters more interesting, I’ve always looked younger than I actually am—it’s something people still comment on today. Just last week someone guessed I was in my twenties, even though I’m on the verge of turning fifty.
Early in my career, I realized that people often equate age with experience. Walking into a boardroom, I sometimes had to work a little harder to earn the confidence of prospective clients before I even had the chance to show them what we could do.
Fortunately, I had the opportunity to work with some incredible brands early in my career, including Bimbo Bakeries, Quest Communications, Nissan, and even Blockbuster…remember them? Those experiences gave me confidence, but more importantly, they taught me that trust isn’t earned through age—it’s earned through preparation, consistency, and delivering results.
Over time, I stopped worrying about whether I looked the part and focused on doing great work, building lasting relationships, and letting our results speak for themselves. Twenty years later, I’ve learned that clients don’t remember how old you looked—they remember how you made them feel and whether you delivered on your promises. That’s a lesson that’s served me well throughout my career.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about El Creative, Inc.?
El Creative has always been a little different by design. What started in 2005 as a graphic design studio has evolved into a full-service creative agency specializing in branding, advertising, video production, website design, environmental graphics, and integrated marketing campaigns. As the creative industry has changed over the last twenty years, we’ve evolved with it, always looking for new ways to help our clients communicate more effectively and connect with their audiences.
What has never changed is our philosophy. We’ve intentionally remained an independently owned agency, allowing us to stay nimble, hands-on, and deeply invested in every client relationship. Rather than chasing growth for the sake of growth, we’ve focused on building lasting partnerships and becoming a true extension of our clients’ teams. That approach has allowed us to work with organizations of every size—from government entities like the City of Dallas and Dallas Love Field Airport to national brands such as Wingstop, Circle K, and the Dallas Mavericks. Chances are you’ve seen our work somewhere, even if you didn’t realize El Creative was behind it.
One thing I’m especially proud of is the longevity of our client relationships. In an industry where agencies are often replaced after a few years, many of our clients have trusted us for a decade or more. To me, that’s one of the greatest measures of success. It means we’re doing more than creating good design—we’re earning trust, solving problems, and consistently delivering value.
Wingstop is probably the best example of that philosophy. Long before they became a global brand, they were our family’s weekend tradition. My parents would take us there in the ’90s, and the manager, Rex, knew our order before we even reached the counter. A few years later, when El Creative was just getting started, Wingstop became one of our very first full-service clients. At the time, they had approximately 60 restaurants. Over the years, we had the privilege of supporting their incredible growth as they expanded to more than 2,000 locations worldwide and established an international presence.
Our role extended far beyond advertising. We became an extension of their internal team, helping shape nearly every aspect of the brand—from English and Spanish advertising campaigns and internal communications to menu strategy, restaurant design, environmental graphics, and memorable campaigns featuring Troy Aikman. Michael also served as Wingstop’s internal Creative Director for several years. Watching the brand grow while growing alongside them remains one of the most rewarding experiences of my career and reinforced my belief that a small, passionate agency can make an enormous impact.
We’re equally proud of our long-standing partnership with the Dallas Mavericks. Over the years, we’ve collaborated on everything from uniform and merchandise design to court graphics, fleet graphics, social media creative, and large-scale environmental branding. One of our favorite recent projects was designing the Lil’ Love Lounge at Dallas Love Field Airport in partnership with the Mavericks and UT Southwestern Medical Center—an interactive family space where travelers can relax and recharge before their flights. We’ve also supported the Love Field Modernization Program by designing engaging environmental graphics that transformed construction zones into educational experiences celebrating the airport’s rich history while keeping travelers informed throughout the renovation.
While we enjoy working with recognizable brands, we’re just as passionate about serving organizations that make a difference in our communities. We’ve proudly partnered with nonprofits like the Dallas Film Society, Social Venture Partners and the Head Start of Greater Dallas for more than a decade because we believe every organization deserves thoughtful, strategic creative work, regardless of the size of its marketing budget.
Today, we continue helping organizations of all sizes tell their stories, strengthen their brands, and connect with the people they serve. Whether we’re launching a national campaign, producing a video, designing a brand from the ground up, or building an affordable website for a small business, we approach every project with the same level of care and curiosity.
After twenty years, what I’m most proud of isn’t any single campaign or client—it’s the trust we’ve earned. Awards fade, trends change, and portfolios evolve, but relationships endure. The fact that so many of our clients have chosen to grow with us for ten, fifteen, and even twenty years tells me we’re doing something right. Our goal has never been to be the biggest agency. It’s always been to build meaningful relationships, create work that matters, and leave every client better than we found them.
We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
Something that might surprise people is that, outside of design, one of my biggest passions is youth soccer.
That passion actually started years ago while I was still in college. I began coaching a recreational team in Mesquite and my niece, Eva Gonzalez, alongside her dad, simply because we loved the game and wanted to help young players develop. Watching her grow from a young player into someone who represented the Mexican National Team and now starts professionally for Chivas de Guadalajara has been incredibly rewarding. It’s a reminder of the impact coaches and mentors can have on a child’s life, and it’s something that’s stayed with me ever since.
That experience eventually inspired me to found Force FC, a competitive soccer club based in Rockwall, Texas. Like El Creative, it was born from seeing a need and wanting to solve a problem. Youth sports have become increasingly expensive, and too many talented kids miss out on opportunities because of the financial barriers. Our mission is to provide a high-level, competitive environment while keeping the focus on player development, character, and making the game more accessible for families.
It’s become one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever been involved in. Watching young athletes grow—not just as players, but as confident young men and women—is every bit as fulfilling as helping a client build a successful brand. In many ways, coaching and running a soccer club isn’t all that different from running a creative agency. Both are about building culture, developing people, and helping others reach their potential.
We’re so committed to that vision that we’ve even purchased land with the dream of creating a permanent home for the club and expanding opportunities for the next generation of players.
And since this is a magazine interview, I’ll shamelessly put it out there—if anyone reading this shares that vision and is interested in helping us continue creating affordable opportunities for kids through sponsorship, partnerships, or investment, I’d love to connect. If we can help even one more child discover a passion, build confidence, or achieve a dream through soccer, it’s worth every minute we’ve invested.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://elcreative.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elcreative/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ElCreativeInc/
