After spending more than two years with his head buried in engineering studies at LSU, Taylor Bennett realized he could no longer work within the confines of the field.
As Business Report details in the Entrepreneur feature in the current issue, Bennett walked off campus in pursuit of a more creative calling in advertising and graphic design. He enrolled at the Savannah College of Art and Design and worked at several Baton Rouge creative agencies after graduation.
With a newfound entrepreneurial disposition tugging at him in the same way his creative spirit had at LSU, Bennett launched MESH, a strategic marketing agency, in a room next to his garage in 2003.
“I think for some people, creativity just fuels everything you do,” says Bennett, reflecting on his early career decisions. Bennett has since grown MESH into a vibrant creative consultancy garnering national acclaim for its innovative work across a variety of industries.
Being mindful on the work at hand and beyond has allowed Bennett to dream—and ultimately build—his ideal office culture. He derives his daily fulfillment from being hands-on with growing his employees as well as the clients they serve.
“You have to use a lot of creativity to do something different than what everyone else is doing,” Bennett says. “That drives me to grow people and other companies.”
You won’t find closed office doors at MESH. That’s because the company environment thrives on visual and verbal communication, with Bennett spending the majority of his workday bouncing around the office to offer advice and direction as needed, while still leading the overall vision of the company and its growth strategy.
“I love being involved,” he says. “It is what I got in the business for.”
With the belief that marketing and a solid brand foundation drives any business, Bennett looks for clients who feel the same. While producing compelling artwork is key, Bennett says it takes much more to be an effective and successful marketing agency these days. “You have to be able to be one of the client’s most trusted advisers,” Bennett says. That’s why he’s focused on continued growth for the already established digital and consulting aspects of his business.
Read the full Entrepreneur feature. Send your comments to editors@businessreport.com.
