Business Spotlight with Adam Albrecht from The Weaponry

Adam Albrecht, founder and CEO of The Weaponry, shared his journey from growing up in Vermont and studying at the University of Wisconsin-Madison to becoming a successful entrepreneur. After starting his career as a copywriter at Cramer Krasselt, Adam climbed the ranks at Engauge, eventually becoming Chief Creative Officer, where he worked with prominent brands like Nike and Nationwide Insurance. His expertise in business development and client relations led him to launch The Weaponry, a full-service advertising and ideas agency, in 2016. Today, The Weaponry serves a diverse client base, including PODS, Safelite AutoGlass, and Can-Am, and operates offices in Milwaukee and Columbus, Ohio.

Adam is also an accomplished author and blogger, with two books and nearly 1,000 blog posts to his name. He is a sought-after speaker and active in his local community, coaching track and field and youth football. Adam resides in Mequon, Wisconsin, with his wife Dawn and their three children. Balancing his professional achievements with a rich personal life, Adam emphasizes the importance of positivity, self-improvement, and effective time management. His journey from a high school track champion to a successful CEO highlights his resilience, strategic thinking, and commitment to continuous growth.

Podcast Transcript

Kory Dogs: Kory Dogs of ActionCOACH here, excited to welcome Adam Albrecht, founder and CEO of The Weaponry. Adam grew up in Vermont, enjoying maple syrup and snow. After high school, he attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he studied psychology, journalism, and cheese curds, and captained the Big 10 champion track and field team. He began his advertising career as a copywriter at Cramer Krasselt, working on brands like Reddi-Wip, Ski-Doo, GNC, and Case IH. Adam then joined Engauge, eventually becoming Chief Creative Officer, working with brands like Nike, Nationwide Insurance, Wells Fargo, UPS, and Chick-fil-A. In 2013, Engauge was acquired by Publicis Groupe and merged with Moxie, forming a 625-person marketing powerhouse. Adam stayed at Moxie until 2016, when he launched The Weaponry.

Adam has also authored two books, “What Does Your Fortune Cookie Say?” and “The Culture Turnaround,” and published nearly 1,000 blog posts on AdamAlbrecht.blog. He shares positivity and self-improvement through his newsletter, Adam’s Good Newsletter. A sought-after speaker, Adam talks to groups nationwide and coaches track and field and youth football. He lives in Mequon, Wisconsin, with his wife Dawn and their three teenagers, Ava, Johann, and Magnus. The Weaponry, a full-service advertising and ideas agency, is headquartered in Milwaukee with an office in Columbus, Ohio.

The Weaponry’s clients include brands like PODS, Safelite AutoGlass, Can-Am, Prevost, and UW Credit Union. Here’s an interesting fact: Adam shares a birthday with his sister, but they are not twins. Does this coincide with your parents’ vacations?

Adam Albrecht: Oh, yeah. It’s a funny story. My older sister and I have the same birthday two years apart. My two younger sisters also share a birthday two years apart. My older sister and I are born on May 25th, and my younger sisters are born on May 22nd. My parents used to say, “No more vacations in August.” I didn’t understand it until high school when I counted back nine months and realized what they meant.

Kory: That’s great. Adam’s favorite thing to do in his downtime is laugh, exercise, travel, and write funny things. He’s also proud of his marriage and his relationship with his three teenagers. And he made a comeback from a devastating knee injury in high school. What sport, Adam?

Adam: Football. I tore my ACL and medial collateral ligament my senior year. But I bounced back, and in my senior year of track, I defended my New England championship in discus and set a state record that stood for 12 years.

Kory: Thanks for sharing. Welcome to the show, Adam.

Adam: Thank you for having me.

Kory: Tell us more about where you were born and your family.

Adam: I was born in Mansfield, Ohio, but grew up in Vermont. Mansfield is known for the prison in Shawshank Redemption. I competed in track and field at the University of Wisconsin, where I studied journalism and psychology. After school, I moved to Milwaukee. Now I live in Mequon with my wife Dawn and our kids. I coach track and youth football and write a blog with nearly 1,000 posts.

Kory: Tell me about the farm in Vermont.

Adam: I’ve lived on various farms over the years. In addition to my time in Ohio and Vermont, I also lived on farms in New Jersey and Wisconsin. In Wisconsin, we lived on a bull stud south of La Crosse, where my dad bought bulls. In New Jersey, I was on a dairy farm, and in Vermont, we had a hobby farm with beef cattle in a beautiful, wooded area.

Kory: Quite a journey! How did you get to where you are now professionally?

Adam: Good question. I started my career as a copywriter right out of school and quickly moved up the ranks—from writer to senior writer, then to associate creative director, creative director, and eventually executive creative director. I ended up as Chief Creative Officer at an agency called Engauge, which had 275 people and offices in Columbus, Pittsburgh, Orlando, and Atlanta.

When Engauge was acquired by Publicis Groupe, a large ad agency holding company from Paris, it merged with another agency, Moxie. That brought us to a team of 625 people. My career progressed mainly due to my success in business development. I discovered that I was good at new business pitches, where enthusiasm and energy are key. Clients and customers appreciate working with someone who brings energy and a problem-solving attitude.

One day, while I was in my Atlanta office, two former clients called me on the same day. They both wanted to work with me but not with my current agency. They asked if I had ever considered starting my own business. I had thought about it before, especially after a lunch with my boss, Neil Casey, two years into my career. Neil, a seasoned veteran, told me, “Adam, you have the skills and talent to run this whole place.” That was a huge encouragement for me. It gave me a goal to aim for, making anything less feel like leaving potential on the table.

A year later, a well-known director advised me to start my own agency, suggesting that if I didn’t, I might eventually be pushed out of the industry. This advice, along with Neil’s encouragement, solidified my decision to pursue entrepreneurship. So, when I received those calls from former clients in 2015, I took the leap and started my own agency.

Kory: And you were in Atlanta at the time?

Adam: Yes, I started The Weaponry in Atlanta. For family reasons, we moved to Milwaukee, which is perfect for us. It’s a great size city, with excellent quality of life and proximity to Madison and Chicago.

Kory: I lived in Atlanta too, in Marietta and Vinings.

Adam: Oh, yeah. So we’re not that far. We lived in East Cobb, near Roswell. Great friends, but the traffic and summer heat were tough.

Kory: I’m with you. Now, tell us about your leadership style.

Adam: I would describe myself as energetic and optimistic. I believe leadership is fundamentally about optimism—showing your team that there’s always a better way forward and that we’re moving towards something better. It’s about demonstrating that our work, our contributions, and our value are improving, and that our workplace will be a better place tomorrow. This belief is a key driver of my leadership style.

My energy is something I’ve naturally had, and I don’t take credit for it. I find that my enthusiasm helps motivate those around me and contributes positively to our team dynamics.

Kory: I can feel it. Tell us more about The Weaponry and your ideal clients.

Adam: The Weaponry is a full-service ad agency. We call ourselves an “advertising and ideas agency” because we go beyond traditional advertising and marketing. We started The Weaponry to provide clients with a one-stop shop for most of their advertising, marketing, design, and creative needs.

We noticed that many companies were hiring multiple specialized agencies, leading to a complex mix of agencies to manage. This created challenges with costs, time, communication, and integrating ideas across different partners. Our goal is to simplify our clients’ work lives by offering a single resource that can handle nearly everything they need.

We named our agency “The Weaponry” because we aim to provide all the marketing tools and strategies in one place. While we strive to offer comprehensive services, there are always niche areas we might not cover.

Our services range from national TV campaigns—like the one we’re running for PODS—to website development and social media management. We work with a diverse set of clients across the country, including in Florida, San Francisco, New Hampshire, San Diego, and even Quebec, India, and England. We’re well-versed in English-language projects and serve clients in all four U.S. time zones.

Kory: Wow, that’s amazing. So, honest question: looking back, what would you do differently or change if you could go back to the beginning of your career?

Adam: Great question. If I could go back to the beginning, I’d focus more on developing what I call “sliver mentors.” These are mentors who specialize in one specific area of my life. For instance, if I wanted to understand accounting or finance, I’d seek out an expert in that field. The same applies to sales, human relations, public speaking, and more. I would have been more intentional about finding these specialized mentors to teach me specific skills. Instead, I’ve approximated this by reading a lot and studying people I admire, both in person and through other media. Being more deliberate about finding these mentors would have been valuable.

Kory: It’s fun to think about how different things might have been with the knowledge you have now, but the great thing is, we can still learn and grow.

Adam: Absolutely.

Kory: What’s a common myth about being a president, CEO, owner, or founder that you’d like to dispel?

Adam: A common myth is that owning your own business means your time isn’t your own anymore, and that it’s a huge time drain. From my experience as a founder and CEO, I actually have more control over my time compared to when I was an employee. In my previous role as a chief creative officer, I had less control over my schedule and was always at the mercy of the organization’s needs. By starting my own business, I’ve gained more control over my calendar and workday. I’ve created an organization with a well-distributed responsibility structure, which allows the team to run smoothly even when I’m on vacation. The business isn’t all-consuming unless you approach it with that mindset.

Kory: You’ve cracked the code in a sense. Many business owners struggle with delegation and end up working long hours with no vacations. Thanks for sharing that insight.

Adam: Exactly.

Kory: What’s one or a few of the most interesting insights or pieces of advice you’ve received recently that are worth sharing?

Adam: One piece of advice I’m working with right now is from a book called Buy Back Your Time. The author strongly recommends that every CEO or founder should have an executive assistant, whether you call it that or something else. This person can handle various responsibilities, including email and calendar management. It’s something I’m currently considering as I think about how to free up more of my time for tasks that add the most value and passion. Another important piece of advice from the same book is about email management. It suggests that checking your own email can turn your inbox into a public to-do list, where others dictate your tasks. I start my day by writing down my own list of things to accomplish and then scheduling them on my calendar. I believe in the principle of getting on top of your day before it gets on top of you.

Kory: Absolutely. I once read that when you receive an email, it’s like someone is giving you homework. It’s an interesting way to look at it. Also, I like to say, “Don’t finish today just to plan tomorrow.” Instead, end your day by creating a list so you can start the next day with a clear plan.

Adam: Yes, that’s a good approach. I like starting my day by writing out my tasks on paper. I also have larger goals for my company and personal aspirations like becoming a best-selling author. I keep a note at the top of each day’s page that says “plant more seeds,” which reminds me to focus on business development, relationships, and contributing positively to the world.

Kory: We call those “richuals” (R-I-C-H-U-A-L-S). 

Adam: I like that! Richuals—strong concept.

Kory: So, what’s something new you want to learn?

Adam: There are a few things on my list. I’d like to learn to play an instrument better. I’ve dabbled with guitar and piano, but I’d like to get more proficient. My son Johan is an incredible musician, and I’d love to match his skill level. I also want to learn Spanish, as it would be beneficial here in the U.S. I already speak some German and French, but Spanish would be the most useful. Recently, I’ve been playing pickleball and would like to improve my skills and strategy in the game.

Kory: As you think about the next one to three years, what’s your number one area of growth and development?

Adam: For me, it’s learning how to scale our business effectively. We’re currently operating well at our current size, but as we grow, we’ll need to develop more complex structures, processes, and systems. Balancing growth with maintaining efficiency is a top priority for me.

Kory: And what do you see as your number one challenge?

Adam: One challenge is figuring out how to hire and integrate an assistant. I need to convince myself that delegating more tasks will actually make me more effective and efficient.

Kory: What advice do you have for business owners trying to do everything on their own?

Adam: I often advise business owners and entrepreneurs to read The E-Myth by Michael Gerber. This book offers a fantastic framework for developing your business through systems and processes. It teaches you how to structure your business so that it can operate on a larger scale, similar to a franchise.

By thinking through your business in this way, you ensure that all aspects are well-organized. You create a mature system where you’re not overwhelmed by every detail. Instead, you take on specific responsibilities and avoid getting bogged down by tasks outside your main role.

For example, you don’t want to be the person who not only bakes pies but also handles HR, sales, and operations. The book helps you define your role clearly and understand what additional roles are needed in your organization.

I read The E-Myth before starting The Weaponry, and it provided a strong foundation for me. For any business owner feeling stuck in a cycle of chaos, I recommend this book to help you assess and address your challenges effectively.

Kory: Absolutely, it forces you to examine your role and responsibilities critically.

Adam: Yes, it definitely does. For those who aren’t familiar, the book is called The E-Myth and its subtitle is “Why Most Small Businesses Fail and What to Do About It.” Essentially, it argues that if you don’t get the business fundamentals right, it won’t survive. But if you do, it can thrive. The E-Myth refers to the belief that only certain people are born to be entrepreneurs. Michael Gerber challenges this idea, asserting that anyone can be an entrepreneur. He presents a process and approach that can make entrepreneurship work for everyone.

Kory: Great advice. And now it’s shout-out time. Any additional people or organizations you’d like to recognize?

Adam: Sure! I’d like to shout out Jeff Hilimire, a great entrepreneurial advisor, and the publisher of my book. Dan Richards at Global Rescue was my first client and has been a great friend. UW Credit Union and its team, including Anne Norman and Paul Kundert, have been amazing partners. Our friends at Safelite, PODS, and The Peanut Institute in Georgia also deserve recognition for their support.

Kory: If someone wants to reach out to learn more about The Weaponry or what you’re working on, how can they do that?

Adam: You can visit our website at theweaponry.com to learn more about us. For updates and insights, check out my blog at AdamAlbrecht.blog. You can also email me at adam@theweaponry.com. If you’d like to join our newsletters, just send me a note requesting to be added.

Kory: Awesome. It was a pleasure speaking with you today, Adam. Thanks for being on the show.

Adam: Thank you. I appreciate it.