Meet Our Members
The Coop has always been a hub for collaboration, community, and creativity. We love showing off our members and sharing their stories on business, how they came to be coworkers and more.
Please meet this month’s member spotlights. We sat down with Sonia Petkewich with Taurean Consulting Group, a member at The Coop South, and Brandon Davis with MNGR, a member at The Coop Summerlin.
Brandon Davis, MNGR, Digital Marketing and Advertising
What kinds of services does your company MNGR offer?
MNGR is a Marketing & Advertising Agency where creativity and strategy collide. We launch new ideas, refresh existing ones, and help brands accelerate their growth through our dynamic marketing and advertising strategies.
What has been your favorite project you’ve worked on so far?
My personal favorite has been Battle For Vegas, which is a charity softball game pitting Golden Knights players vs Raiders players in a battle to support local charities. It happens at the Las Vegas Ballpark in July every year and is hosted by Reilly Smith. We’re a partner in the event, and have been a part of awesome campaign creative, storytelling, and paid media. It’s something that supports our community and gives back to those in need and is an absolute blast of an event!
Can you tell me about your team?
We have a unique team for sure, with diverse backgrounds and talents that shine through in our work. Things are light and fun in our office and I’ve always focused on letting our team members develop their own flow. An interesting thing about our team? We are all musicians!
On your website, you show several clients achieving very high “reach” and “impression” rates. Can you tell me a bit about what those terms mean and why they’re important?
It’s our job to make sure our clients and/or campaigns we’re creating get seen by their potential audience. An “impression” is when something is seen or viewed. This can be relevant regarding an advertisement, a social media post, an email campaign, or something else. “Reach” refers to the amount of people reached in a specific campaign or deliverable. Maximum visibility, reach, and awareness are our ultimate goals in most of the work we do for our clients.
When would a business owner know it’s the right time to reach out to a marketing and advertising firm?
I’d say when that business is growing, has a solid infrastructure and team, and is flush with financial reserves. Too many businesses want to put the cart before the horse and end up burning through money before they’re ready. If new clients and customers are coming in fast, but there’s no thoughtful intake process or the quality of service/product declines…it can leave a negative impact. I also recommend hiring an agency like ours vs going the DIY route. I’ve seen way too many examples of business owners trying to handle their own marketing and advertising and end up taking incredibly valuable time away from managing their business. This can lead to burnout, decline in revenue and operations, and more.
What do you like about working in a collaborative workspace?
I love the flexibility. MNGR has been in three different private office spaces since 2017 and having the option to move as our business grows has been invaluable. We’d never have been able to accomplish this locked into multi-year leases. I also love being able to share amenities that have saved our company up-front costs like high-speed Wi-Fi, print/copy/scan, etc.. Plus, we get to collaborate with other amazing business owners and be a part of a community!!
What’s your favorite local restaurant?
My favorite local restaurant near The Coop Summerlin is Nittaya’s Secret Kitchen on W Lake Mead. Their food is so good, and they have an amazing wine selection. I highly recommend it.
What do you like to do for fun in your free time?
Anything outdoors. I love camping, boating, hiking, horseback riding, and hitting the shooting range for practice.
Where is your favorite place to be in Las Vegas?
I love the Arts District. Art galleries, music venues, and great food & drinks! There’s a vibe down there that’s different from anywhere else in Las Vegas.
Sonia Petkewich, Taurean Consulting and Catalyst Mastermind Peer Advisory
Can you tell me a little about your business Taurean Consulting?
Taurean was born in 2015 because naturally, as a Taurus, I wanted to be disruptive in the IT recruiting industry. IT is disruptive in nature as well, so it was a good fit for me. We specialize in helping IT professionals find their career paths in the field of information technology by matching them up with the companies hiring in the Las Vegas market on a contract, contract to hire or direct hire basis. We work with clients to solve hiring challenges by identifying amazing IT talent from all over the country to bring to our great city!!
What are the advantages of using a consulting firm?
We help candidates avoid being lost in the resume abyss. We also strive to help them be sure they are putting their best foot forward on their resume, but truthfully representing their skillset to attract the right type of hiring manager and we provide 1:1 coaching to help them succeed in their interview journey.
You also own Catalyst Mastermind. What kinds of services do you offer through that business?
Catalyst is a peer-to-peer advisory board for small businesses in Las Vegas that are looking to connect with other business owners who will be there to guide them, listen to them, hold them accountable to the things they say they want to make their companies, communities, and lives better!
How did you come up with the name?
I have always found magic in being a catalyst in the lives of others, whether that is by introducing them to someone that they can collaborate with directly, someone they can do business with, or by helping them to create a shift in their life they have been holding back on. I want to be a catalyst for change, growth and for doing great big things in their businesses and personal lives!
On your website, you talk about the 1+1=3 principle, can you tell me a little more about that?
It can be referred back to in Stephen Covey’s “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People”, where he talks about the whole being greater than the sum of its parts and that there is great power in synergy. In other words, and what happens in a Catalyst Mastermind, when business owners/leaders come together to work on their business, share challenges, opportunities, ideas, there is a synergy that takes place that is incredibly powerful and moves us forward and allows us to grow better than if we attempted to do it all alone like a lone ranger. That can work in some instances and for a short period of time, though truly the momentum and magic and shifts happen when there are different ideas, different feedback and challenges to our lone thoughts and ideas.
What do you like about working in a collaborative workspace?
I love the beautiful layout, I love having meeting spaces of different sizes and functions at my fingertips, and I love getting to know other small business owners and finding ways to work with them or simply support them.
What’s your favorite local restaurant?
Ooh that is a good one. I think Nobu is a long time nostalgic favorite from the old Hard Rock.
What do you like to do for fun in your free time?
Hang with my kids, watch movies and eat popcorn, or go to our cabin in Yosemite to hang at the lake.
Where is your favorite place to be in Las Vegas?
Other than my office at The Coop, my newly remodeled front yard watching all the kids play in the street from our neighborhood!
