disruption,disruption, by definition, is transformative.transformative. brands that learn this early on are not only visionaries,visionaries, but are also inventorsinventors of industries —— theythey single-handedlysingle-handedly disruptdisrupt andand improveimprove thethe wayway everyday consumers operate their lives.
Agencies shouldn’t be run like a manufacturing company that sells hours. Here at Firebrand, our products are creativity and expertise. Our vision is to be transparent with our customers. We never present creative that hasn’t been tested for audience and conversion. That means we don’t waste time pursuing concepts that waste your money. This is the future where digital and traditional media truly merge into one powerhouse of simple, beautiful work that captures the imagination and transforms industries.
our leadershipleadership team
experience, innovation, technology, integrity and creativity
John Meyer
Co-Founder & Chief Creative Officer
John is recognized globally for helping organizations reinvent customer experience to drive growth and win against competitors. He does this by bringing business and creative strategy together in a collaborative, end-to-end process that encompasses everything from business analysis and channel strategy to creative activation to unlock value. He is a champion of finely executed creative that builds brands. Drives sales. Tugs at hearts. And changes behaviors in any medium. Translating client issues into work that is disruptive, empathetic and motivating has helped him build, reinvent and grow businesses of all shapes and sizes. Accordingly, his work has been featured in Communication Arts, Shoot, Ad Age, Adweek, Brandweek, The New York Times and Print Magazine. He’s a judge and recognized speaker for national and international award shows. And has been featured on Season 2 of the AMC TV show, “The Pitch.” Additionally, he is an adjunct branding professor at the University of Arizona, Tucson. John has spent many late nights working for the following Advertising Agencies: JWT, DDB, FCB, Hill Holliday, Y&R, Hal Riney, Publicis, Deutsch, The Agency and TBWA.
James Webb
Co-Founder & Chief Digital Officer
James is an accomplished and driven leader with over two decades of successful digital and traditional creative and technical execution. He has executive level experience in Account, Product and Project Management in Casino, Lottery, Entertainment, Technology, B2B, Aviation, Promotions and Consumer Product. He is also an award winning creative director in both digital and traditional creative. James designed the user interface for aviation electronics used by commercial airline pilots every day. He is the visionary and architect of many small to large-scale web sites, apps, media campaigns, promotional campaigns, email and mobile (SMS) campaigns and content management systems for companies such as McDonald’s, Disney, Pop Secret, Emerald Foods, Comcast, Claire’s, Intel, Motorola, Honeywell, HBO, Homeland Security, and many others. James has worked for agencies like OH Partners, Real World, Nomadic, PrizeLogic, ListEngage and Bonneville International. He has worked directly with clients such as Apple, L3 Harris, Mars Advertising, HUGE, 22 Squared, Hulu, Airbus, Boeing, Margaritaville, Absolut, Bacardi’s, Acura, Sony Pictures and many more.
Robin Athlyn-Thompson
Strategic Advisor
Robin is a top flight marketing professional who is both data driven and extremely innovative. Robin is a proven strategist that works with her clients to develop leads with an emphasis on information governance, cybersecurity, legal and risk management. Nobody knows technology, communications, and networking like Robin. She is a true force of nature with a dedication to excellence that is exceeded only by her notable contributions and two lifetime achievement awards in the worlds of records management, information governance, and electronic discovery. Fiercely loyal, innovative, passionate and creative, Robin is a key contributor and advisor to our growth trajectory.
Barb Almandarz
EVP / Executive Producer
Always raising the creative bar as high as possible and always learning new things expands her horizon, but also helps her see things from new perspectives. Barb Almandarz has never shied away from a challenge. A consummate professional working as a line producer and agency producer gives her the ability to know what is possible and can see the whole process clearly. She anticipates problems before they develop, all the while driving the work to exceed client expectations. Over the course of her career, she has worked for prestigious national and international agencies and production companies earning her endless accolades. Barb remains committed to satisfying her creative desire by bending the rules in order to make new ones.
Debbie Longley
EVP / Director of Client Services
For over two decades, Debbie Longley has crafted and driven brands in virtually every category, with strategic thinking and imagination. Specializing in brand development, planning and advertising across all mediums, Debbie helps identify challenges, needs, opportunities, and innovative solutions that exceed client expectations. Her category experience includes homebuilding, master planned communities, utilities, healthcare, travel and fitness.
Francis Ten
EVP / Media Planner & Buyer
Fran is the mastermind behind our media buying and planning services. Fran has decades of experience in the entertainment industry and is a figurative-and literal-rock star. Regarded as a music-marketing pioneer for his achievements in social media branding, Fran negotiated multiple record deals, concert tours, and musical projects in the face of an industry crushed by the digital age. His background includes booking agent, tour manager, small business owner, web designer, and commercial model. Exploiting these unique talents, Fran started pitching outdoor media to entrepreneurs in fashion, arts, and entertainment across Southern California and the southwest. Buzz about his passion for small biz quickly spread, and larger accounts (e.g., Bicycle Casino, KCRW, KPFK, Planet Fitness, & Yogurtland) quickly multiplied. Fran’s adherence to a loyalty-based business model and street savvy business acumen skyrocketed our client success & engagement. Fran spends his free time helping out local Boxer Rescues, keeping himself fit, and competing in high-stakes poker tournaments.
Tara Thompson
Director of Content
Tara is our Director of Content who takes part in providing compelling news stories for our intended audience. Tara is a prolific author and poet who was published at age 11 and is the recipient of several awards for her poetry and stories. She ensures the subject matter we provide is relevant to our client’s audience. Tara provides the focus for our content and authenticates information through proper research, and provides training on how to write and produce material that will be compelling and appropriate for the intended audience. Tara graduated double-corded from ASU and Barrett The Honors College and has recently graduated from USC’s Marshall School of Business with her master’s. She has previous experience working as a Content Manager at Markitors located in Scottsdale and is multilingual in ASL, Japanese, Latin, and English.
Sabian Reynosa
Director of Business Development
Sabian is our ambitious sales professional with a passion for growing business as he cultivates and proactively develops sales opportunities from a variety of business product categories. He understands that being the first voice of contact gives prospects the freedom to engage in a relationship that can potentially redirect the direction of their company forever. Sabian’s tenacious ability to exceed client expectations and hit sales targets, comes from his desire to give a rare client experience. His real skill at Firebrand is acquiring new business and further develops consumer client base across all company sizes (from SMB to global operating companies) Drafting, conceptualizing, and pitching new marketing campaigns and ideas within our growing team. He understands and helps establish and maintains a high volume of outreach KPIs. Not to worry, Sabian works with clients throughout the entire sales cycle.