Aaron Jarnagin
Brand Strategist"Good strategy is just good listening with better output."
Former journalism major who accidentally fell into brand work and never looked back. Still thinks every brand has a story most people are telling wrong.
● Cedar Falls, Iowa
Built on a
simple conviction.
That a small team of people who genuinely gave a damn would consistently outperform any agency running on autopilot.
● How we got here
Tired of watching
good work get watered down.
Zach started Pixel in Cedar Falls because he'd spent long enough watching good companies pour money into marketing that felt hollow. Agencies with more layers than ideas, automation where there should have been attention, account managers explaining creative decisions made by people who'd never talked to the client.
The bet was simple. A small team, directly connected to the brands they worked with, would just do better work. The people in the strategy meeting are the same people building it. No handoffs. No mystery. No one phoning it in because the account is too small to care about.
Cedar Falls wasn't a compromise. It was a point. You don't need to be in a bigger market to do better work. You just need to give a damn.
Seven people later, that's still the whole idea.
● The people
Seven people.
Zero passengers.
Everyone here is the real deal at what they do, and they all give a damn about who they do it for.
Erika Chagdes
Video Producer"Every shot tells someone's story. The job is figuring out whose."
Has produced video on three continents and counting. Firmly believes the best takes happen right after someone says "let's do one more."
Jo Weinberg
Business Development"The best deals happen when both sides are genuinely excited to get started."
Can pitch a project concept in under 90 seconds. Has timed herself. Also most likely to already know someone at any company Pixel is pursuing.
Keegan O'Connell
Video Producer"If the lighting isn't right, nothing else matters. I will wait."
Started in documentary film and still thinks every brand has a documentary worth making. Has a collection of vintage light meters he swears he'll use someday.
Rin Newell
Graphic Design"Design is just communication with better taste."
Sketchbook always open. Always. Even in meetings. Especially in meetings. Has filled over forty of them and keeps every single one.
Samantha Everman
Books"If the numbers don't make sense, nothing else does either."
The reason Pixel's finances are actually in order. Can spot a misclassified expense from across a spreadsheet. Genuinely enjoys it, which is the real superpower.
Zach Everman
Founder & CEO"I'd rather lose a project than win one that's wrong for us."
Started Pixel because he was tired of marketing that felt hollow. Still personally reads every inquiry that comes in. Cedar Falls native who has turned down bigger markets on purpose.
● Let's work together
Want this team
in your corner?
Tell us what you're working on. If we're the right fit, you get all seven of us, not just whoever has bandwidth.