Ethan Edwards

Ethan is a problem solver. Finding the right solution is a sublime moment for him, and he doesn’t shy away from production either. He will roll up his sleeves and get his hands dirty if the situation calls for it.

His chief problem & pet project: Coffee. We’ll revisit this and how it translates to solving problems for Tayloe/Gray clients in a moment.

Ethan isn’t from around these parts. He was born in one of the more distant cities in the continental US (Portland, OR). His family moved around a bit in his youth, with an extended stay in Smithfield, Virginia.

Ethan’s first problem? Location.

For higher education, he made his way to the best Carolina, attending Elon University. With a major in Communications, Ethan trained for television newsroom production. After starting his career at a station in Greensboro, he found his way across the country to various TV stations in places like New Orleans, Albuquerque, and Oklahoma City.

When working in the news got old, Ethan found a new career that utilized his skills. With his extensive experience creating promotional campaigns for news teams, he pivoted to agency work without any issues.

As an account manager, clients come to Ethan with their problems. He pursues ‘aha’ moments: those times when a clear and effective solution becomes apparent. To get there, Ethan first tries to figure out what to ask. The best solutions often arise from the right questions.

For instance, while sipping a sub-par cup of drip coffee, Ethan wondered how he’d come to this point. How, after decades upon this Earth, had he ended up paying five dollars for a cup of coffee that tasted of bitter sadness with strong notes of stale charcoal? The solution he devised: Make his own coffee. But what about roasting the beans? What about the provenance of the beans? 

The ‘aha’ moment came when he realized that he could source and roast superb coffee, the kind that even the snootiest, horn-rimmed-glasses-and-ascot-wearing barista would raise an eyebrow over. From such critical beginnings emerged Ethan’s energetic side-hustle: Pretentious Coffee.

Working on Pretentious Coffee gave Ethan the opportunity to flex everything he learned in the media and agency world to craft a brilliant brand that is reflected in every piece of marketing and in each product. Plus, it’s a really good cup of joe.

Now he uses that expert knowledge and grit at Tayloe/Gray to solve our clients’ marketing challenges in ways you won’t find anywhere else.