Against the Grain

ATG in Action

Creative Marketing
CBGB
The relaunch of this NY iconic brand
Soccer for Peace
Putting donors in Somalia through the eyes of kids who play soccer to promote peace.
fěte
Garden and Accessories Retail Start-up
Strategic Artistic Support
Robert Steven Williams
ATG created a marketing plan and managed the implementation for the author and songwriter.
Corporate Identity and PR
Madison Pension Services
One of the leading pension firms servicing small and mid-sized companies was America's best kept pension secrets
Jock & Winnie
ATG positioned this small business to compete with the national chains in the residential real estate arena.

Who We Are


I started Against the Grain in 1999 to integrate my creative and business activities. Over the years I have worked with a diverse collection of companies and organizations from the United Nations, Concern Worldwide, to Nashville's 615 Music.

I was a vice president of HMV Records, a division of EMI Music Group, for ten years. I'm a Harvard Business School Graduate, and co-author of the best selling business book, The World's Largest Market, released by the American Management Association.

Today I advise numerous small businesses on strategy, marketing, and web activity. I am on the board of Westtech Research, a leading wireless technology consultant based in Palo Alto. I'm also an award winning fiction writer, musician, and songwriter.



I was an associate fellow at the business school writing cases and a book for the American Management Association.

I was part of the start up team for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland.

Robert with Jon Bon Jovi
Robert with Sarah McLachlan

Haiti, September '06 for ConcernUSA.

I worked on a marketing strategy for Keane just before their sales growth exploded.