AGAINST THE GRAIN COMMUNICATIONS

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WE INSPIRE, MOTIVATE AND PERSUADE THROUGH NARRATIVE.

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YOU’VE GOT A STORY.
WE TELL IT IN FRESH, COMPELLING WAYS.

You’ve got a story. We tell it in fresh, compelling ways.

Whether you’re a real estate company or a not-for-profit arts organization, we create narratives that accomplish your goals—from getting more customers, securing funding, to motivating employees and improving community relations.

We are a communications company that partners with boutique firms and  individuals to deliver cost effective branding, communication and web services.  From Rock and Roll Hall of Fame legends and Pulitzer-Prize-winning illustrators, to award-winning writers, we inspire, motivate, and persuade through narrative.

News

Videos

Water Is . . .

Water is many things, but most important it is life.

10 Million Kids: An Animated Short

Features Pulitzer Prize Winning Cartoonist Matt Davies

Omar Hakim Experience

A short film about the legendary drummer

Case Studies

Learn more about how we help clients.

Branding matters regardless of size. We drill down to your essence to ensure that the narrative thread is consistent, authentic, and clear. From your logo, color, fonts, style and words, that first impression really does make a difference.

ATG produces documentaries, short films, animated shorts and social media videos. We work with Pulitzer Prize winning illustrators, Grammy winners, MTV Video winning directors and Madison Avenue types too. Our latest documentary, Boats Against the Current, features Sam Waterston.

We don't just build websites, we build cost-effective digital platforms that contribute to the communication objectives of your company or organization. Our platforms integrate with the bigger picture: the organization's mission, the communication's strategy, and your revenue targets.

You're in a high speed elevator with someone you've been trying to meet for over a year--what do you say? Your story, simply told, the essence of narrative. We inspire, motivate, and persuade through story.

We can help your executive team create a strategy to support all of your communication activities, from a website to your logo, social media and video activities too. We provide a process that ensures management buy-in and results.

Today's not-for-profits require greater transparency, accountability and results by their funders, whether they be institutional groups, corporations or individual donors. We've worked with a variety of not-for-profits and understand the unique needs and requirements of operating in today's more demanding environment. We also understand that people, animals, and in some cases, the planet, are depending on you, that in many instances, this isn't just dollars and cents, its life and death.

Clients

IT’S A PRIVILEGE TO WORK WITH CLIENTS LIKE THIS

Here’s a sample of some of the wonderful companies and not-for-profits we’ve helped.

Ridgebury Tankers LOGO HiRez (1)
lincoln center logoactivisionemiprysma lending logohmv logomaritime center logoFTC logoSCG RETAIL_FINALb (1)CRLogoSWN for my siterock-hall-of-fameBrillLogo-WhiteGoldinscribe digitalBertwood Logo-black-245x79

Final_Logo_3Colormadison logo

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Who we are

As an award winning fiction writer who just happens to have a Harvard MBA, I see organizations differently from your typical writer or cookie-cutter B-school consultant.

When you hire Against the Grain Communications, you get my curated network of freelancers and boutique companies that bring specific branding and communication expertise to your opportunities. From Pulitzer Prize winning illustrators to Rock and Roll Hall of Fame musicians and MTV Video Award Winners, we bring the right talent to the task at hand.

Before starting ATG, I was a senior vice president of HMV Records, a $1.5 billion division of EMI Music Group. I oversaw business development, marketing and real estate and was on the board of the Canadian and US operations. I’m also co-author of the best selling business book, The World’s Largest Market, released by the American Management Association.  My novel, My Year as a Clown won the silver medal for popular fiction from the Independent Publishers Book Awards. As an Associates Fellow at Harvard Business School, I published several cases and articles on international business and government/business relations.

On location, Gavelston, Texas
On location, Gavelston, Texas
Panel @ Harvard Business School
Robert Williams (center) speaking on a panel at Harvard Business School about Community Service.
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I was on a Fairfield Museum committee headed by Chris Frantz to select the ten best musicians living in the area. Nile Rodgers was one of the ten.
I was on a Fairfield Museum committee headed by Chris Frantz to select the ten best musicians living in the area. Nile Rodgers was one of the ten.

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