ETHOS
Service is black and white—it’s the baseline.
It means showing up, following protocol, and getting the job done with competence. It’s the status quo. Hospitality, on the other hand, is color. Better yet, it’s plaid. It’s vibrant, layered, and dynamic. It’s about making people feel something—valued, seen, taken care of in a way that sticks with them long after they’ve walked away.
BUILDING BRANDS WITH PURPOSE AND PRECISION.
At The Plaid Penguin, we believe in "one size fits ONE."
Yes, structure and best practices matter, but no two clients, customers, or guests are the same. Their needs, their desires, their expectations—they’re fluid, evolving, unique. The best brands don’t just acknowledge that; they embrace it. They lean into the details, the nuance, the little moments that transform a standard interaction into a lasting impression.
Because in the end, the true impact of hospitality isn’t measured in stars or accolades. It’s measured in how you make people feel. They may forget what you said or what you did, but they’ll never forget how you made them feel. And that’s the difference between service and hospitality. That’s the difference between black and white—and plaid.
It all started with a stubborn mindset of nothing worthwhile came from the comfort zone (i.e. passion over a paycheck, giving up the good to go for great, no failures, only opportunities, etc.), an imaginative passion (maybe obsession) for design, food and human connection, and an unreasonably high-minded confidence in a flight path while unknown, would ultimately bear more fruits, provide balanced happiness and yield a bit more fun and excitement along the way.
131,400 hours later . . .
HISTORY & MISSION
We like being creative, but we like being creative problem solvers even more. In fact, we may enjoy nothing more than helping a client find breakthrough ways of reaching its audience. We know how to shift the buyer’s perspective on an incumbent brand that might be losing some of its relevance. We know how to help new brands quickly gain traction and then earn loyalty over time. We’ve helped owners with an eye toward expansion tell their story to investors and have also been extensions to large marketing teams at Fortune 100 organizations.
Wherever a brand is in its lifecycle, we work to identify the right set of activations to help you achieve your business objectives. All of our strategic, design and communications solutions are grounded in the following:
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A deep industry knowledge
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An unbridled enthusiasm for all products, services and brands with a hospitality forward mindset
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A recognition of the realities of your business.
Everyone on our team is dedicated to delivering the highest-quality work to our clients. Besides being the right thing to do, it just feels good when you know you’ve done your best.
PHILOSOPHY
& VISION
Everyone on our team is dedicated to delivering the highest-quality work to our clients. Besides being the right thing to do, it just feels good when you know you’ve done your best.
FOCUS ON QUALITY.
We listen to our clients’ needs and perspectives, do our research, and then share our own. The best council demands a multi-faceted understanding of the situation.
LISTEN. THINK. THEN ADVISE.
We hold our employees, clients, and partners in the highest esteem, treating them with the utmost professionalism and respect and working to keep them connected and involved, wherever they may be.
TREAT PEOPLE WELL.
We embrace technology for efficiencies, but the good stuff comes when we sit, look one another in the eye and gather around the same table.
STAY CONNECTED & COLLABORATIVE
The creative process is all about failing fast and learning even faster. Stumbling blocks occasionally emerge, but rather than dwell on them, we learn from our mistakes and move on (quickly) with a positive attitude. We’ll work it all out.
BE OPTIMISTIC AND READY TO ADAPT.
We aren’t looking to grow for the sake of growth. Our aim is to grow with our clients over time by becoming invaluable partners as they grow their businesses.
GROW WITH OUR CLIENTS.
OUR BRAND GUIDE
We love a good brainstorm session, but we also love a good bar chart. With us, you get creative talent and analytical problem-solving. No need to compromise.
WE’RE WELL ROUNDED.
Penguins are a loyal, collaborative bunch. We think of our client engagements as partnerships and enjoy working with other talented people to build and transform a brand.
WE PLAY NICELY.
We take on projects that excite us, so we are confident that our clients are getting our best work. We surround ourselves with people that also take great satisfaction in a job well done. Plus, it’s usually more fun this way.
WE GIVE OUR BEST.
We take the work we do seriously, but not ourselves. Have you ever watched a penguin toboggan?
WE’RE SERIOUS, NOT STUFFY.
WHO WE ARE
Our strategies and creative solutions are incisive. With our focus and expertise, you’ll get the best opportunity to hit the bullseye with your customers.
PERSONALITY
& TEAM
Speed, consistency and thoroughness are the hallmarks of our work. Our core staff is made up of 16 practicing professionals well-versed in the arts of communications and is supplemented by talented collaborators who bring their skill sets to fill specific needs to our diverse projects.
JOE HAUBENHOFER
SIR IDEA MAN
FOOD: Regiis Ova, Pringles, Chived up Sour Cream
DRINK: A Sutler’s Negroni
LIKES: Tarantino flicks, night golf & being at a cabin on a lake
DISLIKES: People who:
1. Stand up early on an airplane
2. Don’t return grocery carts
3. Walk by and don’t stop for lemonade stands
SUSAN ROEHR
DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS
FOOD: Lobster
DRINK: Tequila
LIKES: Good food, cooking, coffee
DISLIKES: Traffic, pretentious people, cilantro
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EDDY DOLANN
DIRECTOR OF CLIENT IMPACT
FOOD: Pizza
DRINK: Bourbon
LIKES: Campfires, Star Wars, my dogs
DISLIKES: Bad drivers, doing laundry, IPAs
NICOLE COPSIS
BRAND STRATEGY MANAGER
FOOD: Pastitsio (Greek Lasagna)
DRINK: Dirty Martini
LIKES: Golden hour, dry humor, true crime podcasts
DISLIKES: One-uppers, non-cartoon cats, weak coffee
KENDAL MOSS
BRAND STRATEGY MANAGER
FOOD: Sushi
DRINK: Rosé
LIKES: The beach, college football, coffee shops
DISLIKES: Delayed flights, cold weather, running
ANNA SCHOECK
LEAD DESIGNER
FOOD: Pasta
DRINK: Aperol Spritz
LIKES: Movies, photography, travel
DISLIKES: Cilantro, paper straws, a trackpad mouse
COMING SOON
SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR
FOOD: Coming soon
DRINK: Coming soon
LIKES: Coming soon
DISLIKES: Coming soon
JOSIE NICHOLSON
BRAND COORDINATOR
FOOD: Chicken 'n Waffles
DRINK: Chilled glass of champagne
LIKES: Redheads, charcuterie boards, front porch sit
DISLIKES: Slow mall walkers, rollerskating, Halloween
ABBIE BURKE
BRAND COORDINATOR
FOOD: Thai Green Curry
DRINK: Chai Latte
LIKES: My dogs, reading, handmade ceramics
DISLIKES: Jump scares, olives, washing dishes
PAIGE TRINTER
BRAND COORDINATOR
FOOD: Chicago Hotdog
DRINK: Spicy Margarita with a Tajín rim
LIKES: Trader Joe’s, beach volleyball, reality TV
DISLIKES: The PubSub line, car problems, eggs
KYLIE WILKINS
GRAPHIC DESIGNER
FOOD: Drunken Noodle
DRINK: Moscow Mule
LIKES: Chocolate croissants, sneakers, surf cowboy culture
DISLIKES: Ice in my drinks, no-show socks, yappy dogs
TAYLOR FERRY
GRAPHIC DESIGNER
FOOD: Tacos
DRINK: Shirley Temple
LIKES: Going out to eat, Surf's Up, traveling to new places
DISLIKES: Onions, wooden spoons, long lines
JACKSON PETTY
PHOTOGRAPHER
FOOD: French Fries
DRINK: Kombucha
LIKES: Golf, twilight, sending my wife memes
DISLIKES: Crowds, being more than 5 minutes late, sunburns
CURTIS GROLL
CONTENT CREATOR
FOOD: Sushi
DRINK: Lavender vanilla latte with almond milk
LIKES: Coffee shops, a hoodie that hoodies, extra cheese
DISLIKES: Decaf coffee, a dead phone, laundry
ALYSE MEYERS
CLIENT MANAGER
FOOD: Pasta and french fries (not together)
DRINK: Water, coffee & red wine (can’t pick one)
LIKES: Organization, traveling with friends, outdoors
DISLIKES: Carnivals (clowns), sharks, fake people
JOEL KUEHN
DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
FOOD: Chips & salsa
DRINK: Coffee
LIKES: Drums, problem solving, live events
DISLIKES: Whining, anxiety, scammers
LAURA GRAFF
PUBLIC RELATIONS
FOOD: Brunch
DRINK: Vino
LIKES: Summertime, the first morning sip of coffee, putting out fires
DISLIKES: Cilantro, wearing shoes in the house, cold weather
CESAR HERNANDEZ
BRAND STRATEGY & RESEARCH
FOOD: Filete con patatas, huevos fritos y pimientos
DRINK: Scotch, single malt, from Islay, with one gigantic ice cube
LIKES: Phil Collins, Taylor Swift, Iron Maiden, Day Drinking
DISLIKES: Barcelona (the fútbol team), bad drivers, people calling anything a gazpacho… like no, that’s a cold soup, not a gazpacho, get your s*it together
JENNIFER MCGIVNEY
WRITER & DIGITAL CONTENT STRATEGIST
FOOD: Nachos
DRINK: French 75
LIKES: Old books, spoiled dogs, a freshly inked passport
DISLIKES: Bluetooth speakers on hiking trails, red streets on Google Maps, rhubarb
MARY HAUBENHOFER
INTERIOR DESIGNER
FOOD: A Harriet's Hamburger
DRINK: Spicy Margarita
LIKES: Wallpaper & Annabel Hydrangeas
DISLIKES: Bad lightning & bad attitudes.
