Tim McMullen

The Game-Changer: Embracing Tough Decisions – Tim McMullen

Tim McMullen is the Founder of redpepper, a full-service strategic and creative agency. The company has been ranked on Inc. magazine’s list of fastest-growing companies for six years and has been recognized in the advertising industry with several local, regional, and national ADDY awards. Tim speaks nationally on company culture and integrated marketing and has been featured on 60 Minutes, NPR, CNN, and Fox News among other publications and networks. He was also named the 2010 Agency Marketer of the Year by the American Marketing Association Nashville chapter and is the former President of Nashville’s American Advertising Federation.

Here's a Glimpse of What You'll Learn

[1:20] Tim McMullen recounts his background, from growing up with five siblings to venturing into marketing
[7:22] How Tim built redpepper from the ground up
[11:44] Navigating the decision to develop business partnerships with family
[17:58] How a cancer diagnosis redefined Tim’s personal and professional priorities
[29:25] Tim shares how his EO forum helped him navigate significant adversity
[31:21] Why Tim bought out his brother
[35:22] The evolution and future of redpepper
[42:31] How to benefit from your EO journey

In This Episode

As the sole proprietor of a business, you often have to make decisions on your own, even while navigating personal turmoil. How can you restructure priorities to ensure your company doesn’t fall apart?

Award-winning marketer Tim McMullen built his business from the ground up, recruiting his brother to help him manage it. After battling cancer and undergoing a stressful divorce, he recognized the need to step away from the daily grind of his business, relying on his brother to take over. Yet the familial partnership no longer served the company, forcing Tim and his brother to part ways. When you’ve reached a crossroads in your business after restructuring your priorities, Tim suggests understanding every aspect of yourself to build a culture that reflects your true values.

Tune in to The Decision podcast as Robert Hartline and Eric Jackson host Tim McMullen, the Founder of redpepper, who talks about how he redefined success and found a balance between work, life, and health. Tim shares the dynamics of his business partnership with his brother, how to benefit from your EO journey, and his future vision for redpepper.

Quotable Moments:

“The best time to start a business is when you don’t have a lot of things to worry about.”
“I made myself less relevant at redpepper and kept myself less relevant.”
“What got us to that point would literally have killed us if we didn’t make a decision.”
“I wasn’t spending the next 15-20 years of my life with no corners and not chasing a vision.”
“When I let go of things, I just saw people rise up.”

Action Steps:

Embrace continuous learning: Reflect on your understanding of success and seek out resources to expand your knowledge.
Prioritize relationships and empathy: Reevaluate how you engage with others both personally and professionally.
Face challenges with strategic consideration: Take time to think through decisions, considering all possible outcomes and seeking various perspectives.
Maintain a balanced focus on spirituality and professional life: Integrate your personal values and philosophies into your business culture.
Reassess and redefine your role: Let go of tasks that don’t align with your strengths and focus on areas where you can truly make an impact.