five in five with vince hulett, digital media manager

The newest member of the Interrupt team brings more than seven years of insights from his work in digital marketing, in addition to the dynamic life experience—military and otherwise—to inform his new role as digital media manager.

We sat down with the Missouri native to get to know him as part of our Five in Five interview series, where we get to know a member of our team with five questions in five minutes.

you're a huge Kobe fan—when did you discover him and how did you become a fan?

Mamba Mentality. His confidence derived from how hard he worked. He was never fazed because he knew nobody prepared or was as focused as him. Many people thought his confidence was a turn off, but he was a perfect example of somebody who knew who he was and what he wanted.

you were an air traffic controller in the army. What did this chapter mean to your life story?

I learned how to become a man in the Army. “Stay alert, stay alive” is something I hold dear to my lifestyle. Many people take too many things for granted. When you see how third world countries live and the opportunities we have at home, it puts a lot of things into perspective. I would do it all over again knowing all the things I’ve learned and the opportunities it set up throughout my life so far.

you played in three World Series of Poker events in Vegas—what are the qualities you need to be great at poker?

Patience and observation. Remembering patterns and discovering people’s habits before they realize them. This can also transition over to sales and life. I like the Phil Ivey poker style. Being a silent killer. The loudest person in the room is usually the weakest or they want you to think they are weak. That’s a thin red line!

tell us more about your dog Louie and how he came into your life.

Louis Rutherford III is a third-generation bird dog from Dothan, Alabama (at least that’s the full name I gave him and his family history I fib to people about as a joke). He is half Irish Setter and half Lab (I know this because I got a dog DNA test for him). He was found as a puppy underneath a deck in Alabama, and I was walking into PETCO to get a fish one day then walked out with a new puppy at the age of 21. He was my Army dog throughout all six years in the military. He’s 14 now and slowing down but a couple weeks ago the veterinarian said he was doing great for his age!

what do companies need to keep in mind to "win" digital?

Too many advertisers are focused on right hooks, also known as conversions. However, many times 100 jabs set up a right hook. Understanding the environment that your ad is experienced in is almost as important as “last click attribution” in my mind. Audio and video are great examples of this type of marketing. They do not drive last click attribution, but they can surely help you build your brand. Therefore, when it is time for someone to convert, they don’t care about last click CTAs. They know how to find you direct or organically. Conversions are rewarded to agencies and companies who build brands.

*Five in Five is where we catch up with an Interrupter to ask five questions in five minutes. It may have taken us (way) longer than five minutes to have this conversation. But it shouldn’t take you longer than five minutes to read it, so we think it still counts.