THE 505 PODCAST
THE 505 PODCAST
Brayden Figueroa & Kostas Garcia
155. The Brutal Truth About Building a Creative Agency in NYC ft. Shortstache & Chelstache
1 hour 26 minutes Posted May 7, 2025 at 2:00 pm.
Trailer0:25 - Intro0:52 - One Handed Crack1:30 - Going all in on building an agency together2:23 - The chaos of quitting, moving, and planning a wedding3:51 - Dealing with NYC winter and emotional shock5:19 - What Garrett gave up to start Stache.Haus6:27 - Chelsea’s struggle to gain respect in a male-dominated space7:59 - Why brand confusion is still a challenge8:55 - How inbound leads split between Shortstache and Stache.Haus10:58 - The moment they decided to launch the agency12:09 - What makes their agency different from traditional production houses14:25 - Agency frustrations: when bad ideas come from big budgets17:28 - Brutal truths about launching a business in NYC18:52 - Pressure, burnout, and financial fear21:55 - No separation between work and life23:20 - The cost of grinding 24/7 as a couple25:32 - “I didn’t sign up for this”26:43 - Building structure through calendars and time blocking28:21 - Tools they use to run the business30:14 - Their biggest financial mistake: no runway31:50 - Emotional breaking point before the wedding33:36 - Learning to love each other under extreme stress35:25 - Becoming bulletproof through adversity36:43 - How they decide if a client is a good fit38:12 - Standing up to disrespectful clients41:18 - Dream team structure for the agency43:40 - The vision for a physical Stache.Haus location45:45 - How Chelsea wants to evolve her role47:08 - Garrett’s goal to stop touching the camera50:00 - Why NYC accelerates brand relationships52:16 - Boots-on-the-ground strategy for brand deals54:51 - Creating campaigns that stand out from recap videos56:23 - Their exact brand deal workflow and process58:28 - Why every project starts with a phone call1:01:32 - How they quote and budget campaigns1:03:34 - Lessons learned from bad brand deals1:07:04 - Why trust and boundaries with clients matter1:10:25 - Advice for anyone starting a creative agencyIf you liked this episode please send it to a friend and take a screenshot for your story! And as always, we'd love to hear from you guys on what you'd like to hear us talk about or potential guests we should have on. DM US ON IG: (Our DM's are always open!) Bfiggy: https://www.instagram.com/bfiggy/ Kostas: https://www.instagram.com/kostasg95/ Chase: https://www.instagram.com/chaseronii/ TikTok:Bfiggy: https://www.tiktok.com/bfiggy/ Kostas: https://www.tiktok.com/kostasgarcia/
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Our 5 Positioning Tips to Land Bigger Clients (FREE Download):https://the505podcast.courses/5positioningtipsLearn the 6 Questions to ask on Every Discovery Call (FREE Download):https://the505podcast.courses/6questionsfordiscoverycallWhat’s up, Rock Nation! Today we’re joined by Garrett and Chelsea - The married creative duo behind Stache.Haus, a New York-based creative agency. A year ago, they left everything behind in LA, and moved across the country to launch a premium boutique agency in one of the most competitive cities in the world. In this episode, we break down what Instagram doesn’t show you - the sleepless nights, financial pressure, and learning how to fight for your business and your relationship. If you’re dreaming of launching your own agency one day, or just a creative wanting to learn how to work with bigger brands, this is the real behind-the-scenes of what it actually takes.Check out Garrett and Chelsea here:https://www.instagram.com/shortstache/?hl=enhttps://www.instagram.com/chelstache/?hl=enhttps://www.instagram.com/stache.haus/?hl=enSUSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER: https://the505podcast.ac-page.com/rock-reportThe Creator Pricing Guide - The No BS Guide to Pricing Your Creative ServicesCoupon Code: ROCKNATION10 gets you $10 off at checkout for the bouldershttps://courses.thecreatorcoach.com/pricing-guideJoin our Discord! https://discord.gg/xgEAzkqAvsCOP THE BFIGGY "ESSENTIALS" SFX PACK HERE: https://courses.thecreatorcoach.com/BFIGGYSFXPACKKG Presets Vol. 1https://www.kostasgarcia.com/store-1/p/kglightroompresetsKostas’ Amazon Storefront:https://amzn.to/3GhId2515% OFF Prism Lens FX with code: KOSTAS15https://bit.ly/42sNdejChase’s Totality LUT pack:https://www.chasealexanderfilm.com/color/totalitylutpackTimestamps: 0:00 - Trailer0:25 - Intro0:52 - One Handed Crack1:30 - Going all in on building an agency together2:23 - The chaos of quitting, moving, and planning a wedding3:51 - Dealing with NYC winter and emotional shock5:19 - What Garrett gave up to start Stache.Haus6:27 - Chelsea’s struggle to gain respect in a male-dominated space7:59 - Why brand confusion is still a challenge8:55 - How inbound leads split between Shortstache and Stache.Haus10:58 - The moment they decided to launch the agency12:09 - What makes their agency different from traditional production houses14:25 - Agency frustrations: when bad ideas come from big budgets17:28 - Brutal truths about launching a business in NYC18:52 - Pressure, burnout, and financial fear21:55 - No separation between work and life23:20 - The cost of grinding 24/7 as a couple25:32 - “I didn’t sign up for this”26:43 - Building structure through calendars and time blocking28:21 - Tools they use to run the business30:14 - Their biggest financial mistake: no runway31:50 - Emotional breaking point before the wedding33:36 - Learning to love each other under extreme stress35:25 - Becoming bulletproof through adversity36:43 - How they decide if a client is a good fit38:12 - Standing up to disrespectful clients41:18 - Dream team structure for the agency43:40 - The vision for a physical Stache.Haus location45:45 - How Chelsea wants to evolve her role47:08 - Garrett’s goal to stop touching the camera50:00 - Why NYC accelerates brand relationships52:16 - Boots-on-the-ground strategy for brand deals54:51 - Creating campaigns that stand out from recap videos56:23 - Their exact brand deal workflow and process58:28 - Why every project starts with a phone call1:01:32 - How they quote and budget campaigns1:03:34 - Lessons learned from bad brand deals1:07:04 - Why trust and boundaries with clients matter1:10:25 - Advice for anyone starting a creative agencyIf you liked this episode please send it to a friend and take a screenshot for your story! And as always, we'd love to hear from you guys on what you'd like to hear us talk about or potential guests we should have on. DM US ON IG: (Our DM's are always open!) Bfiggy: https://www.instagram.com/bfiggy/ Kostas: https://www.instagram.com/kostasg95/ Chase: https://www.instagram.com/chaseronii/ TikTok:Bfiggy: https://www.tiktok.com/bfiggy/ Kostas: https://www.tiktok.com/kostasgarcia/