Agency Business #48: Independent at scale: the Tombras playbook with Dooley Tombras
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Nov 24, 2025 Dooley Tombras, President of the family-owned Tombras agency, shares insights on navigating the advertising landscape. He highlights the importance of independence in fostering long-term investments in AI and first-party data. Dooley discusses their unique hub-and-spoke staffing model that balances talent across locations like Knoxville and Buenos Aires, while maintaining cultural stability. He emphasizes how industry consolidation is attracting top talent to independent agencies, positioning them as competitive players in a shifting market.
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Three Generations, Self-Taught Agency
- Dooley Tombras grew up in a three-generation, family-owned agency and joined immediately after Vanderbilt.
- He credits learning from hired senior talent for filling gaps the family lineage didn't cover.
Zigging Into Digital Early
- Tombras intentionally 'zigged' by building in-house digital, UX, and engineering teams decades before it was fashionable.
- That early expansion into digital became a core advantage as the industry later demanded integrated offerings.
Independence With Scale
- Tombras positions itself as 'independence with scale' to capture mid-market disruption and AI-driven shifts.
- Dooley believes scaled indies can become a distinct category as holding companies consolidate and mid-market firms sell or shrink.