Episode 87 - Dana Hork

Today’s guest is Dana Hork, Founder of Beers with Friends, the sprint-based creative agency that makes creative firepower available on tap.

Drawing on her experience as a brand-side marketer at Jet.com, Walmart and Wonder, Dana explains why she felt the traditional agency model was no longer keeping pace with modern marketing.

That’s why Beers with Friends takes a radically different approach – working with one client at a time, bringing the right talent around the table and compressing high-stakes work into five-day sprints.

Dana also unpacks how their model creates focus, choosing their ideal clients and how repeat business works without traditional retainers.

This is an innovative, positive, and optimistic conversation from a client who decided to do it for themselves.

HIGHLIGHTS:

[02:16] Selling ‘Beer Runs’

[03:26] Brand side beginnings

[09:45] Paying for focus

[13:57] Single vs multiple sprints

[21:04] People behind the brands

[24:58] Competing without competition

[27:21] AI the fidelity of ideas

[32:07] Designing the client experience

[37:29] Optimism through innovation

Previous episodes

The opportunity in change

Episode 88

Justin Thomas-Copeland

CEO, 4As

Embracing entry-level talent

Episode 86

Lisa Morgan

Group Managing Director, Generation Media

Reviving an icon

Episode 85

Claire Hollands

CEO, Saatchi & Saatchi

Embracing your superpowers

Episode 84

Eric Segal & Brett Banker

Co-Founders, X&O

Meeting clients where they’re at

Episode 83

Sam Hawkey

CEO EMEA, Digitas

Follow the consumer

Episode 82

Michael Nyman

Founder & CEO, Acceleration Community of Companies (ACC)

Pivoting a life and an industry

Episode 81

Patou Nuytemans

Former CEO, Ogilvy EMEA

Crack the Procurement Code

Episode 80

Stuart Dunk

Founder, Don't Forget to Look

Going back to basics

Episode 79

John Connors

CEO, Boathouse

Making the impossible happen

Episode 78

Courtney Worthman and Stacey Gersten

Co-Founders, Main Character

What clients don’t understand about indies

Episode 77

Micky Ogando

CEO and Chief Creative Officer, Bakery

How pragmatism drives growth

Episode 76

Måns Hosk

Co-CEO, Eidra

When everything changes all at once

Episode 75

Josh Campo

CEO, Huge

How client-centricity drives growth

Episode 74

James Greenfield

CEO, Koto

The simplest path to profit

Episode 73

Marcel Petitpas

CEO, Parakeeto

The changing face of innovation

Episode 72

Enda King

Head of Innovation, Accenture

Evolving your core discipline

Episode 71

Jonathan Emmins

Founder and Global CEO, Amplify

From back office to boardroom

Episode 70

Greg Caplan

Co-Founder, Dovetail IT

Being a media indie in 2026

Episode 69

Jenny Biggam

Owner, the7stars

Thriving in the AI industrial revolution

Episode 68

Justin Billingsley

Co-Founder, Simbioniq

Growth in the ‘Goldilocks’ zone

Episode 67

Ben Rudman

Executive Director, MSQ

When a client CMO leads an agency

Episode 66

Zaid Al-Qassab

Global CEO, M+C Saatchi Group

Raising the bar for customer experience

Episode 65

Craig Elimeliah

CCO, Code and Theory

Showing up with a point of view

Episode 64

Sean McDonald

Global Chief Strategy Officer, Rethink

Serving creativity on tap

CONTACT US

OUR WORK

USEFUL LINKS

Subscribe to Believe in Better