Building a Better Agency with UnTraditional Talent: Meet the Former Archaeologists Making EP+Co’s Strategy Team Even Smarter

There’s no end to the number of things that make EP+Co different. (Like an epic range of in-house capabilities, a 15,000-square-foot production facility and a roster of distinct clients to name a few.) But what makes EP+Co truly rare is the people.?

It’s the UnThinkers who find their way here after stints as pro-wrestlers and pro-baseball players, stand-up comedians and surfers who create an agency unlike any other.

“What sets our agency apart is an understanding that when you hire people, not titles, you bring diverse voices, skills and insights into the work,” said Karen Mawhinney, Chief Talent Officer. “Including people from different and even untraditional backgrounds, is critical to strong organizational culture and output. That’s why you’ll find EP+Co is filled with makers and doers whose resumes don’t look how you might expect.”

Two of those people include former archaeologists Winsy Pittinos, Strategic Insights Manager, and Eden Andes, Research Analyst.

“Eden and I come from unconventional backgrounds,” said Pittinos, who worked as an archaeologist at a firm in Miami, and on a prehistoric Native American site for years, before making the switch to strategy. “But EP+Co looks for links between where you’ve been and where you could go. They see how someone’s experience translates across industries or departments, which really creates a sense of opportunity for employees.”??

With her innate love for qualitative research, Pittinos has found a place in both archaeology and strategy. Now Strategic Insights Manager at EP+Co, she uses her ability to find big insights in small details to drive effective advertising for clients.        

Exceptionally curious, patient and ruthless in their pursuit of the truth, the skills and passions that made Pittinos and Andes successful in archaeology have indeed made them successful in strategy, too.?

“Winsy and Eden are both experts in digging for answers—and I’ve seen them draw on skills they learned as archaeologists—skills like asking questions, checking one more time and refusing to stop until the truth is uncovered—to make our work smarter and more informed time and again,” said Chris Plating, Chief Strategy Officer.

Both women, testaments to why EP+Co hires people for who they are and what they can do, agree that their backgrounds have given them a fresh perspective when it comes to brand strategy.?

“Our roots aren’t in marketing,” said Andes, who spent five years working as an archaeologist all over the southeast before deciding to pursue her masters in information science. “And while many agencies might see that as a red flag, EP+Co has always seen it as a competitive advantage.”?

Passionate about uncovering hidden truths about people's lives, Andes says her background in archaeology drives her work today as a researcher. Captured at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas, Andes is featured here with one of her favorite finds: metate, a grinding stone for grains.        

In fact, said Andes, when she first met Allen Bosworth, President of EP+Co, as a grad student at UNC Chapel Hill, he was thrilled to learn about her background as an archaeologist—and encouraged her to spend a summer as a strategy intern at EP+Co.?

“From day one, Allen recognized the connection between what I did as an archaeologist and what I could do as a strategist,” Andes explained. “It’s incredibly encouraging to know that from the top down, every person at the agency values you for what you bring to the table, regardless of your background.”

With their meticulous sensibilities and love for learning more about people, places and things, Pittinos and Andes enrich the work EP+Co does. And they remind us that what makes our agency so extraordinary is a blend of personalities and life experiences—people who approach every day with different views and a shared commitment to UnThink Everything.

Ready to UnThink Everything? Visit?our website?and connect with us on?LinkedIn,?Instagram,?Facebook?and?Twitter.