17. How Dana Hork Built Beers With Friends and Reimagined the Agency Model

What if your next big idea wasn’t born in a boardroom… but on the back of a cocktail napkin?Dana Hork is a transformational brand leader, entrepreneur, storyteller, and Founder & CEO of Beers With Friends, an agile creative agency helping challenger brands solve high-stakes problems in just five days. She partners with founders, CMOs, and marketing leaders to unlock fast, high-impact brand solutions through the agency’s signature ‘Beer Run’ sprint approach, delivering expert-driven strategy without the bureaucracy of traditional agencies.Dana shares how her career evolved from JP Morgan to marketing leadership roles at Jet, Walmart, and Wonder before realizing the traditional agency model wasn’t built for the speed of modern brand building. That’s where Beers With Friends comes in: a nimble, collaborative approach to creative problem-solving that mirrors hashing things out with—yes—a beer and a few great minds. In this episode:Dana’s journey through high-growth startups and Fortune 1 brandsThe inspiration behind Beers With Friends and how “beer runs” workWhy the best creative happens when collaboration is casual, fast, and funHow to stay top-of-mind in your network (hint: start with a text)Why networking isn’t about asking—it’s about showing up with valueHow Dana nurtures both old and new connections with intentionality Connect with Dana: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danahork/Connect with Zoe: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zoe-weisberg-coady-57aab37/