Ben Prager: Creative Director & Founder, Opportunity-Maker, Fixer, Grower And Referee
What made you want to start your own agency?
Over the course of my career I’ve been fortunate enough to work in design, branding, advertising and direct marketing. I saw the need, and the opportunity to bring all of those best practices together into one agency to help companies overcome a multitude of communications.
If you weren’t working in advertising or marketing, what would you be doing?
Many things. Painting, writing, sales and cooking.
What did you want to be when you grew up?
I’ve always been an explorer and wasn’t sure about anything until I got into high school art class. I was incredibly fortunate to have an extraordinary teacher named Mr. Falcone. If you didn’t bring in an assignment or did a poor job, you got an orange X in the book. Three X’s and you failed. Mr. Falcone was a very tough critic of everything every student did. He pushed students to be better. His class helped me become a tougher critic of myself. In about 10th grade I knew I wanted to go to art school and do something creative. I didn’t really care what.
Your New York Top 5…..
1.) The food
2.) BKLYN
3.) Constantly finding beauty in unexpected places
4.) The challenge and pace of everything
5.) We can get through anything together
Favorite band – why?
Such a loaded question because it changes so often. I listen to bands now that I would never listen to growing up. I think some of the best albums ever recorded, in no particular order are: Kind of Blue by Miles Davis, Appetite for Destruction by Guns N’ Roses, Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd, The Chronic by Dr. Dre, The Lasting Impressions of Ooga Booga by Hugh Masekela, License to Ill by the Beastie Boys and Abbey Road by the Beatles.
Favorite thing to do outside of the office?
Watching my son grow up and doing my best to spoil him and teach him something new every day. Planning trips and traveling. Cooking. Hanging out with friends new and old. Riding my bike as much as possible, and of course date night with my wife.
Favorite movies?
In no particular order: Blues Brothers, Whiplash, The Last Waltz, Forrest Gump, Shine a Light, Good Fellas, Pulp Fiction and everything Star Wars.
Best advice?
The best advice I’ve received that becomes more important as time marches on is to make every minute of every day count. No regrets. And if you do regret something, be sure you learned something. Go with your gut instinct and always be true to what’s inside your heart.