animal lover's profile

animal lover's profile Meet Darci Knowles &

Her Guy Brodie

By Nancy Dewar Photos by Raya on Assignment

Darci Knowles is not only an ardent dog lover, but also has the character and characteristics of our canine friends…everything kind and good! Though she still considers herself a “Mainer,” having grown up in Brunswick, Darci has called Portsmouth her home since graduating from the University of New Hampshire several years ago. She initially majored in Fine Arts and then switched to Linguistics. “I was going to be a painter and then realized what a lonely life that could be,” she said laughing. “Linguistics is about words, which evokes pictures; what I love and probably what drew me into the world of design and marketing. Developing brands is really all about words and imagery.” After one year of working for a local production company, Darci formed her own marketing agency about 28 years ago and has never looked back.

Her current firm, DARCI Creative, just celebrated their 15th anniversary and is proud to have survived and grown throughout trying times including the 2008 financial crisis and COVID. Her team includes a dedicated staff of eleven plus one VIP (Very Important Pup) named Brodie whose primary job at the agency is “The Greeter!” Brodie, a cattle dog/beagle mix, came into Darci’s life nine years ago, a few years after losing her beloved 14-yearold golden retriever Bella. “It took about three years before I was ready to get another dog, and I wanted one that was very different than Bella so I wouldn’t compare them. Bella was very feminine. All girl. Brodie is very athletic and all boy. They’re definitely very different, and he’s the love of my life now.” DARCI Creative is a full-service agency that works with a broad spectrum of clients ranging from healthcare, financial institutions, software companies and an array of small to medium-sized businesses. “We don’t specialize in one niche. What’s great about my work is that I’m always learning; I learn something new with every new client,” Darci explained. Much of their work focuses on the digital space, and they have their own in-house video production team. They are doing a lot of videos now, though the team loves to do traditional work as well, such as TV and print. Darci has also created a unique product for small business owners, as she knows the challenges first-hand. Their Brand Muffin™ packages offer professional website design from a library of designs created by the agency, and includes killer copy, visuals, search engine optimization and overall branding. The packages offer a 10-month payment plan to help start-ups with their cash flow.

“Our agency culture is very community oriented, and we’ve worked on projects for Dover, Kittery, and we do a lot of work with the city of Portsmouth and the Chamber Collaborative,” said Darci. They’re currently developing an Arts & Culture campaign to promote arts on the Seacoast and to raise awareness of all the wonderful choices we have. DARCI Creative also developed the Chamber’s tourism website: GoPortsmouthNH. com. It gives a great overview of things to see and do. The only thing that could be added is a “Dog-Friendly” tab or two! Geminis have two distinct sides to their personalities. Brodie is both very snuggly and also fiercely protective. Bella, on the other hand, was very laid back and chill. A robber could come to the house, and she’d welcome them! Whereas Brodie would never let that happen. He considers it his job to protect me, and he’s

totally an alpha dog!” While at work, Brodie often hangs out in the reception area watching the front door. He’s great at greeting co-workers and clients and sometimes can be found snoozing by his mom’s desk.

Cattle dogs are a herding breed and not too common here in New England. They are better known for their work on ranches out west. Darci laughed when she told me that one day they were taking their daily walk around Mill Pond and a guy went by excitedly yelling, “Cattle dog…cattle dog!” They are also extremely smart and need a job to do. “Brodie has a huge vocabulary and responds to most of what I say. If I say ‘Wait,’ he’ll stop dead in his tracks. And he’s never once had an accident in the house in nine years. Regarding his job, other than looking out for me and being the greeter, he also is the cheerer-up guy at the office.” While Brodie never stops working, neither does his mom! During the throes of COVID, Darci recognized the shift that was coming; more and more people would be working and learning from home. And people were craving to do something different with their lives. As a woman in marketing surrounded by men, Darci had never had a woman mentor. Her newest endeavor, which will launch next year, will be a series of online courses targeted to women. “It will focus on small woman-owned businesses, women in leadership roles and much more. I want to take what I’ve learned and share it. I love mentoring. I’ve hired many talented kids who started with us as interns. Women don’t stop dreaming just because they’re fifty. There’s so much we have to offer, and I want to help guide people to find the confidence to follow their dreams.”

I asked Darci what important things can we learn from our dogs? Her response was exactly as I described her in the first sentence of this article…everything kind and good! “I think the thing most people point to is unconditional love. I try to treat my staff that way. I’ve often heard: You’re too nice to be in business. But I believe in kindness. You take care of me, and I’ll take care of you. Just like dogs do with us. I have a dedicated team that loves to come to work and a team that I love to work with. There’s a lot of meaning there.” Yes, kind and good, for sure – plus a fervent dog lover to boot! I’m so glad I finally connected with Darci after hearing so many wonderful things about her over the years!

DarciCreative.com