Coordinates Unknown

Russ Renbarger: From Army Corps Architect to Ad Agency Pioneer

Fri, 10 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT

In this episode

In the series premiere of Coordinates Unknown, we sit down with Russ Renbarger, CEO of RedTag, to map out his journey from the "brutal" nights of architecture studio to building a full-service agency from the ground up. Russ shares the raw, unfiltered reality of his "Ramen Years," the period when he cut his income in half, survived on the McDonald's dollar menu, and faced the terrifying prospect of losing his house and car to keep his vision alive.

We explore the evolution of RedTag, from the early days of organic MySpace marketing to the present-day frontier of agentic AI and high-stakes community impact.

In this episode, we discuss:

The Pivot: Why Russ moved from 10-year military architecture cycles to the fast-paced world of digital design.
The Survival Phase: Realizing there is no "perfect moment" to leave your safety net.
The AI Revolution: Introducing Luna, RedTag's agentic media buyer, and the importance of the "Human at the Helm" philosophy.
AI Enablement: How RedTag is now transforming business workflows, turning two-week construction tasks into 10-minute AI-driven solutions.
The RedTag Difference: Why "caring deeply" about outcomes and attribution is the agency's secret weapon.

The "Coordinates" (Timestamps)

00:00:51 · Architectural Origins: Why advisors recommended engineering over art because "engineers make more money".
00:02:41 · The Army Corps Years: Designing military barracks and learning about "value engineering".
00:05:08 · The Moonlighting Era: Building the first RedTag "alliance" and launching websites in weeks rather than years.
00:08:41 · The Leap: Leaving the federal government's "safety net" for the "slow burn" of entrepreneurship.
00:10:53 · The Ramen Years: Navigating the financial strain of cutting income in half to fund the dream.
00:14:31 · Game Changer: The 2013 Facebook ad platform launch that shifted everything to "pay-to-play".
00:23:44 · Luna & The Future: Developing an AI media buyer that doesn't sleep.
00:37:46 · AI Responsibility: The ethical concerns of AI influencers, video artifacts, and data security.
00:43:30 · Community Impact: Driving record-breaking recruitment for the LMPD and selling out the PGA Championship.

Chad Coulter: From Pharmacy to Five-Star Biscuits, Scaling the Unpredictable

Fri, 10 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT

In this episode

In this episode of Coordinates Unknown, we sit down with Chad Coulter, the co-founder and CEO of Biscuit Belly, to map out a career pivot that defies logic. Chad shares how he and his wife transitioned from clinical pharmacy to the high-stakes world of hospitality, starting with a "painting and drinking" studio before launching the award-winning wine bar LouVino and eventually the growing Biscuit Belly empire.

Chad doesn't just talk about the wins; he dives into the grit of entrepreneurship, from being an "underpaid dishwasher" in his own restaurant to navigating a literal sewer pipe explosion on a media soft-opening night.

In this episode, we explore:

The Bizarre Pivot: How scientific training in pharmacy translates to the analytical side of restaurant operations.
The Fad vs. The Future: Recognizing when a business model has a "runway" and knowing when to divest to focus on a "traveling" concept.
Builders vs. Checklist People: Why the biggest mistake in scaling is promoting your best worker instead of hiring external "builders".
The Visionary & The Taskmaster: The reality of running a 24/7 business alongside your spouse and finding the "lanes" that keep a relationship intact.
Leading from the Dish Pit: Why the fastest way to gain respect from a team is being willing to roll up your sleeves when things get messy.

The "Coordinates" (Timestamps)

00:00:39 · Pharmacy Roots: Why a Georgia Dawg with a science degree moved to Louisville.
00:02:44 · The Paint & Sip Era: Opening a business with zero industry knowledge.
00:04:53 · LouVino Launch: Transitioning from clinical teaching to washing dishes every night.
00:11:03 · The Biscuit Epiphany: Identifying a southern staple that could travel across state lines.
00:14:39 · The Formula for Scale: Why Kentucky is actually their weakest market and why that's a good sign.
00:18:26 · The Peter Principle: Avoiding the trap of promoting your best barista to a manager.
00:22:02 · Disaster Management: Surviving a sewer pipe explosion on the most important night of a launch.
00:34:16 · Marriage & Business: How to stop "talking shop" at the dinner table with a 10-year-old.
00:46:17 · The Golden Rule: Why you should keep your day job as long as humanly possible.

Amanda Turner: Scaling from 5 to 50, The President's Guide to Letting Go

Fri, 10 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT

In this episode

In this episode of Coordinates Unknown, we sit down with Amanda Turner, the President of RedTag, to discuss the "wild" transition of scaling a digital agency from a small team of three to a powerhouse of over 50 employees. Amanda shares how her background in the hospitality industry became her secret weapon in building a culture rooted in empathy, service, and client experience.

Amanda opens up about the single hardest part of leadership: moving from being "the doer" who wears every hat to becoming the leader who must "let go" to allow others to lead. We also dive into the RedTag "Secret Sauce," a unique hiring philosophy that prioritizes culture fit over technical skill sets to ensure the team wins as one.

In this episode, we explore:

The Social Pioneer: How Amanda helped build RedTag's social marketing arm before social media experts even existed.
The "Letting Go" Hurdle: Why delegation is a strength, not a sign of doing less work.
The Culture Cheerleader: A look inside the hiring process and why finding people who "own it" is half the battle.
EOS & Order: How implementing an Organizational Operating System provided role clarity during rapid growth.
Not Order Takers: Why RedTag seeks bold partners rather than clients who just want to "check a box."

The "Coordinates" (Timestamps)

00:01:51 · Dreamers & Doctors: Why traditional childhood dreams didn't include "Digital Ad President".
00:02:44 · The Origin Story: How Russ and Kevin recruited Amanda to build the social marketing side of RedTag.
00:06:05 · Hospitality Mindset: Applying empathy and service from hotels to client relationships.
00:08:48 · The Secret Sauce: How RedTag hires for culture first using the "Leslie Hyatt" method.
00:11:51 · The Creative Explosion: Hiring Charlie Ost and the journey to winning an Emmy.
00:15:30 · The Hardest Part of Leadership: Learning how to truly "let go" and delegate.
00:21:38 · EOS & Structure: Transitioning from a nimble team of five to a powerhouse of fifty.
00:29:34 · Not Order Takers: Why RedTag turns away clients who just want to "check a box".
00:30:58 · Core Values: Deep diving into Discover Boldly, Own It, Lead with Purpose, and Win as One.
00:34:31 · President/CEO Access: Why you can still call the leaders of RedTag directly.