Meet Eric Cantini

As Senior Vice President and Chief Revenue Officer, Eric plays a critical role on Yalo’s leadership team. He’s deeply involved in business development, serves as an Executive Sponsor for key clients like M&T Bank, PruittHealth, and Jackson + Coker, and works every day to position Yalo as a true strategic partner, not just a vendor.

A Partner-First Mindset

When Eric talks about his work, one thing comes through clearly: partnership matters. He’s known across the team for his ability to align Yalo’s talent, strategy, and services around shared client goals.

“The best situations,” Eric says, “are the ones where Yalo and our clients act like true partners working toward the same objectives.”

Driving Impact at Scale

One project Eric is particularly proud of is Yalo’s work supporting a healthcare partner with a  new Continuing Care Retirement Community. This wasn’t a single-discipline effort. It was a full, integrated engagement that brought together UX/UI design, content strategy, copywriting, creative, WordPress development, paid media, and ongoing account and project management.

The best part? Our client got a cohesive digital experience that helped generate tours and build momentum for a major new community while reinforcing Yalo’s role as a long-term, strategic partner.

Tribe First, Always

Eric’s connection to Yalo runs deep. Having spent the past 10 years with the company, longer than any other role in his career, he leads with a strong sense of care and commitment.

“I always try to be Tribe First,” he says. That value shows up in how he supports teams, advocates for clients, and helps set others up for success. Eric is especially skilled at creating the right conditions for collaboration, ensuring teams feel aligned, empowered, and confident in the work they’re delivering.

He thrives on learning about new industries, new business models, and new challenges. That curiosity fuels his creativity and keeps his work fresh, no matter how long he’s been in the game.

Life Outside the Office

Outside of work, Eric stays just as active. He’s a big fan of adult team sports and can often be found playing ice hockey or co-ed sand volleyball. He also spends a lot of time cheering on his kids at their high school sporting events and in the spring, he takes on the role of Volunteer Assistant First Base Coach for high school baseball.

Eric’s leadership, partnership-first approach, and genuine care for Yalo’s people and clients make him an invaluable part of the team.

We’re lucky to have him helping lead the way, and even luckier to call him part of the Tribe.

There was a time when music genres were sharply defined. Rock was rock, hip-hop hip-hop, country country, you get it. Of course, that time is long gone. The music industry has since discovered that crossing boundaries is what makes music exciting, and the most revered musicians in history are the ones that weren’t afraid to swerve out of their lane. 

Hip-hop is a part of rock & roll because it comes from DJ culture. DJ culture is the embodiment of all genres and all recorded music, if you actually pay attention to it. -Chuck D

With music so goes culture. Just like your playlist is filled with artists who can’t be easily defined (not to mention jumps from genre to genre), culture no longer zeroes in on one thing. You stream a podcast, scroll a meme, watch a doc, then buy something based on nothing but “vibes.”

That’s how people live now. So why would we (I’m talking specifically about Yalo now) want to stay in one lane? Hence: we are all genres. It’s actually one of our core principles. 

We’re creative and strategic. Curious and focused and unified by the idea that the best work doesn’t come from playing it safe, it comes from blending influences that weren’t “supposed” to work together. That’s what modern marketing demands.

People Are Complicated. That’s a Good Thing.

Audiences are savvy and layered. Everyone has grown up being marketed to nonstop and are quick to recognize BS and pandering. To get their attention it’s important to offer something beyond a sales pitch. If you have a product that truly meets a need, great. Go with that. Tell the truth. If not, make them laugh or at least make them think. Be original, be it through product or marketing. 

Every day is a miracle. You’ve got to sing for your supper. – David Byrne 

For Yalo, being “all genres” means we don’t force brands into pre-packaged tones or trend-chasing templates. We listen first. Then we find the right mix of sound, style, and substance to connect with real people in real moments.

The Magic in the Mashup

Some of the most iconic music ever made came from breaking rules: Hip-hop sampling rock, country borrowing from blues, pop stealing from everywhere (seriously, what does the category “pop” even mean anymore?) 

Marketing works the same way. The strongest ideas happen when storytelling meets performance. When data mixes with intuition. When a brand’s heritage collides with where culture is heading next.

No one worries about genre when they’re dancing. – Skrillex 

Built for a World That Won’t Sit Still

So what does this mean for your brand? Well, the world moves fast. Platforms change. Algorithms shift. Audiences evolve overnight. Agencies must be agile and willing to shift quickly in order to produce work that stands out. 

For Yalo, “we are all genres” isn’t a vibe. It’s a strategy. It keeps our work flexible, relevant, and ready for whatever comes next. It allows us to move fast without losing soul, and scale ideas without sanding off their edge.

At the end of the day, being all genres doesn’t mean chaos. It means harmony. Different perspectives. Different disciplines. One shared goal: create work that cuts through, connects, and actually means something. And whether your brand needs to amplify its presence, refine its focus, or define a direction that hasn’t yet been explored, we’re ready to plug in and get noisy (or keep it acoustic, up to you!). 

Meet Rachel Gehrs

At Digital Yalo, the thoughtful and intentional work injected into our design work is a direct result of Rachel’s leadership. As Yalo’s VP, Creative Director, Rachel blends sharp strategic thinking with a deeply human approach to creativity, one rooted in curiosity, culture, and care for the people behind the work.

Leading Creativity, Day In and Day Out

In her role, Rachel oversees Yalo’s creative vision, guiding brand systems, visual identities, and campaign concepts from idea to execution. Day-to-day, that means collaborating closely with designers, strategists, and account teams to connect business goals to creative expression and make sure the work not only looks beautiful, but means something.

Work Inspired by Real-Life Design

One standout project Rachel loved working on was GenCap’s brand identity. Inspired by high-fashion influences (specifically Victoria Beckham’s ready-to-wear collections), the project was designed for an audience of affluent women, with a refined color palette and confident, modern sensibility. It’s a perfect example of how Rachel translates inspiration into strategy, creating work that’s aspirational yet grounded.

Creativity Rooted in Culture

Rachel’s creative philosophy is deeply shaped by her surroundings. Cleveland’s vibrant cultural scene with world-class museums and theater to major sports teams and incredible dining feeds her curiosity. A recent visit to the Cleveland Museum of Art’s Renaissance to Runway exhibition left a lasting impression, showcasing how centuries-old art can spark modern couture. That same idea, honoring the past while designing for what’s next, runs through Yalo’s work and values.

What the Team Knows Her For

Ask around, and you’ll hear a consistent theme: Rachel is a leader who trusts her team. She empowers people to do their best work without asking them to sacrifice what matters outside the office. She’s approachable, supportive, and relentless in advocating for her team, which is a rare quality. She’s someone who listens first and works hard to remove obstacles so creativity can thrive.

Life Beyond the Office

Outside of work, Rachel is all about family, fresh air, and staying active. Summers are spent outdoors with activities like gardening, playing catch, and tending to the family’s pandemic-era chicken project. She’s also often found at sporting events with her family, soaking in the energy of the city she loves.

She also just got a puppy, Arnie, named after Arnold Schwarzenegger. No joke. Rachel admires his ability to stay positive, reinvent himself, and accomplish wildly different things over a lifetime (she highly recommends the Netflix documentary!). It’s a mindset she carries into her own life and leadership.

Why Rachel’s Leadership Matters

At Yalo, creativity isn’t just about aesthetics, it’s about intention, trust, and impact. Rachel Gehrs embodies that belief every day, leading with vision, empathy, and an unwavering commitment to both the work and the people behind it.

At Digital Yalo, strategy and creativity get a lot of attention, but behind every successful campaign is our Account Management (AM) team making sure it all clicks. They’re the relationship drivers, the dot-connectors, and the calm in the storm. They’re trusted partners who make sure our clients don’t just get work delivered, they get solutions that move the needle.

What Account Management Really Means at Yalo

At its core, account management here is about owning the client relationship. Our AMs dig deep to understand a client’s goals, challenges, and bigger picture, then translate that into actionable strategies with our internal teams. They oversee timelines, budgets, and quality while also helping clients see the strategic value behind the work.

Unlike agencies where AMs act as order takers, Yalo’s team is wired differently. We don’t just check boxes. We ask questions, anticipate needs, and bring proactive ideas to the table. As one of our AMs put it: “We’re true partners with our clients. We want what’s best for them, not just what’s best for the agency.”

Strategic Thinkers and Problem Solvers

Whether it’s navigating a tough feedback round, re-scoping a project, or mapping out a massive website launch on a tighter timeline than expected, our AMs thrive on problem-solving.

When one client pushed their launch date up by months, the AM team worked with both the client and internal teams to create a phased rollout plan. The client felt heard, internal teams weren’t burned out, and the launch still happened on time with a roadmap for post-launch priorities. That’s the kind of balance and foresight that turns challenges into wins.

Building Trust That Lasts

Trust is the foundation of every great partnership, and our AMs take that seriously. Transparency, consistency, and reliability guide everything they do, whether it’s setting realistic expectations, owning a mistake, or celebrating client wins.

Our philosophy: clients should never be left guessing. That means proactive communication, status updates before they’re asked for, and solutions before problems escalate. Over time, that approach builds credibility and shows clients they’re in good hands.

Relationships Beyond the Work

At Yalo, relationships don’t stop at deliverables. Our AMs genuinely care about clients as people, like what motivates them, what they value, even what’s going on in their lives outside the office. That human connection makes the partnership real and long-lasting.

As one AM put it: “The real value we bring goes beyond the data—it’s in the problem-solving, the strategic thinking, and the connections we make. We’re responsive, calm in hectic situations, and always willing to go above and beyond.”

At the end of the day, Digital Yalo’s “secret sauce” isn’t just in our ideas. It’s in the connections our Account Management team makes and the trust they build. 

At Yalo, we believe that true success lies not just in the destination, but in embracing the journey along the way. It’s not just about completing projects or hitting milestones. We want to focus on enjoying the ride, navigating through the highs and lows, and always looking for ways to improve as we go. 

In the fast-paced world of digital marketing, we know that the road to success isn’t always straight. There are bound to be ups and downs, unexpected detours, and yes, the occasional stop for Funyuns. But it’s this very unpredictability that makes the journey so exciting and rewarding. This mindset isn’t about simply staying on track, it’s about leaning into the twists and turns with positive energy and enthusiasm.

Navigating the Highs and Lows

The highs are exciting, no doubt. The moments when everything clicks: When a campaign outperforms expectations, or a creative idea transforms into a stunning result. Those moments remind us why we do what we do. But it’s the lows that teach us the most. In those challenging moments, when things don’t go as planned or when the results don’t reflect our effort, we embrace the opportunity to learn and grow.

At Yalo, we know that true growth happens when we face challenges head-on and stay determined to improve. Every low moment is an opportunity to refine, rethink, and push ourselves to get better. 

The Unexpected Stops 

Of course, no journey is complete without a few unexpected stops. The road ahead might take a detour, things might not go as expected, or sometimes, we might just need a break to enjoy a snack (because who doesn’t need a road trip snack every now and then?). These moments, while seemingly small or even distracting, are part of what makes the journey enjoyable and fulfilling.

Here at Yalo, we embrace these stops, whether they offer a laugh, a creative pause, or a chance to reconnect with what’s important. A sense of humor  and a willingness to find balance make everything more enjoyable. The tour, after all, is just as important as the work itself. 

The Power of “Embrace the Tour” in Client Work

When it comes to delivering outstanding results for our clients, this mindset of embracing the journey makes all the difference. At Yalo, we don’t just deliver on what’s asked. We aim to push ourselves to go above and beyond. We stay adaptable, ready to make improvements at every turn, and we never settle for “good enough.”

The power of embracing the tour is about continuously improving, even when things are already great. It’s about pushing past comfort zones and always striving for the best work, knowing that the journey is what makes the final result that much more meaningful.

A Mindset for the Future

In an industry where trends change quickly and competition is fierce, standing still isn’t an option. Embracing the Tour is a mindset that ensures we never stop evolving, learning, and improving. It’s about being agile, staying positive, and constantly striving to do better, no matter what. This kind of work makes our work better, but it also makes our team stronger because we’re all on the road together.

If you’re looking to elevate your own work, our advice is this: Embrace the ups, learn from the downs, and always make room for a little Funyuns and humor along the way. In the end, it’s that balance and commitment to continuous improvement that will make all the difference.

By Brittany Lavy

Meet Melissa Ito: The 24/7 Creative

Digital Yalo hasn’t been the same since Associate Creative Director Melissa Ito joined our agency. She’s a creative powerhouse. When Melissa isn’t being creative at work or being a rockstar mom of 2, she can be found crafting landscapes and ecosystems within games such as Animal Crossing and Minecraft. She simply can not go a day without creating. 

An Invaluable Asset

Melissa is an expert at bringing creative concepts to life through digital media. She manages design workshops with clients, brainstorms UI concepts for projects, executes cohesive visuals across multiple channels and offers her wisdom and talents to anyone and everyone who needs her. 

Melissa has not only become a fundamental part of our team but an extremely valuable asset to our process. She has brought new practices to our agency that have helped our team and clients surpass their goals and expectations. 

Melissa’s Influence to Those Around Her 

One of Yalo’s values is to Amp it Up to 11, meaning we are always working to improve and deliver the absolute best work to our clients. Melissa embodies this approach fully. One phrase she uses that always rings true to me is “I think we can explore this more.” 

Melissa is constantly exploring ideas and concepts. When she’s not pushing boundaries herself, then she’s pushing her teammates to keep designing outside of the box. You think you’re done designing this section of the website? You’re not, keep exploring. This mindset has helped us push even further by throwing out the old and keep tip tapping away to a more impactful design. 

Melissa’s impact on our team is undeniable. Her dedication to exceptional UI solutions, combined with her boundless creativity, has elevated our work and strengthened our entire department. As a vital force within and beyond the UX/UI team, she continues to push boundaries, inspire innovation, and drive our success forward.

On January 25, 2024, Yalo welcomed the wonderful high school students in the NextGenAtl program to our offices. Next Gen closes the opportunity gap for under-resourced high school students in Atlanta through exposure and support. We were proud and excited to host them.

This connection was made through our active participation in The A Pledge here in Atlanta. We are proud, inaugural members of The A Pledge and are fully committed to its mission. The A Pledge is a call to Atlanta advertising and marketing agencies to come together in a committed effort to create inclusive opportunities within our industry. Over the next decade, we will make the changes needed to ensure our teams reflect the diversity of our community. As we do, we will see systemic opportunity grow in our industry, our city, and our nation.

Next Gen partnered with The A Pledge, creating opportunities for its member agencies to host local high school students. The goal was to share and discuss our world of marketing with the high school students, helping them understand what it is like to work in the marketing field. We wanted to give them a clear perspective on the multiple ways for them to pursue a career in marketing. 

We kicked off with a little dinner because we got started late in the afternoon, as they took buses after school to our offices. While the students ate, I gave an overview of Yalo, what type of agency we are, how we do our work and who some of our clients are. After that, we created a ‘tour’ for them through the different departments of our agency which included Creative, Account Management, Development, Talent Acquisition, and Executive Leadership. The students were put into 5 separate groups, which each started at a different Yalo department. 

A Yalo leader from each of these departments spoke to the students for 10 minutes, and then we rotated the students to the next department. During each 10-minute session, each leader spoke to the students about what it looked like and what it meant to be a marketing professional with a specific skill set, such as Creative, for about 6-7 minutes with 3-4 minutes for questions from the students. Each session was very interactive and engaging for the students. The students interacted at a high level and offered some very enthusiastic questions. 

Seeing their energy and enthusiasm at the late hour of the day was infectious. Our team fed off them and did our best to try to match them! I led the Executive Leadership session. And after sharing with each group the story of how I started Yalo, I asked every student 1 by 1 ‘why were you interested in attending this event’. One, very transparent student, noted ‘to be honest, I forgot we had an event tonight, so here I am!’ I truly appreciated his honest answer, and it put a smile on my face! Overall though, that answer was really the outlier compared to many of the others I received to my question. I was thrilled to hear that many of them had already started their own businesses (AR app game developer, hairstylist, among others). I can tell you that I was not thinking about such things and asking these types of questions as a high school student back in the 1980’s!

At the end of the day, while it was exhausting to conduct 5 mini-seminars in rapid succession, it was exhilarating and inspiring to hear these students talk about their own passions and interests. It was a fulfilling evening helping them think through the possibilities of a career in marketing.

We are thankful to The A Pledge for creating such a great opportunity for Yalo. We are thankful to the students who took the time to visit us at Yalo. I can only hope that they got as much out of the evening as our Yalo team members did. I can tell you that I walked away from the event excited about how the next generation will shape the future of marketing!