Key Takeaways
🎨 Gay’s journey from art student to advertising powerhouse
💡 How T3 thrived by embracing digital innovation early
👶 Launching the “T3 & Under” childcare program
💧 Why water policy is one of Texas’ most pressing issues
🤝 The power of mentorship and building strong teams
Meet the Guest – Gay Gaddis
Gay Gaddis: Founder. Author. Artist. Trailblazer
Gay Gaddis is an entrepreneur, author, artist and trailblazer. She’s the founder of T3, an innovative digital and marketing agency that grew into the largest woman-owned independent advertising agency in the U.S, under Gay’s leadership for over 30 years. Through her speaking career on women’s leadership, company culture and entrepreneurship, her book Cowgirl Power: How to Kick Ass in Business & Life, board work and leadership training, Gay focuses her always-on energy to empower the next generation of business leaders to take big leaps in their careers and lives.
She is a contributor to Forbes and the founder of two leadership programs that she teaches at the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas: Women Who Mean Business, a development program for female executives and entrepreneurs and Texas Trailblazers: Gay Gaddis Leadership, a program designed for undergraduate students. Additionally, she is the past President and Chair of the Board of Directors of Texas Exes, the official alumni association of the University of Texas, and was recently appointed to the Governor’s Commission for Women.
Gay has received numerous awards including the 2022 Distinguished Alumni Award by the University of Texas, 2021 Hall of Fame Award by the McCombs School of Business, the Liz Carpenter Lifetime Achievement Award, Fast Company’s Top 25 Women Business Builders, Inc. Magazine’s Top 10 Entrepreneurs of the Year and C200’s Luminary Award for Entrepreneurial Excellence.
As an artist, Gay’s bold and vibrant paintings have been shown in several prestigious galleries around the country including New York City and Santa Fe, and Texas Monthly magazine recognized Gay as one of “10 Artists to Collect Now.” Gay and her husband own and operate the historic Double Heart Ranch in the Texas Hill Country, home to Gay’s private art studio and gallery, Fossil Ridge.
Connect with Gay
Show Notes
In this episode, Adam sits down with Texas trailblazer Gay Gaddis- entrepreneur, artist, and civic leader who built one of the nation’s largest woman-owned advertising agencies, T3. She went from launching the firm in 1989 to now mentoring future leaders through initiatives like Women Who Mean Business and Texas Trailblazers, continuing her influence well beyond the business world.
Gay shares candid stories about taking bold risks, building a culture that embraced innovation, and even creating an on-site childcare program in the early 1990s- well ahead of its time. She reflects on Austin’s transformation into a national tech and creative hub, a rise that T3 helped shape through partnerships with brands like Dell, UPS, and Microsoft.
Beyond business, Gay opens up about returning to her first love- painting- now celebrated with exhibitions and collectors across the country. Along the way, she discusses the future of Austin, why water policy is critical to Texas, and why surrounding yourself with the right people is the cornerstone of leadership.