Passion for storytelling, love of creativity

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 18/10/2024 (349 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Once upon a time, at Red River College Polytechnic, Doug Darling fell in love.

The bass player enrolled in the college’s creative communications program after realizing life as a professional musician wasn’t for him. He figured he would pursue a career in public relations, but making a three-minute video for a class assignment with his fellow student and good friend, Denise, took him in another direction.

Darling wasn’t taking the assignment completely seriously at first, but that changed in the edit suite. Something about cutting footage together spoke to him.

“I actually kind of fooled myself and fell in love with what I was doing,” says Darling, CEO and chief creative director at Tripwire Media Group. “I would stay in the edit suites at Red River every night until midnight … just trying new things.”

Incidentally, he and Denise have been married for 12 years. They have two daughters, ages nine and six.

“I joke that CreComm changed my life in every conceivable way,” the 45-year-old says. “It found me my career, my work ethic, my wife and my kids.”

Darling and his company are celebrating a milestone this month: Tripwire is 15 years old.

Co-founded as a full-service public relations agency by Darling and friend David Lewis, Tripwire started focusing on video production more than a decade ago, when Lewis left the company to pursue a real estate career.

The company specializes in branded content, commercials, explainers, product videos and documentaries. Its clients range from locally-owned uniform provider Quintex to social media giant TikTok.

Tripwire has expanded from a two-man operation to a staff of 13. Along the way, the company’s grown its annual revenue to $1.8 million and picked up international accolades from the Telly Awards, which honour excellence in video and television.

The anniversary, then, has provided Darling with an opportunity to take stock of — and express gratitude for — the things Tripwire has accomplished.

“(As entrepreneurs), our jobs so often are to find everything that’s wrong so you can improve upon it or protect yourself and your team from it,” he says. “(But) you have to take a step back and just look at what’s gone well.”

Darling’s love of video editing got him started with Tripwire, but it’s his passion for storytelling that keeps him motivated today.

About five years ago, Tripwire staff started training to become better storytellers. Through reading books, taking online courses and attending in-person workshops, staff have delved into what it takes to construct strong narratives that people respond to.

“I always say that a story isn’t just a beginning, a middle and an end or a hero’s journey or something you read or ‘once upon a time,’” Darling says. “It really is just the emotional value that we attach to everything.”

When local candlemakers Coal and Canary hired Tripwire to make a video, Darling and his team zeroed in on the harrowing story that effectively launched the company. After an ectopic pregnancy that resulted in a miscarriage, co-founder Amanda Buhse started making candles in her kitchen with a friend. What started as a way to distract herself, connect with a confidante and have fun eventually turned into a successful business.

The video has emotional impact, outlines the conflict that led to Coal & Canary’s formation and conveys the bright, fun spirit of the company’s brand — all in two minutes.

Darling and his staff have become so passionate about narrative they now offer strategic storytelling workshops so clients can become more effective communicators.

The conflict in Darling’s life, he says, is the fight for better creativity.

People don’t have shorter attention spans these days, he says, but they do have better B.S. filters. At a time when people are overwhelmed with emails, ads and notifications, Darling believes good storytelling is key to helping his clients cut through the clutter.

“If we can help and make something that’s going to raise their profile, raise their business, make them clarify their message, then that’s what we fight for,” he says. “I believe in that and I want to help people understand that and learn that and use it — not just with us but on their own as well.”

Tripwire’s creative expertise and client focus make them a pleasure to work with, says Coal and Canary’s Buhse.

“(Doug’s) a creative force to be reckoned with,” she says. “He cares about telling the right stories and he’s a people-first leader as opposed to profit first. When I worked with him I had nothing but a great experience.”

Taylor Crawford, CEO and president of Direct Focus Marketing, is a big fan of Tripwire’s work — so much so he bought a minority share of the company in 2011.

“Doug is energetic, charismatic, incredibly caring (and) super creative,” he says.

“I don’t know anyone that tries harder than Doug — not in a people-pleaser way, but just trying everything full out. He wants to be the best leader, the best dad, the best partner, the best friend. He’s one of the all around greatest guys. I don’t know a single person that doesn’t like him.”

Crawford’s admiration extends to the rest of the company’s staff. “Tripwire always just has world-class people,” he says.

Ultimately, Darling wants to help people. Moving forward, Tripwire is putting a focus on communications related to environmental, social and governance principles. Darling and his staff want to assist companies looking to publicize what they’re doing to make the world a better place.

It’s their way of using their talents to hopefully make a difference.

“If I can make any kind of change at any level, then that’s something that I’m proud of and hopefully my family’s proud of,” Darling says.

Tripwire staff members have spent the last few years honing a specific process they use on every project — a process that ensures efficiency and the most creative results while keeping clear lines of communication open with clients. It’s a process Darling says is scalable and one he plans to bring to other provinces and countries as the company grows.

It’s too early in the story of Doug Darling and Tripwire Media Group to end with “And they lived happily ever after,” but the future certainly looks bright. Darling is excited about the people on his team, excited about his clients and he’s working on a strategic plan to double the company’s annual revenue in the next three years.

“(Thinking) big picture is a different muscle for me, but it’s so important and I owe it to the people in this building,” he says. “I owe it to my colleagues and to my partners and our clients, and, hopefully, our future clients.

“So it’s game on, dude. Let’s go.”

aaron.epp@freepress.mb.ca