He Got a Tattoo for a Job He Didn’t Get. Then Founders Agency Hired Him

Most people send a résumé. Maybe a portfolio. Ben Goldstein got a tattoo. A creative risk meant to land one advertising job ended up opening the door to another.  It started with an application to Wieden+Kennedy that asked candidates to “make a triangle.” Ben took the brief literally. Very literally. He tattooed one on himself.

His friends told him not to. His mom wasn’t thrilled. And when people inevitably asked what would happen if he didn’t get the job, Ben had an answer:

“Even if I don’t get the job, I’ll have a permanent reminder of the level of work I want to do.”

He didn’t get the job.

But the idea did exactly what a good idea is supposed to do: it traveled.

Breaking and Entering Media picked up the story, where it caught the attention of Founders COO Maru Sokolowski.

Ben hadn’t applied to Founders. We reached out to him.

Not because getting tattooed is suddenly a prerequisite for working here. And not because we thought a triangle was going to revolutionize advertising.

We wanted to meet the person who thought of doing it. Within two days, Ben was talking to the Founders team. And shortly after that, we offered him a job.

“Ben didn’t get our attention because he got a tattoo. He got our attention because he had an idea and committed to it way past the point most reasonable people would. That’s the kind of creative energy we love at Founders. Tattoos are absolutely not required to work here. Questionable creative decision-making, however, is highly encouraged” said Tanya De Poli, Founder & CEO of Founders.

Goldstein joins Founders as Creative & Social Copywriter, bringing experience across creative, social, digital, and production.

Before moving into advertising creative, Ben spent nearly two years working on productions and observing some of the industry’s best directors and creatives at work. Most recently, he’s been writing for Breaking & Entering and freelance copywriting, creating work across multiple channels and clients.

At Founders, he’ll work across creative and social, writing, concepting, chasing culture, getting involved in productions and, hopefully, bringing us ideas we wish we’d thought of first.

The hire is also a fitting reflection of an industry where standing out can matter just as much as showing up.

Goldstein may not have landed the job he got the tattoo for. He landed one because of it. And for anyone wondering: Founders is not introducing tattoos as part of its recruitment process. Yet.

Welcome to Founders, Ben. We hope your mom approves this time.