“People told me I was crazy to start an agency at a young age with no experience. But when you’ve watched someone survive what she survived, your perspective shifts.”
Munq co-founder Timothy Hally launched the Worcester marketing and video production firm with business partner Justin Matsen in 2020 without agency experience, corporate marketing experience, or much of a roadmap. Nearly six years later, the company has become a familiar presence in Greater Worcester's business community. Hally credits lessons learned while helping care for his mother after a life-threatening stroke when he was 16 years old.
What have the last six years been like?
When we started, we didn't really have expectations because we didn't come from traditional marketing backgrounds. Justin and I didn't work at agencies or in corporate marketing roles. We were entrepreneurs trying to figure it out ourselves.
In some ways, the growth has exceeded my expectations. We've become a company people know in Worcester. We can't work with everyone, but people stop by Munq and have conversations with us. We've built a presence in the community much faster than I expected.
At the same time, entrepreneurship takes much longer than people realize. Everyone talks about overnight success, but that's not reality. The goalposts are always moving, and there's always more work to do.
What has helped Munq stand out?
We've always led with story.
When I was first meeting people in the community, I didn't have a big portfolio. What I had was my own story, and people connected with that.
We've also tried to build a company around service. Obviously, we want to make money, but it's never been about money first. It's about serving our clients, serving Worcester, and serving the next generation through mentoring, teaching, and community involvement.
People feel the friendship between me and Justin. We're not just business partners. We're genuinely best friends, and that authenticity is hard to fake.
Your personal story has become a big part of your approach to business.
On April 22, 2013, my life changed forever.
I was 16 years old when my mother suffered a brain stem stroke after one of my high school lacrosse games. The doctors gave her three days to live.
By some miracle, she survived.
For the past 13 years, my family has been on a healthcare journey through intensive care units, hospitals, rehabilitation facilities, and assisted living centers. I would wake up, go to school, visit my mom, go to practice, do homework, and repeat.
I'm still one of her caretakers today. When my dad travels, I'm helping take care of her.
There would be no Munq without that experience.
How has that experience shaped your outlook on entrepreneurship?
My mom's resilience changed everything.
People told me I was crazy to start an agency at a young age with no experience. But when you've watched someone survive what she survived, your perspective shifts. When I look at her life and everything she's overcome, it's hard to believe something like starting a business is impossible. If she can do what she did, I can start an agency.
Was there a moment when you seriously questioned whether the business would work?
Spring 2022 was probably the defining moment.
Justin and I call it our kitchen sink moment. We were about a year and a half into the business. Momentum wasn't there. The projects we had completed weren't leading to bigger opportunities. We were exhausted.
We sat on my parents' porch for six hours and had a real gut-check conversation. It would have been very easy to quit. Instead, we looked at each other and decided the two people sitting in that conversation could figure it out. We believed in our friendship, our skills, and our ability to keep going.
That day we decided not to quit. We decided to double down. Looking back, everything that's happened since traces back to that moment.
When did you feel like it became a success?
The closest thing was our five-year celebration last December.
I remember looking around the room and seeing all the people who had supported us. I've never felt more grateful. It wasn't a moment where I thought, “I've made it.” It was a moment where I realized I was doing what I was supposed to be doing.
Revenue changes. Projects come and go. What remains constant are the relationships. That event reminded me that success is really about the quality of the people around you.
What’s next?
We want to grow our client base and become more of a long-term strategic partner for organizations instead of just taking on individual projects. We want to continue growing across Massachusetts while keeping Worcester as our home. We'd like to create opportunities for local freelancers, interns, and future employees.
Of course, I want the business to grow. I'd like to build a small team and continue expanding. But the older I get, the more I think success is about creating a good quality of life. It's about building something sustainable and serving people well.
If we're helping our clients, helping our community, and doing meaningful work with people we care about, that's success.
This interview was conducted and edited for length and clarity by WBJ Editor Brad Kane.
