Inside nez&pez: Founders on Creativity, Cybersecurity, and Building a Breakthrough Agency

Every great agency starts with a belief. For nez&pez, it was that creativity—done with clarity and conviction—can still break through even in the most technical industries.

In this episode of PM73 Media’s podcast, host Matt Stephenson sits down with Laurie Donato and Ruben Lopez, the creative duo behind nez&pez, to talk about how they built a creative branding agency that blends bold storytelling with deep expertise in cybersecurity and emerging technology.

Listeners will hear about:

• How two creatives left traditional advertising to start something different in Charlotte
• Why nez&pez chose to specialize in cybersecurity branding and B2B innovation
• What makes creative-led strategy a game-changer for startups and tech companies
• And the philosophy—rooted in Steve Jobs’ clarity and Bill Bernbach’s truth—that continues to drive their work today

This conversation goes beyond agency talk. It’s about finding purpose in the work, trusting creativity as the ultimate differentiator, and building a company that stands for substance over noise.