It’s the stalkers. Nobody tells you about the LinkedIn stalkers.
In the weeks after acquiring Out of the Square, my connection requests tripled. Recruiters. Vendors. People I haven’t spoken to since 2009.
All of them suddenly very interested in catching up. Business ownership has a visibility you don’t anticipate and no, I’m not exhibiting at your conference in Singapore 2027.
But I’m getting ahead of myself.
I bought someone else’s dream
Most people who start agencies do so because they want to build something from the ground up. To forge their own path. I didn’t do that. I bought 29 years of someone else doing that.
And I’d do it again tomorrow.
Out of the Square is a name that is well respected here in Newcastle. It opens doors. Every day I sit across from marketing managers at ambitious organisations, and I get to contribute to their success.
I didn’t have to build a client list from scratch, hire a team from zero, or spend three years earning a reputation. A brand is a powerful tool. Now I get to propel it forward, into 2026 and beyond.
Not to say it doesn’t come with challenges. The bar is set and clients expect us to deliver. There’s nowhere to hide. The ball is very much rolling and it’s my job to keep it that way.
I’ve gone from new hire, to peer, to head of client service, to managing director. So far, so good.
Ups and downs
Ronan Keating wasn’t kidding. As his famous song goes, cashflow in a service business is somewhat like a rollercoaster. The advice resonates: you’ve just got to ride it.
It’s not the invoicing, salaries or even the Monday-morning steamer that appears on your keyboard that sends you up and down. It’s the gaps between those things, and spanning them, that keeps you up at night.
I also inherited a team that didn’t choose me as their leader. Going from peer, to friend, to boss is quite the mental leap. They didn’t choose me.
They chose OOTS, and the version that existed before I took over.
Earning their trust isn’t something you can accelerate with a round of cocktails on a Friday arvo. I owe it to every person in that team to build the strongest version of this agency possible. Over time, hopefully I’ll show that I’m worthy of their time and collaboration.
A moment of truth
About a month in, I stood up in front of the whole team and shared the new vision for Out of the Square.
A general hum was in the air, people processing what they’d received. There was a long exhale, followed by people getting on with it.
There was one piece of the puzzle still missing though. A physical signal that this wasn’t just a change of name on the org chart, that this was the real deal. That signal, to me, is Darby Street.
The moving reality
Out of the Square has left Hunter Street after nearly a decade at the same address. It has been an amazing office. Spoiled with views, access to Newcastle East, lunchtime swims and things that will no doubt come to my attention when I don’t have it anymore. I will also miss the Madison Avenue vibe, with some of our competitors sharing the same street.
Despite all that, we’ve moved. We chose to.
Darby Street, Cooks Hill is one of Newcastle’s most interesting cultural addresses, surrounded by independent businesses, creative studios, hospitality, and the kind of energy that contributes to culture. It’s a neighbourhood that’s builds up how we think, not just where we work.
This space reflects the modern agency experience. Our team works flexibly. Some people are in every day. Others split their time deliberately between home and the office. The new location is designed around that reality.
When you walk into Darby Street, you’ll find a tighter knit facility, meeting rooms, edit suite and quick access to 1000 cafes, plus The Del (deadly).
Getting back to work
I’m a few months into owning a 29-year-old agency. I have approximately 29 years of work ahead of me (unless Powerball comes off in the next few weeks).
The vision: Out of the Square exists to be recognised as Australia’s leading regional creative agency. Not the biggest, the best. World-class thinking, strategy and creative execution, all from Newcastle. Made for brands that want to be Extraordinary.
Some days that feels completely achievable. Some days the cashflow spreadsheet has another opinion. But the team is here. The clients are here. The brand is Extraordinary and our legacy is strong.
Come visit us on Darby Street. The coffee’s good and the stalkers haven’t found us yet.
Ben Ogden is, as of March 2026, Managing Director and Owner of Out of the Square. He is still answering LinkedIn connection requests from people he’s fairly sure he’s never met.
