About TFG
Behind every strategy is a team that actually gives a damn.
TFG Marketing + Design is a boutique marketing and design agency in Austin. For 15 years we’ve helped law firms, architects, service businesses, sports organizations and growing companies of every kind get found, get chosen and keep growing.
Our story
Fifteen years in, and the standard is still yours.
We started TFG Marketing + Design in Miami in 2011 because we believed marketing could be done with more strategy, more craft and more genuine investment in the businesses we work with. We moved the agency to Austin in 2019, and that belief came with us. The tools have changed plenty since then. The approach hasn’t.
We’re writers by trade, so everything starts with the words. Who you’re talking to, what you want them to know and why they should care come first, and the design, search strategy and channels follow from there.
More than a third
of our retainer clients have been with us for more than a decade. That’s not a retention stat. That’s a relationship.
2011
founded in Miami
16
US states served
3
countries
45
industries
How we think
Marketing, done properly.
We start where most agencies don’t – by listening. We want to hear what’s worked, what hasn’t and what you’re really trying to build. From there, everything we do is built around your goals, not our templates or our retainer.
It’s personal
Your marketing should connect with real people, so we research your ideal client first, from what makes them tick to the headspace they’re in. We put ourselves in their shoes and take a good look at your business from their side of the table. Because someone has to.
It’s technical
Google, AI search and every platform out there tell us what they reward. We use that to reach the people who matter most to your business, again and again, without trying to game the system. We stay ahead of all of it because we genuinely love what we do, and we know stagnation is the enemy of good marketing.
It’s hard work
Good marketing compounds, and it rewards showing up consistently. Quality marketing is a long-term game. It’s not for the faint of heart or for those looking for a quick fix. Relationships take time and consumers know when you’re in it for yourself versus when you’re in it for them.
What we’re like
Generic is easy. We don’t do easy.
We work with ambitious businesses that are ready to stop being the best-kept secret in their market. That takes a team that’s willing to do the harder, more thoughtful version of the work.
Ruthlessly strategic
Every blog, email and design decision ties back to a goal you can measure.
Constantly evolving
Search, AI and social keep changing, and we stay ahead of all of it so you don’t have to.
The ones who lose sleep over your results
We treat your marketing like our own name is on the door.
Who you’ll work with
The people behind the work.
TFG is led by co-founders Kristin Abele and James Schulman. We keep the team small and senior on purpose, so the people you meet on the first call are the people doing the work.
Kristin Abele
Co-founder + Creative Partner
It’s probably easier to list the things Kristin doesn’t do: post TikTok videos, drink decaf or miss an episode of Ted Lasso. (If you know, you know.)
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Kristin is TFG’s co-founder and Creative Partner. She earned a BA in Creative Writing and Film Studies from the University of Colorado Boulder and studied publishing at NYU, then started her career in entertainment marketing, working with The Weinstein Company, Summit Entertainment, IFC Films, Elle, New York Fashion Week, Miami Swim Week and the Tribeca Film Festival.
She co-founded TFG with James in 2011. Merging deep corporate experience with an intuitive understanding of people, she leads content strategy, creative direction and brand voice for TFG’s diverse client list, from regional law firms to Fortune 500 corporations. Her specialty is transforming strategic ideas into brilliant executions.
James Schulman
Co-founder + Managing Partner
James is all about details and data, which makes him an exceptional brand strategy architect and a really good partner on Trivia Night. He’s also TFG’s official maté maker.
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James is TFG’s co-founder and Managing Partner. He earned a degree in History from the University of Colorado Boulder and once ran for the Florida House of Representatives. Today he oversees all of TFG’s projects and daily operations, heads up copywriting and editing, and leads our SEO, GEO and data strategy across 16+ US states and 45+ industries.
Our clients value his unwavering sense of direction. His work has driven 1,000%+ website traffic growth for a Florida law firm and a content strategy that generates $3M+ a year in consulting revenue for a construction firm. When he works the raw numbers and determines your brand’s ultimate evolution, believe him. He hasn’t steered us wrong yet.
Bela Ruiz
Graphic Designer
Bela paints, draws, hand knits and appreciates a great cup of coffee. She also happens to be exceptionally good at design. Coincidence? We think not.
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Bela is TFG’s Graphic Designer, covering brand identity, print, social graphics, custom email and web design. From logos and brand guidelines to reports and websites, she makes sure our clients look as good as they sound.
Ready to work with a team that treats your business like its own?
We always start with a conversation, not a proposal. Tell us where you are and where you want to go, and we’ll give you an honest read on what you need.
Book a free 30-minute consult
No pitch deck, just an honest read on what your marketing needs.