As one of the members of our all-star sales team, Dustin keeps This Land close to heart and mind. He’s a natural salesperson, easy to talk to, and disarmingly charming.
He recently contributed to This Land by lending his torso to the cover is the February 1 issue (Vol. 3, Issue 3). The resultant “This Machine Lives Hard” cover is a masterpiece from Art Director Jeremy Luther and would be a extremely impressive declaration of company loyalty, if only the tattoos in question were real.

Dustin has several years of experience as an ad rep, most recently withThe Dallas Morning News and The Dallas Observer. He has, however, seen the error of his ways and come home to Tulsa. We’re glad to have him on our team.

Check out Dustin’s answers to our MEET & GREET questionnaire:

1. What influences you?

I love being around people who are doing what they are passionate about. It doesn’t matter if they are chefs, architects, athletes, artists, musicians, beer and winemakers…whatever. To be able to perfect their craft, these people have spent so much time practicing, learning and pushing themselves. The dedication it takes is amazing but if they love what they do those grinding hours of practice aren’t painful, they are pleasure. I think a good example of this is Joel Bukiewicz of Cut Brooklyn. He gets up everyday and makes hand-made knives. He loves it.

2. What inspires you?

I’m not a creative person. However, I work with some very talented and creative people. I want them to be able to continue to do what they love. For our crew to be able to do what they love, I have to generate revenue. That’s my talent. Our team is making something special. I know it and I believe in them. I can’t imagine a day where we would be forced to close our doors and all them having to split up and go elsewhere. Forget that. The fear of letting all those people down makes getting out of bed and going to work easy.

3. Favorite piece for This Land?

I really enjoyed working with Jeremy on the discontinued Sports Illustration. It was interesting to see his process. I would pitch a sports related idea to him and he would come back the next day with a beautiful illustration. That boy is good.

4. What do you love about Oklahoma/Tulsa?

I love that Tulsans are taking it upon themselves to make Tulsa a cool, fun city. They have stopped whining and are actively creating a city to be proud of, with their own hands. That spirit is intoxicating. Stop bitching about our midwestern plight. Oklahoma is as awesome as we make it.

5. What is your favorite drink (alcoholic or non)?

I like it all from… High Life to St. Bernadus to Franziskaner. I have been known to guzzle margaritas in the summer and a Makers Manhattan in the fall.

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For more info on Dustin, check out his bio; if you are in the the restaurant/bar industry and would like to get in touch, you can reach him via Dustin@thislandpress.com