Mountain Merger
Photography: Derek Smith
Cathy and Skip Slusher are a match made in the mountains. Arriving in Park City in the late ’80s from opposite ends of the country, the couple began a courtship — and a successful advertising agency — on the slopes of Deer Valley Resort.
An Ohio native, Cathy began her career as a feature writer at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution after graduation from Wright State University. She went on to become an account executive at an Atlanta public relations agency but was soon tempted to head West.
“I was all by myself in Atlanta in my early 20s, and I had been robbed twice. I bumped into a friend who was headed for the Grand Tetons, and I decided to go with her,” explains Cathy. “I had never seen the mountains, but I quickly fell in love with the West. I left everything, including my furniture, and never went back.”
Following her move, Cathy was recruited to work at Deer Valley Resort, where she took a job booking lessons at the ski school. She became intrigued with the name of one of the ski instructors — Skip Slusher. “I remember thinking, ‘Slusher … that’s a silly name for a ski instructor!’”
Skip found his way to Park City after receiving a degree in public relations from Oregon State University. “Three days after graduation, I was on skis full-time,” he says.
In 1987, Cathy and Skip began a personal and professional collaboration — C&S Creative Services, Inc. “Skip and I discovered there was a hole in the market for an advertising and public relations agency, so we thought ‘let’s start something up,’ ” says Cathy.
Armed with an expansive portfolio, Cathy and Skip knocked on a lot of doors and landed their first client — The Original New York Seltzer Company — when Cathy waited on the company’s owner during his visit to Deer Valley Resort. “After getting that first big account, we got really hungry for new business, so we pounded the pavement, “ says Cathy. “It was not an easy road.” The couple’s persistence paid off, however, as they soon landed several more accounts — Stein Eriksen Lodge, Park City Municipal Corporation and Jess Reid Real Estate.
Setting up shop in a rental condo, Cathy and Skip juggled several part-time jobs during the agency’s infancy. “Starting the business was hard. Smarter people would have quit,” recalls Skip. “We did everything we could to keep it going. I would teach skiing during the day and do agency work at night, while Cathy would do the opposite. We’d communicate by leaving notes for each other,” he adds.
Now in their 20th year, C&S Creative Services offers advertising, public relations, integrated marketing and interactive services for an ever-growing portfolio of local and national clients. In addition to Cathy and Skip, the staff includes a small group of talented writers and art designers.
Combining their talents and passion — Cathy handles client services and copywriting, while Skip oversees the design and creative process — the couple has built a $3.5 million dollar-a-year, award-winning agency that specializes in high-end resort and hospitality clients, including luxury resort real estate.
“We create a sense of place, with small insights as to why life is special here,” says Skip. “We go the extra mile because we feel like we are representing our home town. We were married here; we’re raising our kids here; so we have a sense of pride in representing Park City.”
“We’ve developed a signature Park City style,” adds Cathy. “We’ve become the preachers of niche marketing.” Producing work both inside and outside of the Park City market, the Slushers feel they have an advantage representing the Park City lifestyle, as they’ve grown along with the community over the last 20 years.
Speaking of community, the Slushers have been the go-to agency for many area non-profits seeking pro bono advertising and marketing services. “We feel that our pro bono work is an aspect of being part of our community. It’s important for us to chip in and help out,” says Skip.
In addition to building a business from the ground up, Cathy and Skip are also parents to Sarah, age 13, and Jake, age 9. Although Sarah and Jake have inherited their parents’ creative genes — Sarah has been known to pen some catchy ad copy, while Jake has an eye for design — the Slushers strive to keep work and family time separate. The family spends downtime together cross-country skiing and rid-ing cutting horses.
Reflecting on the past 20 years, Cathy and Skip have relished doing a good job for their clients. “We like knowing that a campaign worked and that we’ve found the most efficient way to make that campaign work,” says Skip. “Our clients let us do nice work,” adds Cathy.
Like the Slushers, local freelance writer and editor Linda Jager was drawn to the mountains after college. Following a 13-year professional layover in Colorado, she’s found her home at last in Park City.
C&S Creative Services, Inc., 435.649.1234, www.cscreate.com
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