Many DU alumni continue to live and work in the Denver area, bringing in business and contributing to the city in a myriad of ways. One of these alums is Thomas Douglis, who was involved in extracurriculars on campus, mainly the Clarion.

Douglis is a founding member of the Douglis Group, a brand-management firm that specializes in building the brand identity of companies, with clients ranging from Fortune 500 companies to small businesses in Denver. However, long before Douglis was a brand manager, he was an undergraduate student at DU.

Douglis credits much of his success to his time at DU. “The great thing about DU is that it is relatively easy to be a student leader, but big enough to where that leadership matters,” said Douglis, who worked as a managing editor at the Clarion for three years. “Many things I learned at the Clarion helped me later on in my career,” said Douglis, citing it as the most influential thing that he did during his undergraduate years.

Writing for a newspaper helped him to learn skills that he would later need as a brand manager. Just as he had to inspire and connect emotionally with readers when writing articles, he now has to do the same with brands and their customers.

For the three years (1983-1985) he was at the Clarion, Douglis rarely had time to take a break. “We were doing a 10,000 print run before computers, twice a week” said Douglis as he talked about the process of working at the paper. He gained valuable experience in gathering information and working with tight deadlines while also maintaining quality, teaching him how to produce under pressure.

“Things couldn’t be pushed off indefinitely, you had to be flexible and work with a deadline,” said Douglis, discussing how it was necessary to cram on occasion and work with a team to get the job done.
Douglis advises brands on how to better communicate their values and what they stand for—things that, when done correctly, can resonate with people much more than other brands who don’t focus on this. “When you walk into Starbucks, you know what to expect: friendly baristas, the look of the store, perhaps the smell of coffee,” said Douglis. “None of that is an accident.”

Brand management requires a person to be aware of many different elements at once, especially in relation to the big picture, something Douglis learned how to do during his time at the Clarion and DU.
In regard to current underclassmen, Douglis has a few words of advice to offer. He particularly stresses taking advantage of all that DU has to offer, particularly in extracurriculars.

“Just as much learning happens outside of the classroom,” stresses Douglis. He emphasizes putting yourself out there with respect to clubs and extracurriculars on campus and make an effort to join and be a part of them. You never know what you can learn that may help you with whatever you pursue in life, just as it helped Mr. Douglis get to the wonderful point of his life he’s at today.