Zach Mader is a Minneapolis-based growth strategist and brand consultant with over 20 years of experience helping media, lifestyle, and consumer brands navigate moments of transition through strategic clarity and hands-on execution. As co-founder of The Specials, he partners closely with founders, agencies, and leadership teams to bring clarity to positioning, growth priorities, and partnerships, especially when momentum has slowed or complexity has crept in.

Zach's background spans senior roles across award-winning media platforms, integrated agencies, and brand-side growth leadership — including New York Magazine, Condé Nast, and Gear Patrol — with partnerships spanning brands such as YETI, Nike, and Lexus. Today, The Specials works with a range of clients from emerging founder-led brands like Dad Day and Homestead Living to established consumer and lifestyle companies navigating their next chapter.

Known for a collaborative approach and a direct point of view, Zach helps clients cut through complexity, prioritize with confidence, and move forward with clarity on what matters most and why.

Founded as an independent, family-run consultancy, The Specials is intentionally small and hands-on. The work blends strategic discipline with personal investment, offering brand strategy, growth planning, and partnership advisory designed to create focus, alignment, and real momentum.