In a media landscape bombarded with bad news, David Greer has made it his mission to spotlight the good. As CEO of StoryRoad, formerly known as Tillman Allen Greer, he’s built a successful business rooted in the belief that sharing positive stories not only uplifts the community but also grows businesses. “Early in my career, I made a personal decision to focus on good news,” Greer says. “I want to praise, recognize, educate, inform and celebrate the people and businesses that make Gwinnett thrive. To me, the good stuff is the essence of life.”
StoryRoad helps local businesses share their stories with the audiences that matter most through Gwinnett Magazine, the Guide to Gwinnett, the Best of Gwinnett Awards, and companion media like podcasts and social platforms. Greer says, “Our tagline is: ‘Tell your story. Tell it well. Grow your business.’ And that’s what we do to help businesses connect with customers and their peers across the area.”
At the heart of effective marketing, Greer says, are three essentials: message, reach and frequency. “You have to understand your message, know who you’re trying to reach and determine how often to reach them,” he explains. “A business selling home appliances like air conditioners needs constant visibility so you’re top of mind when a need arises. An event like a fall festival needs timely frequency. We’ve designed our offerings to support both.”
From content creation to full-campaign development, Greer and his team provide flexible storytelling tools that support everything from business launches to long-term brand building. After 40 years in business, with the recent 27 focused exclusively on Gwinnett, he’s proud that many of the businesses that partnered with him in the early days remain loyal clients.
Building Community and Legacy
Greer’s focus on uplifting the community with positivity has staying power. If you remember seeing the county’s iconic slogan “Success Lives Here” on water towers and other branding, you’ve seen his work. His company coined that slogan many years ago. They’re also responsible for the #LoveGwinnett social media campaign that shared snapshots of daily life and positivity across the county, helping people see the good around us and realize how much we all have in common.
In 2009, he created the Heroes Project, which celebrates cancer survivors by telling their stories through articles, photos, videos and podcasts. “It started as a way to use our storytelling abilities to do good in the world and make cancer survivors feel like a rockstar for the day,” he explains. “But after interviewing hundreds of survivors, I’ve found that their stories have been a great inspiration. I’ve interviewed people who have faced life-or-death circumstances — including young kids and teenagers — and have shown incredible courage while choosing to look at the bright side.”
Greer has also tried his hand at songwriting, penning multiple songs, including “We Light a Candle,” which was a tribute to Relay for Life and cancer survivors. The song was adopted by Relay for Life teams around the world and helped raise significant funds for cancer research. “It was very fulfilling to see that born out of Gwinnett County and make a difference across the globe,” he says.
Lessons from the Journey
A lifelong entrepreneur, Greer enjoys sharing lessons learned through the “school of hard knocks.” His advice: “Put first things first. You can’t skip steps in business. Focus on doing each step in the right order.” His second: “Don’t waste your energy blaming other people or circumstances. When things don’t go the way you want, take a look in the mirror and evaluate what you can control — your outlook and your next steps.”
Those lessons have shaped his approach to business and life and helped him build a workplace where talent thrives and customers feel supported. “It means a lot when people tell us we’ve done a good job,” he says.
Invested in Gwinnett’s Future
Greer has long been engaged with the Gwinnett Chamber and the Chairman’s Club. He says, “I’ve always believed in surrounding myself with people smarter than me, and this group is full of smart, well-intended people who care about our community. It’s kind of a ‘who’s who’ of local business leaders.”
For Greer, storytelling is more than work; it’s a way to serve. “At the end of the day, it’s not about the money or growth,” he says. “It’s about helping people and feeling good about the work you do. That’s at the core of who we are.”