Interview by Abernathy Cochran intern and Gainesville High School senior Anna Kate Embry
Meet Zack Tatum! Zack is a longtime Hall County resident, a business owner, husband and father. He loves the local food scene in Gainesville and trying new restaurants.
We want to thank Zack for spending time with us recently and telling us more about his life and love of Hall County.
Q: Please tell us a little bit about your family.
A: “Me and my wife, we’ve been married for 15 years this year. We have two beautiful children; Hazel, she’ll be 8 in February. And William, he’ll be 4 in May. We live here in Gainesville.”
Q: Please tell us about your current career. What do you love most about what you do?
A: “I own and operate a company called Market House. We’re a website development, design/branding, and marketing agency. One thing I love about what I do is it’s something different every day. I was just having a conversation with a gentleman I’m mentoring and we were talking about that. I was just saying that the thing I love is one day I’m building websites, the next day I’m running marketing campaigns for a company, the next next day I’m designing a logo for somebody, the next day I’m on a video or photo shoot. So, it just depends on the day, it’s always something fun and interesting. That and just getting to work with awesome companies all over the world everyday.”
Q: What are a couple of your favorite restaurants in our community?
A: “2 Dog has always been one of my favorites. I really wish that their hours were different, I understand why they can’t be, but I’m looking forward to when their hours lineup with our lives right now. I would also say Consuelo, we really enjoyed our time there. And then Taqueria Tsunami. I know those are mostly on the square, but that’s where we like to live. We like these local restaurants.”
Q: How long have you lived or worked in our community?
A: “I grew up in Gainesville, went to Johnson High School. My family has always lived here. Most of my family lives in Gainesville area.”
Q: Who is the most interesting person you’ve met here in our community?
A: “I wish he was still with us, but Phil Niekro. I love baseball. Baseball has been a big part of my life even growing up. I had the opportunity to meet him a few years ago and have him throw batting practice to me. I got to experience the infamous knuckleball in person. Pretty cool.”
Q: If you could travel anywhere in the world right now, where would it be and why?
A: “I want to go to Ireland and Scotland. Those two are definitely on my bucket list of places to travel to mostly because I have heritage there. I have a big red beard…it’s pretty much a given that that’s where I’m from. I do know that I have family that link back there, so being able to go and see the landscape there would be amazing. And to experience the culture.”
Q: What is one of your favorite movies? TV shows?
A: “‘The Office’ is always my favorite. I can look back on it and laugh because some of it was relatable. It will probably sound nerdy, but I love all ‘The Hobbit’ movies.”
Q: What advice would you want to give or leave with people?
A: “I would say, always show acts of kindness everywhere you go because you never know who you’re talking to. Even if it’s someone you don’t know; you never know what kind of connection that will be later on in your life. Also, you don’t know what they’re going through. So acting in kindness no matter what is an important thing, especially nowadays where people don’t really act in kindness in general.”
Q: What current or former local business makes you the most nostalgic about our community?
A: “El Sombrero has always been a favorite of mine because of it being so close to our high school. People probably don’t remember this but the Dairy Mart is also nostalgic for me.”
Q: If you could choose anyone that’s alive today and not a relative, with whom would you love to have lunch. And why and where locally would y’all meet for this lunch?
A: “My first reaction was Steve Jobs. My business partner likes to call me an Apple fanboy because I’ll buy anything that Apple makes. Plus the revolutionary things he did for business, not that I always agreed with everything, but he was a genius. He was leading the pack in technology at the time and that’s inspiring.”
Q: What is your favorite thing or something unique about our community?
A: “It’s a big town, but it doesn’t feel like a big town. It still has that small town feel to it.”
Q: What’s something you hope our community has or does in the future?
A: “If you asked me that five or six years ago, the things that are happening now is what I would’ve said. I grew up here and I hated going to Gainesville and I remember telling my wife when we got married, we’ll never live in Gainesville and this is exactly where we live. It wasn’t the same as it is now, now it feels like this is a cool place to be.”
Q: Where do you see yourself in 5 to 10 years?
A: “I would like my business to grow, fivefold, tenfold than it is now. I’m a serial entrepreneur, so I could see myself probably having one or two other businesses that I’ve either started and running or starting.”
Q: What is something on your bucket list?
A: “Traveling is something that I want, our kids are so young, it makes it a little more of a challenge. But I want to see more of the world.”
Q: What is your go to band when you cant decide what to listen to?
A: “I like a band called As Cities Burn. That sounds crazy but they’re one of my favorites. They’re a little bit more of a melodic, heavier band, but then I could also get behind sitting and listening to John Mayer.”
Q: What is the most beautiful place you have ever been?
A: “We went on a cruise one time and there’s a place called Half Moon Cay and it felt like you were on a deserted island. The water was so clear, I’ve never seen water that clear in my entire life…It was incredible.”
Q: Favorite month? favorite holiday? Best single day on the calendar?
A: “Christmas is my favorite. I like everything around Christmas. Favorite month would probably be September because college football season starts up. Go Dawgs! Football and baseball are the only ones that actually care to follow. Favorite day of the year, my birthday which is April 2 and me and my wife’s anniversary which is July 7.”
Q: What would you rate a 10 out of 10?
A: “Having kids, it’s a 10 out of 10. They’re amazing.”
Q: What is one or two of your favorite smells?
A: “I love the smell of a good campfire.”
Q: Who inspires you to be better?
A: “My family. I can look at other people and these gurus or whatever, but at the end of the day, they’re the ones that matter.”
