Talent + tenacity + agility: a recipe for success

Latina-owned and led, Missing Link was established by Louise Salas and Hal Schild in 2019. Coming from two sides of the agency coin, Louise from the creative side and Hal from the production and management side, the two make for the perfect match. They build teams of crazy talented folks with the dexterity and determination to deliver a job well-done and yield results that will simply blow you away. Oh yeah, they’re just down-right fun to work with, too. 

Meet the core members of our co-op

Louise Salas

  • Co-Founder

  • Creative Director

  • Branding & Strategy Geek

  • Co-Host of the Designated Drinker Show

Louise is a distinguished award-winning Creative Director with more than 19 years in the advertising industry. Whether she was working on renowned national brands or building brands from the ground up, her work won countless awards from some of the most distinguished award shows, both national and international.

In 2017, she took all her branding/advertising smarts and turned podcast creator/producer in order to introduce the world to the Designated Drinker Show.

In her down time, she can often be found at one of her favorite watering holes with her husband by her side, her dogs at her feet, and a glass of wine in her hand. 

Hal Schild

  • Co-Founder

  • Producer / Director / Editor

  • Master Storyteller

  • Audio & Visual Nerd

Hal brings over 30 years of leadership experience across the advertising, event and video production business. He has produced, written and directed hundreds of video productions in 48 states and overseas, working with broadcast, association and corporate clients, alike.

Prior to moving into the world of marketing, Hal worked for over 15 years in NYC as an award-winning editor, producer and director for several production companies, advancing from assistant editor to director of production.

Based in Alexandria, VA, Hal is a lover of all things baseball, a lifelong Mets fan, and enjoys spending time at the ballpark with his lovely wife, Betsy.

 

Kim Cates

  • Audio Engineer

  • Sound Designer

  • “Mackiest” Anagram Ever

Kim has 20 years of experience as a sound designer and re-recording mixer, collaborating with producers, directors and editors to create beautiful work for The Discovery Channel, National Geographic, Twentieth Century Fox, Starbucks and American Express, well as the political campaigns of President Obama in 2008 & 2012 and Hillary Clinton in 2016. And now she works her magic for us! Aren’t we the lucky ones?

Matthew Rakola

  • Picture Maker-er

  • Video Layman

  • Scrabble Fanatic

Matthew says that he learned how to be professional photographer by bartending. Both professions require the ability to read people quickly, anticipate their needs, and most importantly–listen. To be fair, he also learned a thing or two as a commercial photography major at Syracuse University, where he spent hundreds of hours up to his elbows in smelly photo chemistry.

 

Anja Ohmert

  • Creative Powerhouse

  • Digital / Print Design

  • Lead Singer

Anja has been an art director on the agency side for more than 15 years, creating and producing a diverse range of work, including ad campaigns, and branding and marketing experiences on digital, print and non-traditional platforms, for companies ranging from non-profit to Fortune 500. You should see what she does for our clients now!

Nick Friedlander

  • Script Advisor & Creative Collaborator

  • Talent Coordinator / Producer

  • Shadow Dancing Master

Nick is the man who keeps things from going off the rails, from guest wrangling to jugging recording dates to content planning and scheduling. His biggest challenge—and proof that he is truly amazing—is keeping Louise on schedule and in line. So the next time you see him, buy the guy a drink!

Who the hell do we think we are?

  • We are passionate about the creative process.

  • We believe in efficiencies but never cut corners.

  • We are proud to be the creator’s creator.

  • We strive to always do better.

  • We love to laugh and appreciate a good drink.

  • We surround ourselves with great people.

  • We value our partnerships, our clients, and our teammates.

  • We are driven by the power of storytelling.

Beyond amazing creative, what do we stand for?

Integrity: The trust of our audience is essential. We renew that trust every day through the actions and judgment of all our employees — in our work, in our workplace and in public.

Curiosity: Open-minded inquiry is at the heart of our mission. In all our work, we believe in continually asking questions, seeking out different perspectives and searching for better ways of doing things.

Respect: We help a global audience understand a vast and diverse world. To do that fully and fairly, we treat our subjects, our audience and each other with empathy and respect.

Culture: We work best when we work as a team. Like the parts on a well-tuned car, we run faster when we run together.

Craft : Our goal is to excel in everything we do. We aim to be the best in the game by staying true to our promises of credibility, enthusiasm, respect and culture.