About New Shirt
We build the business infrastructure that allows creative ventures to scale.
Most consultancies sell services. We build systems. The operational backbone that lets talented people focus on what they do best while the business actually runs.
The Story
New Shirt Agency was born from a simple observation: the businesses that scale aren't necessarily the most talented. They're the ones with infrastructure.
I've spent 25 years building operational systems across industries — music production, entertainment ventures, professional services, and mid-market businesses. The pattern is always the same: companies hit a wall not because they lack talent or opportunity, but because their systems can't keep up.
Your CRM is half-configured. Contracts are scattered. Reports are built manually. Nobody knows how to use the AI tools you paid for. The work gets done, but it's held together with duct tape and heroic effort.
That's what we fix. We build the infrastructure, the CRM configurations, automation workflows, financial dashboards, contract management systems, and AI integration. That turns chaos into leverage.
We're not a marketing agency that dabbles in operations. We're operations specialists who happen to understand marketing, technology, and how businesses actually scale.
Who This Is For
Growing Businesses
Companies that have outgrown duct-tape solutions and need someone to build real infrastructure. Often these are professional services firms, real estate companies, or mid-market businesses where marketing and operations aren't working together.
Legal & Professional Services
Law firms, accounting practices, consultancies. You need both sides: client contract management AND marketing to grow the practice. We're one of the few who can deliver both.
Real Estate & Construction
Complex contracts, vendor management, compliance tracking, plus marketing and sales operations. We build systems that handle the paperwork AND fill the pipeline.
Music & Entertainment
Labels, established artists, venues, production companies. We know this world deeply. Our music clients include Dave Koz Enterprises and 25th Street Recording. We build the business operations that let you focus on the creative.
Anyone With Systems That Don't Work
If your CRM is half-configured, your contracts are scattered, your reporting is manual, and you're tired of it — we can probably help.
Who's Behind This
John Schimpf, Founder
I've spent 25 years at the intersection of systems architecture, business operations, and strategic advisory.
My background is unusual. I came up through music and entertainment production; 20 years as a producer, artist manager and studio operator, working internationally with Grammy-winning artists and platinum-selling acts. In 2012, I took over operations at 25th Street Recording in Oakland, where I spent 12 years building not just a world-class production facility, but the business infrastructure behind it: financial systems, operational processes, contract management, strategic planning.
That experience taught me something important: creative businesses don't fail from lack of talent. They fail because the operational infrastructure can't keep up with the ambition.
In parallel I moved into IT infrastructure and business operations, then marketing technology, AI implementation, and contract automation. Most consultants specialize in one domain. I ended up good at all of them because solving real business problems required it.
Today I work as a fractional strategic advisor and business operations executive across multiple industries. Some clients are music industry ventures. Others are professional services firms, small manufacturers and mid-market businesses building the systems they need to scale.
I'm an active member of the Sacramento Metro Chamber of Commerce, participate in Sacramento AI for Business initiatives, and hold California Micro Business certification.
What We Believe
Infrastructure over inspiration. Talent gets you in the door. Systems keep you in the room.
Integration over isolation. Disconnected tools create expensive problems. Everything should work together.
AI as amplification, not replacement. Technology should make teams more effective, not replace human judgment.
Fractional over full-time. Most businesses don't need another full-time hire. They need the right expertise at the right time.
Long-term over short-term. We build relationships and infrastructure that last years, not projects that end in months.
Let's Work Together
If you're running a business that's outgrown duct-tape solutions and need someone who understands both the technical systems and the business strategy, let's talk.