Twenty years is a long time. It's long enough to learn a few things about clients, about creativity, about people, and about what actually makes a business work. As we mark this milestone, we wanted to share some of the lessons that have shaped who we are and how we operate. Some of these came easy. Most of them didn't.
| 1 | Human connection isn't trite, it's an agency engine. Prioritizing it is how teams go from functional to exceptional, and how people grow professionally and personally. |
| 2 | An organized creative process is vital to consistently executing great creative. It allows work to flourish and enables you to quickly deliver on any pivots that arise during a campaign. |
| 3 | Things work better when you treat people well. That's it. That's the lesson. |
| 4 | Some of the most critical ingredients in a creative business can't be measured, documented, or put on a spreadsheet. |
| 5 | A deeply collaborative client relationship is worth its weight in Webby Awards. |
| 6 | We love a good plan, but sometimes embracing the unplanned leads to the most memorable work. |
| 7 | Inflated egos destroy team chemistry. |
| 8 | The relationships built with partners are more important than the successful campaigns we created for them. |
| 9 | Anticipating problems is the most underrated skill in the business. |
| 10 | Company culture isn't defined by what a few people do all the time or what everyone does some of the time. It's defined by what the company does the majority of the time. |
| 11 | The best clients have high expectations, lay them out clearly, and aren't afraid to let you know when you're not meeting them before it's too late. |
| 12 | There are no bad ideas…actually, yes, there are. There really are. But sometimes a bad idea said out loud leads to a great idea. Having the confidence to voice that bad idea is the real lesson. |
| 13 | Bad news gets worse the longer you wait to deliver it. |
| 14 | Low-key, no glaze, jumping on trends can make any campaign peak, but if you're late to the hizzy, your campaign will sell hard. |
| 15 | The most essential component of a positive working relationship is mutual trust. If trust is lost, or never develops, start planning your exit. |
| 16 | For an independent agency, the king is not content; it's cash flow. Stay on top of it. We have, for the last 20 years. |
| 17 | No matter how big of a rush the job is, don't just dive in. Stop. Think. Make a plan. Then start. It will save time in the long run. Always. |
| 18 | Clarity over complexity will lead to success. |
| 19 | Treat everyone like an adult until they prove they aren't one. If you don't know how to treat people like adults, don't manage people. |
| 20 | Nothing is ever as good as it could be; however, you will reach a point of diminishing returns, and knowing that point is the key to finding fulfillment and satisfaction. |
It wasn’t easy to cut it to 20 because you learn a lot over two decades if you’re paying attention. And if you’re not paying attention, you probably didn’t make it to twenty. So here’s to the journey, because the measure of our success lies as much in it as it does in the destination we continue moving towards. The journey continues, together, and we're not just ready, we’re excited for what’s next.