Wow! Not many people thought we had a chance of making it through our first year. But we have. And now, with new assignments, new clients, some new team members and a spanky new office we're looking forward to the challenges of not only making it through the next year, but thriving while we do it.
Here's some of what I have learned this year:
1. People, especially creative people, hate it when somebody strikes out on their own. Sure, they tell you your face that they're really behind you, but then they go to parties, ad events and places like Ihaveanidea, and they can't wait to say how you'll never make it, how you suck. Really they're just jealous that they don't have the stones to do it themselves.
Never listen to the detractors. They're just scared little people.
2. You learn who your friends are when you start a company. Some people who say they're your friends really aren't. The ones who stick by you and help are precious and real friends. So a few thanks to people who have helped us make it so far:
• William Cranor of Brown Productions, who has time and again said yes. And his crew, including Jamie Way, a very talented director, and Chilo Fletcher a generous producer.
• Elizabeth Taylor of Grayson Matthews.
• Frank Hoedl of Westside Studio. On of the best photographers on the planet, yet the nicest guys around.
• Geoffrey Roche, CCO of Lowe Roche who has steered biz our way and offered precious advice from someone who has been where we are and made it big.
• Terry O'Malley, who believed in us from day one, and always listens.
• Tommy Zee of Tattoo Music, who is always willing to jump in and help.
• Richard and Christine Hall who put their faith, and money, behind us.
• Philip Rostron, who cut his fees by, well too much, to help us produce a campaign for OCAD that got international media attention.
• Nancy Vonk, CCO of Ogilvy, who introduced us to OCAD and in doing so helped us launch our agency with a cool campaign.
• Annette Warring, COO of Genesis Vizeum, who has time and again pitched in with her media company.
3. This is a relationship business. Great work, thinking and passion are rarely enough to overcome the buddy at an agency. If you want to start an agency, start by making as many friends as possible.
4. We learned that so much of what most ad agencies do has nothing to do with the work. We're launching campaigns with our tight little team of creatives, planners, project managers, producer and digital designers/programmers. We have happy clients and we're doing it faster and with way fewer people. Which means we're doing it more cost-effectively. Yeah, we have to be a bit more creative about how we get things done. But we get it done with a lot less hassle than we had to go through at the big agencies we used to work at.
Maybe we're biased. But if I was a client, I'd never hire a big international shop. Way, way too much of the resources goes into paying for things and people that have nothing to do with your work.
5. I learned that starting a company is tough. Really tough. But it's also more rewarding. And at the end of the day, however that day goes, I go home with a sense of accomplishment in what we've done. And, unlike my last job, I've spent zero time in senseless meetings filled with posturing and political backstabbing.
And that alone makes this all worth while.
I'll let you know how the next year goes.
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