Culture is Everything

“This is seriously the most positive and terrific place I’ve ever been in my life. I’m very grateful to be a part of it.”

“Just wanted to say how excited I am to be here at Seven2. I have only been here a week, but I can already sense how dedicated and enthusiastic everyone is about the company and the work. You clearly have created a really amazing (and hard to find) environment and I’m happy to be a part of it all!”

These quotes were sent to me from new employees at Seven2. This was after a hellish couple of weeks where many members of the team were putting in 70-80 hours weeks. It just reminds me that culture is everything. We are extremely diligent about fostering a culture that feeds our mission: Do great work, for great clients and have fun doing it.

Nick (my business partner) and I are constantly trying to create an environment that does 2 things: challenges and appreciates.

Challenge: We seek out clients and projects that we think will challenge employees. Having hired the right people, we know they strive in an environment where everything isn’t completely safe and known. Maybe it’s new technology or a new perspective. Maybe it’s somehow pushing the boundaries of what’s already been done.

We know that challenging employees gives them an excitement about what they can/will accomplish by coming into work each day. The complete opposite, boredom and repetition, only leads to employees looking for other work. Good employees have an innate will to work that needs to be satisfied. As employers, that’s our job.

Appreciate: This part is key. This doesn’t have to be hefty bonuses or big awards (though sharing in net profit is important). It’s amazing how even the simplest verbal recognition of an extra effort can really go a long way in making someone feel appreciated.

We started doing “Shout Outs” in our daily status meetings. This is an opportunity for team members to recognize efforts by others. This is extremely key to creating an environment where employees recognize the contributions of each other. We all want to work in an environment where we’re appreciated not only by our manager, but by our teammates.

Take a little time to think about your company’s culture. Could it use some tweaking? This is a topic that we obsess about; even not wanting to grow too big in fears that it might mess up the culture.

Let me know your thoughts and what works to build a strong culture at your company. It’s a great conversation.

A Little Biz Dev Advice

I’m often asked how we were able to grow our digital agencies with all of these large national brands. The strategy is fairly simple. Here is an excerpt from an email I recently sent out to someone who was asking for advice for a friend of how to grow their business of selling wines with custom labels for special events:

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Honestly, the best advice I could give is being top of mind with potential clients.

First, it’s identifying who those best clients might be. Second, it’s finding away to build relationships with those people (networking at trade events or simply reaching out to them). Third, it’s finding a way to stay top of mind with those potential clients. That could be by taking them to coffee, lunches, dinners or sending them uniquely creative packages with his products and other complimentary products inside.

In my opinion, it’s still very relationship based. Not selling, just building relationships.

But ultimately, when it comes down to it, these potential clients are going to have a time when they think “Oh, I’d love to do something special for this event” and if he’s worked to stay top of mind with them then they’ll think of him and give him a call. He’s got to remember he’s not just selling his products, but also himself.

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It really is that simple. When we hired someone to do business development on the East coast and central US for 14Four (our other digital shop that exclusively helps out ad agencies who don’t have their own web development group), we gave him one piece of advice; “Make friends.”

We didn’t want him out pushing our services with a hard sell. It was more about letting his own great personality do the work. Make people want to do work with you by being authentic, helpful and just plain friendly.

Best of luck to you and your biz dev efforts.

Listen Up

You know what my wife really doesn’t like?  I mean really hates?  When she comes to me with a problem and all I want to do is solve it.  Then and there.  Rapid fire advice right back to her about how that can be fixed with a simple plan to make all things better.  Needless to say I’m not the only guy with this problem.  Some say it’s the big difference between men and women, but it’s bigger than that.

As a manager, it’s easy to fall into the same type of relationship with your team members.  They come to you with issues and since you have a million other things to do you want to get their problems buttoned up right away so you can move on.  But they, much like my wife, aren’t really looking for an answer.  Often times they already have an answer.

They’re looking for a sounding board.  Someone in an authoritative position to bounce their ideas off of and to just talk it through.  Sitting their listening to them and interjecting with a few (A FEW!) points can really help them work through the problem.  Often times they’re looking for some validation on their plan of action.

As leaders, we’re certainly called to step up and set direction for our teams with passion and exuberance, but we can’t forget the value of quietly listening and supporting our team members so they can do their best work.

And truth be told, this is something I certainly haven’t mastered, but I’m working on everyday.

Great Employees, Not Great Companies

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about companies. What makes them great, interesting, endearing and compelling? Why do other companies want to work with them and people want to work for them?

Just recently I was at a meeting with a large corporation and some of their partners. A creative director from a large digital agency was presenting. Man he was good. Brilliance was dancing out of his mouth. Smart, insightful, passionate. He was magnetizing. Needless to say, through transitive relation, I then started thinking of his company the same way.

Now of course, this is not some new revelation. Maybe just a good reminder. What makes great companies is the sum of their employees. Sometimes even a single employee, like above, can elevate a whole company in how others feel about that company and its brand.

As an employer, it just reinforces that people and culture are everything. cultivate it, evolve it and guard it. Jack Welch was right; do whatever you have to to keep your top performers (top 1/3), train up those with the most potential (middle 1/3) then consider replacing the bottom third if they’re not cutting it.

There is really no such thing as great companies, just a manifestation of great employees.

You, Inc.

One thing I think people forget when they come to see me for a job or an internship is that they’re marketing themselves. They are the product and I am the consumer. It’s important to think about how you’re representing You, Inc.

Use your marketing brain to think about these questions:

1. What is your unique selling proposition?

2. Who is your audience? (What is the culture like at this company?)

3. What does your packaging look like? (How are you dressed? What does your resume look like? How are your email conversation? etc.)

Present yourself with confidence and explain to me (without sounding like a used car salesman) why you’d be a great fit for the company. Would you hire you? Why? Think about these things before you come through a prospective employer’s door.

Good luck!