Today is a big day
Today is a big day, normally this would be because it is the first day of spring and that means winter is finally over which is just lovely, but that is not all. It is also a big day because it is my 25th birthday, a quarter of a century. I’ve never been one for birthdays but 25 seems to be the most significant feeling yet. Yet again that is not all that falls on this day. Today, March 20th 2017 also marks the first day where I am employed full time by myself. This is something I have dreamed about and talked about, as many of you know, for a very long time.
I have always known that at some point in my life I would be helping businesses solve problems. It’s been my dream to help them refine their brands and develop ways to express their promise. I know that it is my gift, my calling, but I've been scared.
The excuses I have been giving myself have been:
“Who would hire a 24-year-old to give them advice on how to run their business?”
“I don’t even know how much I would charge."
“My real skill set is far too esoteric and philosophical that it’s near impossible to see or gauge its impact."
These are the things that have been holding me back, the ways I let myself off the hook. The question that has plagued me is “What if I fail?” If I’m in a rational place I would admit to you that I know failure is inevitable and a really valuable part of the process. Something that I should be pursuing so that I can learn. Also, the worst case scenario is that I have to work full-time for someone else, which I was already doing.
I have always been fascinated by the stories of how businesses began and the process of the people involved. When and why they took the jump. There are two truths that nearly all these stories share:
It was a lot of hard work and long days. You have no money. You can’t take trips, or eat proper food. Basically, once you jump, it sucks.
Everyone wishes they did it sooner.
Isn’t there something so beautiful about that?
When someone asks me at age 40 “What would you tell your 24 year old self?” I know that the answer would be “Stop hedging, develop some self belief and go for it.” So here I am, listening to my future self. Taking this leap, knowing full well that my lifestyle will change forever, in both good & bad ways, but I’m claiming that it’s worth it.
So what am I doing? I am starting my own creative agency.
There is an incredible disconnect between the business and creative worlds. I have always seen myself as someone who needs to bridge that gap. To speak the language of both sides, championing business objectives across all outputs of a brand. I know that I can add value to many businesses, whether that is by helping them with web design, digital ads, photography, videography, software recommendations, marketing strategy, or helping them develop a strong and consistent brand that matches their ethos.
This is why the agency I am starting is called Renga. Renga is a form of collaborative poetry. “One poet would write the first three lines of a five-line poem, then pass his work to another poet to write the last two. From there, the last two lines would be used as the basis to being three new lines from a third poet, and then another two lines from a fourth. The poem went on and on, two — three — two — three, with each new contribution linking into the previous portion like a daisy-chain. Renga required the acceptance of old contributions as the basis for new additions, and this arrangement ensured the poem’s strength and provided structure that guided the poets during the poem’s creation.” (Frank Chimero in The Shape of Design)
Many agencies or consultants approach their clients with a hit-and-run mentality. They come in with the belief that they have the answer before they listen, or discover the problem behind the problem. They complete their task and collect their cheque, that’s where the relationship ends for so many. Renga is committed to listening to your story, to value what has been done in the past appropriately. This past is an integral part of your brands story and needs to be built upon, just as the poet will use the end of the previous poet's verse to craft their own. The second part of this is that we will do our work keeping in mind that this is something you need to build off of. We believe in establishing a long lasting relationship. We are investing into your business as if it is our own. It’s all about collaboration.
I will sit with you and help you discover your brand, develop your next campaign, do an audit of your tools and help you become more efficient. I will help you take that leap into ecommerce. I am interested in helping you make impactful changes, changes that will ultimately help you grow your business. If this sounds like you or someone you know, I would love to grab a coffee and talk about what we could create together.
If you know of someone who is looking to jump into ecommerce, looking for a new website, wanting to get a better understanding of digital marketing and how to do it efficiently, it would mean the world if you pointed them in my direction. You just have to remember renga.co (that isn’t a typo, there is no m)
If you are reading this you have likely impacted my story in a way you may not realize and for that I need to say thank you. This step I’m taking is full of fear and excitement and I would not be able to do it without all of my friends and family.
Thanks friends, love you all.
I have always known that at some point in my life I would be helping businesses solve problems. It’s been my dream to help them refine their brands and develop ways to express their promise. I know that it is my gift, my calling, but I've been scared.
The excuses I have been giving myself have been:
“Who would hire a 24-year-old to give them advice on how to run their business?”
“I don’t even know how much I would charge."
“My real skill set is far too esoteric and philosophical that it’s near impossible to see or gauge its impact."
These are the things that have been holding me back, the ways I let myself off the hook. The question that has plagued me is “What if I fail?” If I’m in a rational place I would admit to you that I know failure is inevitable and a really valuable part of the process. Something that I should be pursuing so that I can learn.
I have always been fascinated by the stories of how businesses began and the process of the people involved. When and why they took the jump. There are two truths that nearly all these stories share:
- It was a lot of hard work and long days. You have no money. You can’t take trips, or eat proper food. Basically, once you jump, it sucks.
- Everyone wishes they did it sooner.
Isn’t there something so beautiful about that? So when someone asks me at age 40 “What would you tell your 24 year old self?” I know that the answer is “Stop hedging, develop some self belief and go for it.”
(I have been sitting here at this spot wondering why I am not, I can’t think of anything. All I can think of is fear, which I immediately say to myself, “of course it’s scary, but it always will be”).
So I guess that’s it. I need to stop hedging and develop some self-belief. I know that I can add value to many businesses, whether that is by helping them with web design, digital ads, photography, videography, tool recommendations, marketing strategy, or helping them develop a solid brand and maintain that through all touch points. There is an incredible disconnect between the business and creative worlds. I have always seen myself as someone who needs to bridge that chasm. To speak the language of both sides, championing business objectives across all outputs of a brand.
The agency that I am starting is called Renga. Renga is a form of collaborative poetry. “One poet would write the first three lines of a five-line poem, then pass his work to another poet to write the last two. From there, the last two lines would be used as the basis to being three new lines from a third poet, and then another two lines from a fourth. The poem went on and on, two — three — two — three, with each new contribution linking into the previous portion like a daisy-chain. Renga required the acceptance of old contributions as the basis for new additions, and this arrangement ensured the poem’s strength and provided structure that guided the poets during the poem’s creation.” (Frank Chimero in The Shape of Design)
Many agencies or consultants approach their clients with a hit-and-run mentality. They come in with the belief that they have the answer before they listen to discover the problem behind the problem. They complete their task and collect their cheque. That’s where the relationship ends for so many. Renga is committed to listening to your story, to value what has been done in the past appropriately. It is an integral part of your brands story and needs to be built upon, just as the poet will use the end of the previous poet's verse to craft their verse. The second part of this is that we will do our work keeping in mind that this is something you need to build off of. We believe in establishing a long lasting relationship. We are investing into your business as if it is our own (In special circumstances we will work for equity.)
I will sit with you and help you discover your brand, develop your next campaign, do an audit of your tools and help you become more efficient. I will talk you through how you can take that leap into ecommerce. I am interested in helping you make impactful changes, changes that will ultimately help you grow your business.
Are you interested in booking a session with me? Do you know someone that might be?