{"id":481,"date":"2019-10-31T10:06:16","date_gmt":"2019-10-31T10:06:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.stratitude.co.za\/blog\/?p=481"},"modified":"2019-10-31T10:06:16","modified_gmt":"2019-10-31T10:06:16","slug":"10-lessons-ive-learned-10-years-running-agency","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.stratitude.co.za\/blog\/10-lessons-ive-learned-10-years-running-agency\/","title":{"rendered":"10 lessons I\u2019ve learned in 10 years of running an agency"},"content":{"rendered":"

October marks ten years since I started Stratitude and I\u2019m proud that the company today is an award-winning, full-service agency with a brilliant team and a great list of clients. I\u2019ve learned many lessons along the way, here are ten of them.<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Be optimistic<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    A positive outlook makes all the difference. Even when you\u2019re faced with problems and obstacles \u2013 optimism enables you to see the opportunity in every situation. When we reach a crossroads with a client or we didn\u2019t win a pitch, I always ask why and then take a good, hard look at what we did, to see how we can improve the next time. As Oprah says, failure is a signpost to turn you in a different direction.<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Surround yourself with people you like<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      This doesn\u2019t mean surround yourself with people like you! You want people who complement you, not compliment you, so whether it\u2019s those who work for you or it\u2019s your suppliers or clients, the people who share your values are the ones who will hang around and help you make great things happen. Even though we have a broad mix of personalities, skills and capabilities in our agency, we work really well together and have an amazing company culture.<\/p>\n

        \n
      1. Create an environment where the magic can happen<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        Let everyone be creative and allow everyone to come up with new ideas and new ways of doing things. Some of our greatest work is the result of an individual taking ownership and running with an idea. I am also the voice in the office that always asks \u201cWhy are we doing this?\u201d If I make my team think about and understand the bigger purpose behind a social media post, a press release, a new website or an SMS campaign, then the how comes naturally.<\/p>\n

          \n
        1. Keep on learning<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

          Three years ago we became the exclusive South African partner of a global network of independent agencies called AMIN Worldwide, and the insights and ideas we get from them are priceless. The same goes for continuous training and exposure, where my team will learn about new trends and best practice from industry talks and courses. We also invest in learnerships, which always come back to benefit the business. You might not know all the answers but if you ask the questions, you\u2019ll be amazed at what you find out.<\/p>\n

            \n
          1. Sleep on it<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

            I\u2019m very guilty of reacting without first thinking things through. By taking some time and literally sleeping on it, the solution usually ends up being in a completely different direction to my initial reaction. While I still often get this wrong, trust me, it does work. I even tell clients to sleep on a creative concept or strategy before giving us their feedback.<\/p>\n

              \n
            1. Care<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

              I always say that anyone can prepare a plate of food, but you can really taste the difference when someone cares about what they are dishing up. We drive care in the agency; care about the work we do, care about the team we work with and care about our clients and their businesses. Every time someone has stopped caring, we notice it immediately, and shortly thereafter there\u2019ll be a resignation letter or a performance talk.<\/p>\n

                \n
              1. Stay focused on what you believe in <\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                Stratitude is a full-service agency but I\u2019ve often questioned whether or not we should drop some of our services and rather specialise in one or two disciplines. Then I remind myself that I started the agency because I could see a client\u2019s frustration at working with multiple agencies and often being charged a premium to have the same work done. Our clients see this value, which is why our doors are still open ten years later.<\/p>\n

                  \n
                1. Build relationships based on value<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                  We cherish our clients as if they are extended members of our team, and they see us as extended members of their team. We never take them for granted and always focus on helping them succeed, be it in our strategies aligning with their business strategies, how we work with them, how we develop campaigns and how we measure them. If we aren\u2019t making an impact on their business, we aren\u2019t adding any value.<\/p>\n

                    \n
                  1. Hire smart and then learn to let go <\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                    As an entrepreneur you\u2019re hardwired to do everything yourself but, because you want to be involved in every single operation, the risk is that you start losing sight of the bigger picture. Surround yourself with a team you can rely on and then trust them to make the right decisions. This frees up your time to grow the business beyond what you could have achieved on your own.<\/p>\n

                      \n
                    1. You\u2019ve got to love what you do \u2013 and love yourself <\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                      While I keep office hours for meetings, it\u2019s not unusual that I\u2019m working early in the morning or late at night. Running a business takes time and dedication, so you really have to love what you do. But it\u2019s also about finding that balance and making time for your other passions and your family. I swim and run, which clears my head, and I go to the beach or mountain with my family, which helps me put things into perspective. By now my team is used to me coming back from a holiday with a head full of new ideas, a soul that\u2019s well rested and a heart filled with passion for what I do.<\/p>\n

                      Stratitude is ten years old and while I\u2019ve had my share of challenges and lessons, I wouldn\u2019t have it any other way. Here\u2019s to the next ten years.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                      October marks ten years since I started Stratitude and I\u2019m proud that the company today is an award-winning, full-service agency with a brilliant team and a great list of clients. I\u2019ve learned …<\/p>\n

                      10 lessons I\u2019ve learned in 10 years of running an agency<\/span> Read More »<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":482,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nStratitude | 10 lessons I\u2019ve learned in 10 years of running an agency<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.stratitude.co.za\/blog\/10-lessons-ive-learned-10-years-running-agency\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Stratitude | 10 lessons I\u2019ve learned in 10 years of running an agency\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"October marks ten years since I started Stratitude and I\u2019m proud that the company today is an award-winning, full-service agency with a brilliant team and a great list of clients. 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