9 years and 60 pounds ago – I find these truths to be self-evident:
1. Top-shelf customer service begins and ends with leading your clients
Our clients hire us to make big things happen – and this requires more than sharing big ideas and chatting about creative campaigns. It’s about providing solutions that work. It’s about speaking truth. And it’s about leading our clients to actions that will generate the results they need (and expect).
2. Caring about your community is a responsibility
We talk about “giving first” as a premium over “giving back” – and we practice this with a community tithing policy where 10% of our time, talent and treasure is donated back to our local community. We care deeply about our community and the friends and neighbors that make Sacramento such a great place to live, work and play.
3. Team culture matters
I believe in only hiring leaders. My job is to dream, point and steer the team so that each person is working in harmony to achieve the same goals. Part of getting everyone on the same page is providing a “got your back” work environment, ensuring opportunities to be succeed are plentiful at every level in our organization, and maintaining independent spirit for working productively in a manner that’s comfortable.
4. Quality is key
We demand a quality product of ourselves and set client expectations to receive quality work from us — each and every time. There are no shortcuts in the quality game – there’s just doing the job right without exception or excuse.
5. Smart creative counts
Creativity only counts when it’s done in a smart and strategic way that generates the results our clients are looking for. Even the most creative ideas are just window dressing if they’re not making an impact. There’s no such thing as a big idea that earns nothing but a short-term splash.
6. Profitability is freedom
I realized early on that if we weren’t focused on profitability, we wouldn’t have the freedom to work on the kinds of accounts we were working so hard for, nor would we be able to help and contribute to our community without being financially secure. By consistently focusing on quality and value, we create the pathway to our own freedom.
7. Take risk, but don’t be risky
As an entrepreneur, you may not always know the destination, but you better at least know which direction you’re heading. Have a plan. The only way to know if we are taking a calculated risk is to weigh it against our business plan and goals. Otherwise, we’re just guessing, or worse, we might not even know if we’re taking a risk at all.
8. There’s a difference between pressure and stress
Pressure is just having more on your “to-do” list than you can possibly get done in a day. Stress is an emotional reaction to pressure, and as such is a choice. Take a deep breath and power forward.
9. Life/work rhythm
There is no such thing as a perfect life balance. Instead, there’s a rhythm and flow to all your various obligations, responsibilities, and focuses. When it feels right to concentrate on one over another, do so. When it’s time to shift gears, make the change. Balance is tough to maintain – just keep moving, you’ll find the right rhythm for your life.
Of course, the biggest thing I’ve learned is that 3fold’s people and the culture make each and every day a joy. Don’t believe me, check out our new video!
Beyond being organized and efficient – and keeping your team working the same way (no small feat!) our 3fold administrative team holds three qualities that make them extra amazing at what they do:
1) They are proactive. Our team thinks ahead and makes sure that we are ready to tackle whatever issue the day holds.
2) They connect the dots. I’m always amazed at how our team can read a seemingly unrelated email, take a phone call and recall a seemingly unrelated conversation and tie them together to ensure that our work is done thoroughly and timely.
3) They know to dance. It seems that no matter how well planned and organized the day, something usually falls out of sync – and our team manages to “dance on the spot”, fix the problem and keep us all on schedule.
Of the over 4.1 million Americans that have the job title “administrative assistant,” and the other 8.9 million Americans that work in administrative support roles, I’m so thankful that the top three administrative professionals work right here at 3fold. Phyl, Alexis and Brenton cover the thousands of details (daily!) that support the rest of us – and manage to do so with a smile.
We have a new face around 3fold’s world headquarters. Drumroll…this is Brenton!
Brenton is our new receptionist, and we are nothing but thrilled to have him on the team. When asked for one word to describe himself, he responded with… optimistic.
Here’s a little more about Brenton:
- He’s a recent San Francisco transplant.
- He comes to 3fold wielding ninja-like office organization skills and supurb client welcoming abilities.
- When he’s not being our go-to guy for all things reception, he can be found brandishing a mean swing for his softball team, the Thundercats.
As you stop by the office or call in, we hope you’ll join us in welcoming him to the 3fold team!
Carmichael Dave called on March 8 asking us to talk him out of what was “surely the worst idea ever.” His idea: getting in an RV and driving across the country to spread the word about our fight for our beloved Sacramento Kings. We’re not in the business of disappointing our clients, but on that day we did not come through for Dave. We did not talk him out of what we all agreed was a tremendous idea.
It’s not often that an opportunity like this comes around, and our entire team knew that this was something we not only wanted to see happen, but had to get behind. It was in perfect alignment with what 3fold is about: contributing to our community, supporting Sacramento’s economy, and delivering out-of-the-box, in-your-face creativity. We were all in.
Every day since March 8 has been a blur of purple and black, borderline-delirious brainstorming, tweeting, editing, posting and planning. In just over one week, we developed a logo, designed, built and populated a website, designed the RV wrap, ordered and delivered stickers, buttons, a banner and a flag, and made plans to mobilize the grassroots contingent locally while gaining attention nationally. Our production partners and friends, Franklin Pictures, sacrificed one of their go-to-guys, Elliot Sisson, to send on the tour to document the entire thing. In the end, tt was one of the most stressful, most thrilling weeks we’ve had here at 3fold. And we would all do it all over again if it meant we could keep our team.
Sacramento is a funny market, too often overlooked and discounted in national conversations. When we found out that Seattle made a bid for our team, it would have surprised no one (except of course us) if we just went with the plan, watching our team move and our city mourn the loss of our Kings. Instead, our mayor stood up, our community rallied, and we made our voices be heard.
The goal of the “Playing to Win Tour” was to take the show on the road, inspiring the national audience to get behind our city and our community. There isn’t a better representative for these efforts than Carmichael Dave–the Man. Has. Heart. And the 3fold & Franklin Pictures teams were drawn to the goals of this endeavor. Even the national community responded, joining the Tour by submitting photos, videos, and emails, holding rallies, and offering endless #PlayingToWin conversation on Twitter. Passion brings us all together.
The Tour is home today, but the fight’s not over. Want to feel inspired? Check out the Times Square spot we helped produce for the Sacramento CVB. Want to join the tour? Watch Episode 6 then stay tuned for many more to come. Remember that one time I said it was the eleventh hour? It’s been one long, rewarding, stressful, thrilling and meaningful hour… and it’s not over yet.
We teamed up with Franklin Pictures to create a #PlayingToWin spot for the Sacramento Convention & Visitors Bureau. The 30-second spot is currently running in Times Square every five minutes, for the next 72 hours. We love being part of a community that fights for what it believes in, and are so proud to be part of the effort.
Check it out…
Last night, the Sacramento Public Relations Association held its annual CAPPIE Award Gala - and a group of 3folders were in the house to join the celebration! Our very own Scott Moak emceed the event, and did a great job of getting the audience energized and cheering as he announced the best of the best in Sacramento public relations. 3fold even went home with three awards!
The moment that had us cheering loudest (and maybe even shedding a few tears) was when our fearless leader, Gordon Fowler, was honored by SPRA with the “PR Professional of the Year” award. It was a truly a special moment for our whole team, and we couldn’t be more proud of him and to be a part of his team – congratulations, Gordon!
And a few other moments from the night…
Allison and Gordon before the award ceremony.
Slamson made a surprise appearance. Apparently lions like eggplant.
Allison introduced Gordon with a heartwarming speech. (Thank you, Karla, for this photo!)
Gordon honored as PR Professional of the Year. Speech, speech!
The dessert was amazing… and worth mentioning. But we don’t have a photo of the dessert because we devoured it so quickly. So, here’s Scott finishing his dessert.
The 3fold table! Amazing team, wonderful night.
There you have it… our night at the CAPPIES! Congratulations to all of the winners, and a very special congratulations to Maggie Linden, who was honored with the “Lifetime Achievement Award” and is and will continue to be an inspiration to everyone working in the PR industry. Last but certainly not least, thank you SPRA for putting on yet another memorable event.
A group of 3folders attended Sacramento Ad Club’s ADDY Award Show last night – always a fun outing! Sacramento has a very talented advertising community, and we’re truly proud to be part of this highly creative group. Amongst all of the fabulous entries this year, we’re honored to have walked away with two ADDY awards: a silver and a gold!
The silver ADDY was awarded to 3fold in the PSA category for our work with Fourth & Hope. We partnered with Franklin Pictures on the amazing video, titled “Give Hope“, please take a moment to watch it!
The gold ADDY 3fold received was for our advertising work in the arts and sciences category, which featured a campaign we created for Sacramento Opera’s 2012-2013 season. This campaign was centered on headlines and images that were packed with a bright, bold and witty personality.
As always, thanks again to Sacramento Ad Club for hosting a great ADDYs Show! Here’s to a another year of fantastic ad work and many more years to come.
Today is the start of Sacramento Beer Week and as an agency that celebrates our love of beer weekly with our Beer Fridays we couldn’t be more excited. Some very hard decisions were made, but in true 3fold fashion, we created a few top 3 lists for this year’s beer week…
Top 3 Local Pubs:
Top 3 Bottle Shops:
Top 3 Local Micro Breweries:
Top 3 Beer Week Events We’re Looking Forward To:
- Rare Beer Night at Pangaea Café
- Sour Fest at Hot City Pizza
- US vs. Belgium Beer Dinner at The Shack (SOLD OUT)
Visit the Sacramento Beer Week website for a full list of fantastic events happening through March 3rd.
Cheers!
Darcey is 3fold’s Creative Director but she also writes a beer blog with her husband: His & Hers Beer Notes. Daniel is a writer, Darcey is a designer. They love sampling craft beers and comparing notes in their own unique ways – he writes, she draws.
What’s the best way to celebrate President’s Day? You guessed it, doing the Harlem Shake–3fold style. Partnering with our Franklin Pictures homies, the whole gang got in on the action. Warning: serious moves may intimidate.
I recently wrote a blog post on the United Way California Capital Region’s Emerging Leaders blog. Here’s a sneak peek:
As a young professional, I hear a lot of talk about the importance of maintaining a work-life balance. Every time I hear this, though, I always feel like an essential third element is missing for a truly balanced life: community. Because as important as networking and continued education are to developing our careers, and quality time spent with friends and family is to building our personal lives, volunteering and philanthropic leadership are vital for shaping the world in which we both work and live.
This is why I was drawn to the United Way’s Emerging Leaders program. Our community has so many wonderful industry-focused organizations and young professional groups dedicated to career advancement and education, but finding one that concentrates on developing the philanthropic capabilities of the next generation of leaders in our community is unique.