“If I had to put my experience here at Nimaroh into one cheesy yet accurate phrase it would be “life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re gonna get” from the one and only Forrest Gump.

And yes I cringed just as hard writing that as you did reading it.

But behind all that cringiness lies the truth and reality that the start-up lifestyle continually throws curve balls and adventures of all sizes in your path. All that matters is how you respond and the journey you take that will inevitably develop the company and make the reward that much better.

On my first day, I was full of the classic and unnecessary first-day jitters. I was excited about the experience I would gain but also was unsure about how it would be coming into a company community of five guys who were all best friends. Not intimidating at all right. Well, I lived to tell the tale.

One of my favorite parts of working for a growing start-up was the contrast between our relaxed working environment and the incredible quality of work we were able to accomplish there. Just goes to show, not all-important work is accomplished in a pantsuit.

The weirder the better- another unexpected quality I really enjoyed while working at Nimaroh. No idea is too big, too weird, too extreme, or too dumb. Not every idea was great, but I was never too scared to say it anyway. It was an accepting environment where creativity was encouraged and out-of-the-box was expected. My kind of place.

Big or small, I was always assigned important and meaningful work and plenty of it. Everything ranging from social media, campaign strategy, content creation and copywriting. I was attending client meetings, writing scripts, and taking names. Ha.

I was always inspired by the drive and passion that the Nimaroh team has poured into growing this company. In these past 3 months, I have seen immense growth and tangible success due to their hard work and commitment. It’s not easy to start a company and see it through until the end. With all of the logistics, hoops to jump through and legal garbage- I’m tired just thinking about all of it.

Success comes at a price though. While start-ups are exciting and rewarding, it also comes with immense responsibility. Some of the growth I have seen in my short time here was due to some responsible and sometimes difficult decisions that had to be made.

It shows that responsibility is a double-edged sword, and as a team of young men entering the business world, there are always going to be tough decisions that have to be made in order to better the company’s success. Their perseverance continually showed me the team’s drive and commitment to finish what they started.

I think overall the most important thing I learned from this experience at Nimaroh is that the beauty of a start-up is its simplicity. It’s the simple things that bring a company closer together and make its purpose greater. The little things like solving a Rubik's cube for the first time ( or if you’re me, solving only one side), constantly hunting for the missing communal fob to the parking garage, or jamming to some Quinn XCII- they were memorable nonetheless. The messy parts are the best parts. And that’s all a start-up really is- messy but the best.”

-Madison Womble (best Summer intern ever)

Madison, from the entire team, we hope you enjoyed your time here at Nimaroh. You will be missed! We know you will accomplish great things. If you can handle the craziness of our team, you’re ready for whatever life throws at you.

Successful marketing- Is there such a thing as perfect marketing? Nope. Not a thing.
There is no “one-size fits all” formula in the marketing industry. Every company is different, and every consumer has different interests.
But that’s also the beauty of marketing- especially for a startup like Nimaroh. You’re in control of the process, creativity, and exposure your company will receive. You can be as innovative and creative as you want by testing new theories and straying from the traditional and mundane.
As a startup, we are continually adapting and shifting our efforts towards bigger and better opportunities. The same goes for marketing techniques. To keep attracting clients and creating interaction there has to be variation within the strategy itself.
Offer a marketing hook. The more “out of the box” the message or visual the better. Bright colors, odd shapes, extreme marketing messages, whatever your company offers that is different- focus on that and use it to your advantage.
Trust is another large component behind a successful marketing strategy. Admit mistakes, fix problems and build relationships from the experiences. The trust applies not only to your marketing techniques but the company’s services and products as well. Successfully promoting a service or product is only feasible if you, the marketer, fully believe in the quality of the service or product you are promoting.
Marketing should come with a cautionary “proceed at your own risk” sign. The free range of creative marketing allows for in turn creates a double-edged sword. The innovation can either help or hurt your company’s image and efforts. It’s a balancing game — how far is too far when it comes to creative marketing? Overwhelming, underwhelming, or just right. The balance on creativity tends to be what get companies in trouble as far as marketing. If you’re lucky, it will be “just right” the first time around.
It’s not an exact science- nothing in this industry ever is. But by focusing on eye-catching slogans, colors, or logos that pertain to your company, the message will be better received and create a better chance for positive interaction. You just have to take that chance, and most importantly, adapt to the responses from your chosen marketing strategy.

Now I could sit here and tell the whole generic story of “our journey” as a company, but that’s old hat. Been there done that. I would rather share (with those who care to read) what we feel is most important for a startup- things that might get overlooked in the whirlwind of life a small businessman.

First things first, branding. Yeah I know it sounds simple, like step one in the process of creating a business. Well you would be surprised how often it gets overlooked. Branding is what sets your company apart from all the others trying to achieve the same thing that you are. It gives you a certain edge, target market, and attraction for clients that will generate business and eventually speak for itself.

It’s not going to happen with the flip of a switch, branding takes time and effort. It’s like preparing Thanksgiving dinner. You have to tend to it, giving it time and attention until it’s ready to stand on it’s own and eventually bring satisfaction to several people.

Branding has to represent more than just the work that your company creates. It has to be representative of the intangible assets that make the company special. Variables such as teamwork, how the team interacts and collaborates, and the overall office personality should be incorporated and reflected through branding. But here is the secret ingredient. Motive- a small startup company’s motives, the drive that led them to start the business. Whether it’s because of their love for their work or desire to create change in an industry, motive (in my opinion) is the secret ingredient for successful startup branding. If the passion, both in your work and behind the scenes, is portrayed accurately through branding it will set you apart in the competition while attracting clients and employees that have the same philosophy and drive as you.

Not saying I’m an expert in branding- I have just found that the more effort and time you spend branding and cultivating the personality behind the company you have built, it tends to work out in your favor in the end. People will recognize your company, realize the passion that went into it, and know that the work you produce for them will contain that same passion and drive.

MailChimp’s inspiring advertising campaign relied on both creativity and curiosity to spark the interest of their consumers. They changed the game for advertising by cultivating curiosity in their brand. Instead of going to the consumers for validation, the consumers are now coming to them for clarity. Something as simple as imagination and curiosity has the power to create change in an industry and in consumer interaction.

This video helped clarify that there is no rule book for the way we advertise ourselves. All it takes are creative minds to peak our interest in unique ways that leave us asking questions and wanting answers. It helps verify that “following the rules” can lead to a company getting caught in the clutter of advertising. To stand out as a brand it takes more than just a billboard or a commercial. It’s about how you present it, not what you present. This is what draws consumers to you, and is what will create an authentic voice for your brand.

https://www.thedrum.com/news/2017/02/21/mailchimp-explains-why-things-failchips-and-snailprimps-are-all-part-its-first-major