Let’s be Ernest.
I’ve had this board hanging on my wall for weeks, not realizing how the quote I decided to cram onto it would provide commentary for what’s coming. It’s a timeless quote from one of my favorite authors Ernest Hemingway, and reads, “The first draft of anything is shit.”
As a writer and someone who thrives on collaboration and the editorial process, it resonated with me. I put it on my office wall and forgot about it.
A couple of weeks later, Greg Storey and I were deep in our newest venture, Same Team Partners. We built an MVP site to launch our new business, agreeing that we wouldn’t get stuck overthinking the details and making it perfect (which we have done in the past).
On our second day of making, Greg mentioned a quote from Marty Ringlein, “If you’re not embarrassed by the first version of your product, you’ve launched too late.” I thought, “He’s spot on. This makes me feel good. Let’s launch ASAP.”
With that, we’re announcing Same Team Partners, a consultancy focusing on finding the right solution to help agency owners and their creative teams work smarter. We’re not interested in those overly prescriptive, rigid operating systems or “training programs” that prescribe a single solution. We’re about getting to know the people behind the magic and helping them optimize their processes, leadership, and companies to fit their culture and vision. Make us a part of your team, and we’ll do the same. Positive results will follow.
The best part about these quotes is that both sentiments apply to our clients. If you founded or lead an agency, you put the effort in to build it to your standard — everything from teams to process, culture and communication, and beyond. You did it your way. It’s truly admirable. But at some point, you’ll need to optimize what you’ve built to be more profitable, grow, retain staff, impress and attract more clients, or gain some damn sanity in the day-to-day. We get it because we’ve been there and seen a lot. And we’re here to help you re-envision a better company, a better you. Or to work out the kinks.
I’ve been doing this work independently since 2015, when I left a boutique studio called Happy Cog. Over the years, I’ve worked with dozens of clients to help them assess their processes and operations, roadmap change management, level up team practices, and coach owners to help them find the clarity they need to continue to build a company they want to run. It’s fun and gratifying work.
And now, it’s about to be a lot more fun. I’m thrilled to partner with my good friend and colleague Greg, who brings an incredible roster of experience to the team. We’re excited to open our doors and add new clients to our roster. Contact us if you want to work on your next version–the Same Team version.
