Last month marked 11 years in business for Smith.
That’s 2,870 days.
And it’s flown by.
When I look back at how we started, two graduates in a shed with two macs, heaps of ambition but more naivety – it makes me proud. I don’t often look back too much, it’s more a case of what next? What does the next year look like, or mostly – the next 3 months.
Here’s 11 thoughts from my 11 years in business.
1 – Purpose
As all business owners know, you need grit. It’s a mental rollercoaster; one minute you can win a job and the next you can lose one. I learnt early on that being driven solely by money is poisonous. Being driven by mastery and purpose is way more fulfilling. I’ve always read about purpose, but then a mentor of mine worked through a purposing exercise with me and it has made a real impact. Purpose is powerful, and all our team members have one.
2 – Ask
When you don’t ask, you don’t get. Ask for the sale, ask for more time, ask for an introduction, ask for a chat, ask and things start to open up. I’ve constantly reached out to people who I admire over the years and it’s been worth it 100x fold.
3 – Never give up
My art teacher at school said I wasn’t good enough to get into art college and one of my earlier bosses said I wasn’t creative. Sometimes I think about this and in a parallel universe think what if I’d given up? Don’t let one person’s perspective colour your entire direction of travel. There’s 8 billion people out there, and some people let one person’s point of view impact their career.
4 – Never stop learning
If you’re not growing, you are dying.
5 – Stay in your own lane
It’s easy to compare. I think there’s a superpower in being ruthlessly focused on yourself, and being a better version of yourself every day. Run your own race.
6 – Trust the instinct
There’s some force at work, we just need to go with the flow and trust our instinct more.
7 – Focus on the few
Few things really matter.
8 – Find the edge
There’s always a way to win, it just depends how much you want it.
9 – Be yourself
When we first set up the business, I was intimidated about all the suits and ties and reserved language. 11 years on, the best relationships are with people who we are our genuine selves with.
10 – Understand people
It still amazes me how many marketing and design agencies don’t understand how the human mind works. As a team, we talk about behavioral science every day, and it makes our work more effective. Whether it’s communications or business. Understand people, and you understand business.
11 – Be still
It’s busy out there. Being calm in the face of adversity is the ultimate edge.
Here’s to the next 11.