Before we started Sideways8 in 2010, I had a short stint at a larger agency working as a graphic designer. It was my time there that gave me the confidence to start my own company. I saw how they operated and what they valued and thought I could build a company like that or possibly better. So, in January of 2010, Aaron and I set out to do just that. Here are a few of the things I took away from my time there.

1. Respect and value people. It’s important to value both customers and employees and always to treat them with integrity and respect. This respect leads to better work overall, better projects and happier clients.
2. Have fun at work. One of my favorite things that we did at the agency was to have competitions to see who could fly a little remote control helicopter the furthest down the hall (without crashing). It was goofy, but gave everyone a nice break in the day, and we had a lot of fun together doing that.
3. Think outside the box. The agency I was at was creative! At the time they were still doing complex flash sites and these were the most impressive and creative flash sites I have ever seen. There is no reason to be limited by what has already been done, instead, think about what can be done and go after that!

I think Sideways8 is better because of my experience at the agency, and I’m thankful for my time there. My hope is that we can do these three things very very well and create amazing digital marketing experiences for our clients!