Esvienne

Adapting is tricky business- especially when you’re in a really creative yet analytical field. Creatives get buried sometimes in business, but there IS a way to maintain both your creativity and your analytical mind set.

Sometimes you have to be malleable- able to shape-shift and be flexible, and other times you need to keep your feet glued to the ground to keep from taking flight. Nothing I’m saying below means we all have to be boring drones. We can still be ourselves and be creative, while growing with a company.

When I first started at my company, we were a small tight knit group.

I jumped right in the water and adapted to the industry very quickly. We were extremely hard working and knew how to get the job done. We were used to our workdays and knew what to expect when we came in during the morning- we were super concentrated, hyper focused.

The environment was casual- most internet marketing companies work best this way. You need to bounce ideas off each other, be comfortable. There’s also the ability to listen to music while you’re working, block out what’s happening around you if need be, and get to it. Then during lunch time, you’d go out to eat with everyone you worked with because you could.

We were all awesome at what we did. And then, we merged with others who were of our caliber in the industry. Well respected, badass at what they do, and hard working.

We became BlueGlass.

As our company grew, so did our responsibilities. It was such an amazing opportunity to continue learning and growing- I loved (and still love) every moment of it. But as companies grow, so does the culture. New people come in, the employees increase. Your teams grow exponentially- it all comes with a company’s success and is much welcome.

It’s a great thing to see this happen, but if you’re not used to being on the fast path to success, it’s easy to get lost.

So here’s some things I’ve learned along the way. This industry moves fast, and (in the words of Ferris Bueller) if you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you might miss it. Stay on the top of your game.

Get to know who you’re working with: As new people come into the company, it’s easy to get so caught up in work that you forget to welcome them, or get to know them. Take some time and go say hi. Remember, they’re coming into a growing company too, and sometimes it can be overwhelming for them as well.

Learn on your own time: Okay. we all know this industry moves fast. If you have a true love of your work, this shouldn’t be a problem. Generally, you’ll find me online at all hours of the night. Why? not because I don’t have a life. Because I love what I do and I’m interested in getting the most of my career and passion as possible.

• If you’re super busy, make sure you pull your favorite blogs into an RSS reader (Google Reader works great. There’s also Reeder and Pulse News for iPad- an extremely visual app that blows any RSS reader away)
• Follow your favorite brands on Twitter by saving your hashtag or keyword searches. Check your streams in the morning, at night, whatever. Keep on top of it.
• If you’re doing this for clients in your free time… bonus points for you. Not really though, cause you should want to do this anyway.

Be friendly, but stay professional: When you’re transitioning from a smaller company, this can be harder to get used to… especially when you’re used to being close with everyone that you’re working with. As your company grows, definitely be friends, but remember: this is a professional atmosphere. Granted, private marketing companies are usually more laid back than a regular corporate office, but still. Respect your boundaries.

If you’re leading a team, it’s especially important to respect these boundaries. It’s great to be close and personal, but remember, it’s still professional.

Dress decently: I’m guilty of this- cmon, we’re creatives when it comes down to it. We want to be comfortable. I love hoodies. I love sneakers. I would rather wear sneakers than kill myself in heels. In a smaller company you can dress super casually and it doesn’t matter. But when you’re growing, and you have new people to put an impression towards or clients coming in, make sure you’re not letting go too much.

You know, I made a new years resolution to wear my dress pants every day, but it’s not happening. These stretchy skinny jeans are just too comfy. I need to take my own advice, apparently. :)

Respect your higher ups: This is another thing as the company culture shifts and changes and the easiest line to cross. Roles will change. Responsibilities will change.

As your company grows, so will you. Sometimes it’s easy to forget boundaries and let things go, but as your company grows and expands, make sure you’re willing to work with whoever you need to work with. I’m younger than a lot of people I work with, but I take responsibility seriously.

Don’t let age play a factor in how you treat others, or how others treat you. I love working with my higher ups- they are true industry professionals and they’ve all built their respective businesses from the ground up. They have immense amounts of knowledge that they’re happy to share with us and it’s going to help guide me down the path to being a respected industry professional too. It’s important to remember how respected and well-known they are, even though I spend everyday with them. I don’t take that for granted.

Meeting others online, in the industry: We work in an online industry- the majority of people you meet, initially, you’ll probably meet online. While your company is growing, so is your opportunity to meet others and connect.

So, reach out. Whether that be because you absolutely love their blog, whether you follow their updates on Twitter, whether they’re well known and extremely respected in the industry. Take some time to reach out and meet others. You never know who you’ll run into at a conference.

Represent your company in the best light: Again, when you work online, and in social media, it’s easy to let your own personal brand meld into your professional brand. I’m guilty of this. I’ve been growing this site for so long, that many of the followers of this name, have also moved and followed me on my professional name. It’s awesome to be yourself on your professional name, but there’s always some boundaries you shouldn’t cross.

Remember- your professional image, is just that. You and your company. Be meticulous in how you connect and engage with others- don’t cross any lines. Be respectful. You can still be awesome and fun and do all of the above. If there’s something to talk about that shouldn’t be public, take it to a DM or message.

Convey what you need quickly and efficiently: When your company grows and you start working with more teams and divisions, it’s easy to get caught up in long emails. Convey what you need quickly and efficiently- before it gets buried :)

Be firm in what you need but flexible along the way.

Don’t waste time: As you’re growing and keeping up with others in the industry, make sure it’s not taking up a ton of your time. Sure, take some time to send a few tweets throughout the day, and share some things.

After all, you ARE in social media and you need to maintain your profiles and relationships. It’s easy to take for granted the freedom we get in the industry, but I definitely try to restrain myself from talking to friends while I work on Facebook, instant messenger, or whatever (I do talk to the boyfriend- that’s a given), I find it distracts me more than anything unless it’s for client purposes.

I doooo usually join #ProfsChat every Friday- if you have some time, get involved in some industry twitter chats. It’s another great way to connect and learn at the same time.

Take some chill time: Something you lose in a bigger environment is the ability to just shut everything out and wind down when you need to. Sometimes you’re working on a campaign where it’s absolutely necessary that you’re in quiet time to brainstorm and plan out a strategy. If you need to, go into another room. I always bring my laptop to work for this reason: sometimes you need to just block everything out and work. It’s necessary for your sanity.

and most of all…

ABC.

Familiar with this? Great business and real estate term. Always be closing- meaning, always be selling. I’m not talking about blatant selling, I’m talking about spotting an opportunity, doing some research, taking the person aside (or emailing them) and making things happen.

When given the opportunity, I’ll always talk about what I do. Sometimes it leads to opportunities, and sometimes it doesn’t. But at least you’re out there. And same as before, represent your company in the best light. If you’re selling what you do, you’re selling your company, and you’re a direct extension of that.

So when it comes down to it, I work in a creative industry that’s growing very fast. Sometimes it’s easy to forget where you’ve come from, or where you’re going. But one thing is for sure- there are tons of doors opening to me with BlueGlass and for that, I am grateful.

Ummm and that’s it. </end>. I’m tired and hungry. Hope this gave you some insight into adapting into a shifting and growing company.

Well, another year has come and gone. 2010 was an incredible blur. I was in a new town, in a new house, at a new job, meeting new people, attending my first conferences.

The days turned into weeks, which turned into months, which succumbed to the end of the year. I started 2010 with a new job, and ended it with a special tattoo (which, ironically, will probably be on fire many times this year. I didn’t think about how many instances of my number would appear this year, but so it shall.)

I haven’t won the lottery yet, I haven’t bought a house, I’m not sure how I feel about my new town (maybe I’d enjoy it if I made more time to go relax by the beach) and life is generally quiet down in Tampa.

I have tons of resolutions for 2011, as do most people, but mine mainly focus on shaking up my life a bit. It’s not very often we realize how little time we have here and actually take advantage of it. We get comfortable. We stop challenging ourselves. We get content in our bubble peering out at the world. We feel like things will always be good as long as we’re comfortable- always afraid to move to the next challenge or step in life.

We let silly fears hinder our future, we worry too much about what other people are doing. We get caught up staring at other people’s lives through a looking glass (or Facebook) and forgetting we need to live our own. We can’t let go of the past, we stop living our present, we can’t see past 3 days in the future.

That’s not a way to live. So my biggest resolution for 2011? Live it. And let it take me where it wants to. Stop caring about other’s opinions and care about the ones that matter to me. Stop hanging on to fragments of other people and places- let them go. Appreciate what I’ve had but stop letting it tangle into who I am now.

Visit new places. Have new favorite spots. Appreciate little things that make me happy and stop getting frightened by the big things.

Happy new year!

The more and more I listen to the radio, the more I think there’s so many talentless artists out there.

Not necessarily “talentless” I guess… but really? Some of the hooks and chorus’ that I’m hearing in these rap and pop songs on the radio make me want to vomit.

How the hell do these people get on the radio anyway?