2y
Thanks for the review. You're right. We own this. We had to do a full rebuild since the beginning of the pandemic - something we're not proud of. Most of what happened was out of our control, and some of it was within our control. It's been a tough few years for everyone. "Disappointing" is completely accurate.
For the things that were in our control, we hate that there were a few fallen leaflets that really got the brunt of our challenges as leaders. There are no words. Know that we've worked really hard to take what we could from this period. We hope this is enough for future leaflets to find a safe landing here. We're sorry that these lessons were at your (and others) expense.
As for bringing our personal issues into the workplace...again, spot on. We've really taken this feedback to heart. There's a difference between sharing openly and leading with vulnerability versus overburdening those around you. We got lost in our work and the lines blurred between colleagues and confidants. Today, we lead from the former - not oversharing, but still being open, honest, and vulnerable humans. We want to show others that it's ok to show up with all of your imperfections, but also that we're here to do a j-o-b. There's a razor-thin edge here and we think we've found that really sweet spot.
Regarding not having a background in design - you're right. We'll own some of this. Our philosophy has always been to hire people smarter than us and get out of their way - we're really proud of this philosophy. This is also why we hire Creative Directors who are classically trained designers. To be able to lead our designers. That said, we hold our own and give you designers a run for your money. We're pretty proud of how hard we can push designers for great work. Especially, given our lack of background in design. ;) That said, I do wonder at what point do we get to claim to have a "background" in design? After we've owned a creative agency for three decades? Four? Never, as long as we don't sketch a logo or get a few letters next to our name. Do we always carry this scarlet letter? After almost a decade and a half of owning this shop, plus a few years in the field prior - we're knocking on two decades in the creative field. Sure we're not designers - we can't run a design program, but we know good work, and we know how to help designers and writers do their best work. As owners, we're Senior Creatives and Strategists. That's our craft, and we're damn good at it. Some of the most successful companies in the world were run by people who had no idea of the nuts and bolts that go into making their products. But they knew how to hire people smarter than them and get out of their way - I don't think we'll fully own this.
All that to say, we're really proud of how we've rebuilt. Both as a company, but also as leaders. We learned a lot about ourselves through that tumultuous time. We really grew up through this experience. I'll bet if you spoke to a few of our teammates over these last few years, you would hear undercurrents of all of the positive lessons learned from such a challenging time. Again, know that we hate that these lessons were at your expense.
Anyway, thanks again for the feedback. Know that we heard you and really took what you had to say to heart.
Thanks,
Chad Paris
Principal, CEO
Chad@parisleaf.com
p.s. No need to be a stranger - feel free to stop by. We think you'll be refreshed with what you find. :)
