Prioritizing Creativity over Working Hours in an Agency - Eric Ressler - S2 Episode #9

Eric Ressler, the Founder & Creative Director of Cosmic, is an entrepreneur with a creative bent and a proponent of sustainability. In 2012, he founded Cosmic, a pioneering firm in the sustainability sector that works with clients to create powerful branding and marketing strategies that advance sustainability and spark positive change. Prepare to be inspired by Eric's innovative approach to merging creativity and sustainability for a brighter future.

Discussion Points:

Q1. What sort of myths, bogus strategies, or misconceptions would you like to set the record straight on? 1:35 Q2. What are nuggets for successfully implementing a 4-Day Workweek in an agency? Tips for people who want to get started with it? 7:11 Q3. How do you effectively manage and set expectations for upcoming talent within the agency? 14:06 Q4. What are the tech-stack do you use to manage internal work processes? 18:59 Q5. How do you establish your pricing model with clients? 22:08 Q6. Could you share insights about your agency's niche and how you established it? 27:57 Q7. What are some of the challenges you have faced as an agency? 34:01 Q8. How do you stay on track and ensure you're not missing out on important tasks as agency owners? 40:23 Q9. What excites you about the future? 45:52

Show notes:

• Creativity is something that you can't brute force. You can grind, hustle, and push hard for a certain amount of time, but you also need time to rest, rejuvenate, and reflect on real life, where you draw inspiration from. 2:49
• It's more helpful to come fully prepared, fully rested, and fully creative each day during a four-day workweek, rather than working five, six, or seven days a week and functioning at only 60%, that's not beneficial. 6:16
• Deadlines and tight turnarounds are not deal breakers for a four-day week. It's about ensuring each team member shows up at their best every day. 12:31
• I don't think a four-day work week necessarily will work for every organization. I think it'll work for 90-plus percent of agencies. 11:15
• We work with clients in sprints, breaking down projects into weekly cycles with key deliverables, goals, and success metrics. We present sprint reviews, gather feedback, and work in iterative cycles. 19:24
• We'd been an agency for about seven years, and we'd been doing a lot of work with startups, b2b brands, and b2c brands near Silicon Valley in Santa Cruz at the time we were working out of an office. 29:40
• We've also just found that the types of clients that come to us need more of a holistic partner, they don't want to hire us just for one thing, and then have to find other agencies to do other parts. 32:30
• Building expertise happens through doing enough work for similar clients that you start to see patterns, and you start to understand more about that space than any other agency working in general. 36:57
• I go into deep learning mode, devouring books, podcasts, and articles, seeking answers, inspiration, and ideas. 42:19
• Change can be scary, but it can also be interesting and lead to more just and equitable ways. 47:09

Myth Busted -  One needs to work long hours and give up their personal life in the agency business.  

Links - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cosmiceric/ Company website: https://designbycosmic.com/