Happy 6th Birthday MM

Massive Mission turns 6 this month. Here are 6 lessons I’ve learned these past few years.

1. People are paramount. The right people help you grow and make work a fun place to be. Fun doesn’t mean they have to be comedians but it’s fun to create cool stuff with people who care about the work, know their craft and are humble enough to know they still have lots to learn.

2. Relationships really matter. Yes, we do great work, yes, we are creative, yes, we move faster than many of our competitors, but why do people want to work with us? I think at the end of the day it’s because for many of our customers, we’ve built a real relationship with them. One of mutual respect and trust that is strengthened with each successful project, and one that can endure when a project goes sideways for whatever reason. We have our clients’ backs and ultimately a strong relationship is built on more than just success.

3. It costs a lot more than you think. 401K fees, accounting fees, legal fees, health insurance, taxes, everything costs more than you think it does. When we want to spend money on our people and fun equipment to do cool shoots the ongoing “no fun” costs sometimes put a damper on what I’d like to do with the company money.

4. There are a lot of resources if you look for them. I wish that I had started looking sooner! Organizations like the Entrepreneurs'​ Organization offer coaching, classes, groups and events to help you address knowledge gaps and connect with others who have already gone through the challenges that you’re facing.

5. More freedom, more stress. While it’s true that I technically have more freedom than in my previous job I also have more stress. Stress about driving sales, stress about making sure our videos are top notch and on spec, stress about personnel issues, stress about balancing giving the company enough attention and trying to give my family enough of my time and attention too. I haven’t found the right mix, but I keep trying.

6. It’s worth it. The stress, costs and BS are a lot, but overall building something you are passionate about and proud of is a worthwhile endeavor. I’m proud of what we’ve built at Massive Mission. I’m proud of our team and the work we do, both for customers as well as all the community impact work we do with our non-profit partners.

Thank you to my team and our clients for the past 6 years. Here’s to many more! (and here’s a picture of our first “office” 6 years ago. 🙂