What Have I Learned in My First Year at dR?

What have I learned in my first year at designRoom? April 4th will be my one year dR anniversary and I’ve learned a lot things. I’m going to focus on the three important things I cherish the most.

All In

Before dR, most of my career was spent grinding away at bigger, competitive, neo-cultured agencies. You fight hard and strong on your work and what is best for clients. Often though, your work is ignored or credited by someone else. Unless it’s bad. Then it’s you. Since I’ve worked with Chad, Kelly, Joe, and Kimberly, I’ve seen a more positive side. Here, it’s less about who came up with the idea or who did the design. It’s about doing something great together for people who love to help people

Don’t Judge

At other agencies you had select friends and a clique you knew best, because you worked with them the most. They understood you. Then you find yourself working with people who don’t know you at all. There is a lot of criticism, judgment, perception, and smooth talk in the big agency world. One person’s concept could suddenly be looked at as the next VW Bug ad, just based on the Ray-Ban glasses they wore. It wasn’t nice feeling like I was there to impress anyone, talk a certain way, wear a certain pair of jeans, or gloat about my Addy awards. At dR, we are here for one reason – to help people who help people. You don’t need a hipster haircut and beard or thousands of social media followers. Everyone’s ideas are welcome.

People Do Care

I felt like I was on an island at most of my jobs, like almost no one cared or understood the pain points I had with the creative team’s burdens and struggles. I know that some of this was due to my own communication faults. But thinking back, I realize almost everyone was expendable and no one truly cared about the employee.

Now, I actually feel like I work with people who care about people. Since being at dR, I’ve awakened to the fact that there are many people struggling out there with addiction, mental illness, and behavioral health issues. Even myself, struggling with a digestive disorder, realize that lots of people are living two lives. One is the life people see. The other is the one you know is true. dR has really raised my hope that we can make a difference for organizations helping people. And we try to help each other at the same time.