1. Top-shelf customer service begins and ends with leading your clients

Our clients hire us to make big things happen – and this requires more than sharing big ideas and chatting about creative campaigns. It’s about providing solutions that work. It’s about speaking truth. And it’s about leading our clients to actions that will generate the results they need (and expect).

2. Caring about your community is a responsibility

We talk about “giving first” as a premium over “giving back” – and we practice this with a community tithing policy where 10% of our time, talent and treasure is donated back to our local community. We care deeply about our community and the friends and neighbors that make Sacramento such a great place to live, work and play.

3. Team culture matters

I believe in only hiring leaders. My job is to dream, point and steer the team so that each person is working in harmony to achieve the same goals. Part of getting everyone on the same page is providing a “got your back” work environment, ensuring opportunities to be succeed are plentiful at every level in our organization, and maintaining independent spirit for working productively in a manner that’s comfortable.

4. Quality is key

We demand a quality product of ourselves and set client expectations to receive quality work from us — each and every time. There are no shortcuts in the quality game – there’s just doing the job right without exception or excuse.

5. Smart creative counts

Creativity only counts when it’s done in a smart and strategic way that generates the results our clients are looking for. Even the most creative ideas are just window dressing if they’re not making an impact. There’s no such thing as a big idea that earns nothing but a short-term splash.

6. Profitability is freedom

I realized early on that if we weren’t focused on profitability, we wouldn’t have the freedom to work on the kinds of accounts we were working so hard for, nor would we be able to help and contribute to our community without being financially secure. By consistently focusing on quality and value, we create the pathway to our own freedom.

7. Take risk, but don’t be risky

As an entrepreneur, you may not always know the destination, but you better at least know which direction you’re heading. Have a plan. The only way to know if we are taking a calculated risk is to weigh it against our business plan and goals. Otherwise, we’re just guessing, or worse, we might not even know if we’re taking a risk at all.

8. There’s a difference between pressure and stress

Pressure is just having more on your “to-do” list than you can possibly get done in a day. Stress is an emotional reaction to pressure, and as such is a choice. Take a deep breath and power forward.

9. Life/work rhythm

There is no such thing as a perfect life balance. Instead, there’s a rhythm and flow to all your various obligations, responsibilities, and focuses. When it feels right to concentrate on one over another, do so. When it’s time to shift gears, make the change. Balance is tough to maintain – just keep moving, you’ll find the right rhythm for your life.

Of course, the biggest thing I’ve learned is that 3fold’s people and the culture make each and every day a joy. Don’t believe me, check out our new video!

1) They are proactive. Our team thinks ahead and makes sure that we are ready to tackle whatever issue the day holds.

2) They connect the dots. I’m always amazed at how our team can read a seemingly unrelated email, take a phone call and recall a seemingly unrelated conversation and tie them together to ensure that our work is done thoroughly and timely.

3) They know to dance. It seems that no matter how well planned and organized the day, something usually falls out of sync – and our team manages to “dance on the spot”, fix the problem and keep us all on schedule.

Of the over 4.1 million Americans that have the job title “administrative assistant,” and the other 8.9 million Americans that work in administrative support roles, I’m so thankful that the top three administrative professionals work right here at 3fold. Phyl, Alexis and Brenton cover the thousands of details (daily!) that support the rest of us – and manage to do so with a smile.

Brenton is our new receptionist, and we are nothing but thrilled to have him on the team. When asked for one word to describe himself, he responded with… optimistic.

Here’s a little more about Brenton:

• He’s a recent San Francisco transplant.
• He comes to 3fold wielding ninja-like office organization skills and supurb client welcoming abilities.
• When he’s not being our go-to guy for all things reception, he can be found brandishing a mean swing for his softball team, the Thundercats.

As you stop by the office or call in, we hope you’ll join us in welcoming him to the 3fold team!

It’s not often that an opportunity like this comes around, and our entire team knew that this was something we not only wanted to see happen, but had to get behind. It was in perfect alignment with what 3fold is about: contributing to our community, supporting Sacramento’s economy, and delivering out-of-the-box, in-your-face creativity. We were all in.

Every day since March 8 has been a blur of purple and black, borderline-delirious brainstorming, tweeting, editing, posting and planning. In just over one week, we developed a logo, designed, built and populated a website, designed the RV wrap, ordered and delivered stickers, buttons, a banner and a flag, and made plans to mobilize the grassroots contingent locally while gaining attention nationally. Our production partners and friends, Franklin Pictures, sacrificed one of their go-to-guys, Elliot Sisson, to send on the tour to document the entire thing. In the end, tt was one of the most stressful, most thrilling weeks we’ve had here at 3fold. And we would all do it all over again if it meant we could keep our team.

Sacramento is a funny market, too often overlooked and discounted in national conversations. When we found out that Seattle made a bid for our team, it would have surprised no one (except of course us) if we just went with the plan, watching our team move and our city mourn the loss of our Kings. Instead, our mayor stood up, our community rallied, and we made our voices be heard.

The goal of the “Playing to Win Tour” was to take the show on the road, inspiring the national audience to get behind our city and our community. There isn’t a better representative for these efforts than Carmichael Dave–the Man. Has. Heart. And the 3fold & Franklin Pictures teams were drawn to the goals of this endeavor. Even the national community responded, joining the Tour by submitting photos, videos, and emails, holding rallies, and offering endless #PlayingToWin conversation on Twitter. Passion brings us all together.

The Tour is home today, but the fight’s not over. Want to feel inspired? Check out the Times Square spot we helped produce for the Sacramento CVB. Want to join the tour? Watch Episode 6 then stay tuned for many more to come. Remember that one time I said it was the eleventh hour? It’s been one long, rewarding, stressful, thrilling and meaningful hour… and it’s not over yet.

Check it out…

Stay tuned for Gordon’s recap of Cap-to-Cap 2013! In the meantime, follow the Cap-to-Cap conversation on Twitter, and enjoy this great shot from Gordon’s adventure last year…

The moment that had us cheering loudest (and maybe even shedding a few tears) was when our fearless leader, Gordon Fowler, was honored by SPRA with the “PR Professional of the Year” award. It was a truly a special moment for our whole team, and we couldn’t be more proud of him and to be a part of his team – congratulations, Gordon!

And a few other moments from the night…

Allison and Gordon before the award ceremony.

Slamson made a surprise appearance. Apparently lions like eggplant.

Allison introduced Gordon with a heartwarming speech. (Thank you, Karla, for this photo!)

Gordon honored as PR Professional of the Year. Speech, speech!

The dessert was amazing… and worth mentioning. But we don’t have a photo of the dessert because we devoured it so quickly. So, here’s Scott finishing his dessert.

The 3fold table! Amazing team, wonderful night.

There you have it… our night at the CAPPIES! Congratulations to all of the winners, and a very special congratulations to Maggie Linden, who was honored with the “Lifetime Achievement Award” and is and will continue to be an inspiration to everyone working in the PR industry. Last but certainly not least, thank you SPRA for putting on yet another memorable event.

News Feed redesign. Earlier in the month, Facebook held a press conference where they announced a redesign of their News Feed. The redesign includes several new feeds: All Friends, Photos, Music, and Following (pages and people followed). It also aligns with the look and feel of the Facebook mobile version. They’ve already started rolling out the changes to personal profiles and will continue in the next couple weeks. Have you started using the new design yet?

Single-column timeline. Personal profiles have begun to see their profiles change to a single-column format. All of the informational sections about the user (About, Friends, Photos, Likes, etc.) are along the left-hand side. All of the user’s Facebook updates are published on the right-hand side.

Less rules for Cover Photos. Facebook has relinquished several of its guidelines for Cover Photos. Before, photos could not contain purchasing info, web addresses, call to actions, etc. Here are Facebook’s updated guidelines: “All covers are public. This means that anyone who visits your Page will be able to see your cover. Covers can’t be deceptive, misleading, or infringe on anyone else’s copyright. You may not encourage people to upload your cover to their personal timelines. Covers may not include images with more than 20% text.”

Pages popping up in News Feeds. Speaking of Cover Photos, your brand page’s Cover Photo may need a redesign. If you haven’t noticed, when someone “Likes” a brand page these days or when a brand page has a sponsored story, the Cover Photo of that brand page pops up in the update. Notice the name and category overlay the photo, which could be challenging with your current Cover Photo. 

Respond directly to comments. Brand pages can now respond directly to comments, creating more active and organized conversation threads. Next time a fan asks a question, click “reply” on his or her comment and respond directly to the person, rather than leaving the response at the very bottom of the conversation thread. 

Could it be? Hashtags may finally be coming to Facebook! Personally, I’m surprised this hasn’t already happened since we’re seeing hashtags on Facebook being used left and right. Read more info in this TechCrunch article.

As a personal Facebook user or admin of a page, which Facebook changes are you most excited to see?

Header image from Facebook. 

The silver ADDY was awarded to 3fold in the PSA category for our work with Fourth & Hope. We partnered with Franklin Pictures on the amazing video, titled “Give Hope“, please take a moment to watch it!

The gold ADDY 3fold received was for our advertising work in the arts and sciences category, which featured a campaign we created for Sacramento Opera’s 2012-2013 season. This campaign was centered on headlines and images that were packed with a bright, bold and witty personality.

As always, thanks again to Sacramento Ad Club for hosting a great ADDYs Show! Here’s to a another year of fantastic ad work and many more years to come.

Why is this issue important?

• Kids who don’t read at grade level by the end of third grade are 70% more likely to eventually drop out.
• In our region, 52% of third grade students do not score “proficient” on the year-end STAR test.
• 56% of fourth grade students in our region do not read at grade level.
• 70% of inmates in American prisons cannot read above a fourth grade level.
• Children entering school who have not developed basic literacy skills are three to four times more likely to drop out in later years.

Do you remember how amazing it felt to get a brand new book as a kid–all the worlds it opened up? Right now, there are 660 local kids between the ages of 5 and 9 waiting for their own new books. Help them experience the joys of a Green, Green Garden…or visit Marley Firehouse Dog…or make friends with Frog and Toad Are Friends…or gets lost in the excitement of Geronimo Stilton: The Enormous Pearl Heist. Donating books is such an easy and fun way to make a major impact in the lives of our area’s children. As these will be the next generation of teachers, engineers, community leaders, writers, doctors, and 3folders, I wanted to ask all of 3fold partners and friends to consider helping out.

Donate books online at: http://www.gifttool.com/registrar/ShowEventDetails?ID=1793&EID=12538

As an example, Sacramento has quite a few fantastic “shop local” efforts underway including:

• “Keep Your Green on the Grid”
• Shop Local. Shop Small.
• Bring a Friend
• Small Business Saturday

Looking at those, though, is it any wonder why many of us only think about “shop local” when we’re grocery shopping, going out to eat or looking to buy a gift? This needs to change.

Shop local applies to more than just restaurants and retail.

As a marketing agency, one of the most frustrating things we deal with is when other local companies choose agencies outside of the region to do their marketing or rebranding work. The perceived glitz of a San Francisco or New York or Chicago agency overshadowing the very real benefits of what a local firm brings to the table—namely, local expertise and inside information. While some businesses of course need a cross-regional/state/national/global approach—and we work with several like this, so we know it can be a different story—most are focused primarily on audiences closer to home. So, “shopping local” would get these businesses more targeted and effective branding and messaging, connect them faster to important stakeholders, and streamline their media placements. It would also prove they understand the importance of supporting their fellow local businesses.

When we limit our “shopping” to dining and retail, we’re missing the entire point of “shop local”.  It is not JUST about eating lettuce grown within a 75 mile radius – it’s about supporting local small businesses and building local economic security. Whether we’re talking lawyers, accounting firms, doctors, business consultants, or, yes, marketing agencies, look local first. My agency does when we need services—and we’ve found the talent in our own backyard.

Across the board, industry-to-industry, I’d stack Sacramento’s businesses up against any “big city” competition. Our only downside is an unfortunate lack of community confidence. The second we stop thinking of ourselves as “just Sacramento” and start recognizing our own incredible value as a creative hub, pushing “shop local” won’t even be needed…it’ll be assumed.

Top 3 Local Pubs:

• Pangaea
• Samuel Horne’s Tavern
• LowBrau

Top 3 Bottle Shops:

• Davis Beer Shoppe
• Capitol Beer & Tap Room
• Pangaea Bottle Shop

Top 3 Local Micro Breweries:

• Berryessa Brewing Co.
• Knee Deep Brewing
• Ruhstaller

Top 3 Beer Week Events We’re Looking Forward To:

• Rare Beer Night at Pangaea Café
• Sour Fest at Hot City Pizza
• US vs. Belgium Beer Dinner at The Shack (SOLD OUT)

Visit the Sacramento Beer Week website for a full list of fantastic events happening through March 3rd.

Cheers!

Darcey is 3fold’s Creative Director but she also writes a beer blog with her husband: His & Hers Beer Notes. Daniel is a writer, Darcey is a designer. They love sampling craft beers and comparing notes in their own unique ways – he writes, she draws.

Here are a few photos from the 3fold table that night (we were on our best behavior):

As a young professional, I hear a lot of talk about the importance of maintaining a work-life balance. Every time I hear this, though, I always feel like an essential third element is missing for a truly balanced life: community. Because as important as networking and continued education are to developing our careers, and quality time spent with friends and family is to building our personal lives, volunteering and philanthropic leadership are vital for shaping the world in which we both work and live.

This is why I was drawn to the United Way’s Emerging Leaders program. Our community has so many wonderful industry-focused organizations and young professional groups dedicated to career advancement and education, but finding one that concentrates on developing the philanthropic capabilities of the next generation of leaders in our community is unique.

…read the full post.

While the debate is ongoing about whether any of these ads would be added to last year’s list of favorite Super Bowl commercials of all time, a handful of spots sparked conversation in the 3fold breakroom this morning. Here are our top 5 favorites for 2013:

5. Budweiser – The Clydesdales: “Brotherhood”

4. Audi – “Prom”

3. Tide – “Miracle Stain”

2. Ram Trucks – “Farmer”

1. OREO – “Whisper Fight”

On top of their stellar commercial, OREO’s social media team also scored major points with a quick and humorous shout out tweet during one of the game’s biggest moments: the 30-minute stadium blackout. Bravo, OREO, we’re buying a bag for the office out of respect.

Now it’s your turn – what was your favorite commercial from this year’s Super Bowl?

Header photo taken from NFL.com.

On the new website, you have the opportunity to catch up on the 3fold team…

Check out an infographic highlighting what we do…

Read a special section dedicated to Sacramento…

…and much more! Please take a moment to get acquainted with our new 3fold website, then come back and tell us your thoughts.

Weird thing to lead with, I get it. But seriously, throughout this entire mess, as much as I actively dislike them, I want to close my eyes, open them and have the Maloofs of 2002 back on the scene. The Maloofs that helped build a team and inspire my city to have fun, feel passionate and come together behind something that, at least for me, meant so much more than just a winning team. It was community, it was pride for our city, and it was seeing our river and our skyline featured on national television night after night. I won’t ever forget that time in Kings history, and dare I say that most Kings fans would agree. It was amazing. It was blood pumping, pride fueling, heartbreaking-buzzer-beating-shots, good times. And I truly, and very dearly, want to like the Maloofs as I did back then. A decade later we have been locked in a bitter and nasty fight to the death over a team that is important to both sides, just for very different reasons. The fight is nearly over, and it’s not looking as rosy as I think we all hoped.

I realize that owning a professional sports team is a business… it’s not just “for the love of the game.” But does it have to be so awful? We tried to stay on board, and in fact attendance is slightly up this season… but anyone who doesn’t live in Sacramento and isn’t a Kings fan is probably watching what looks like our crap-tastic turnout at each home game and saying, “Of course the Kings are leaving, they can’t even fill their old sad arena. Serves Sacramento right.”

But here’s the thing… our city is angry. The Maloofs are trying to, and based on recent reports might successfully, take away something that has helped build our regional identity, and we’re punishing them the only way we know how. It’s that simple.

Which brings me to my next point… #HereWeBuy.

You want to see the true heart and spirit of Sacramento Kings fans? Do yourself a favor and click-on-over to herewebuy.org. It’s a grassroots effort that was developed to help show the NBA and the rest of the country the real strength, dedication and downright financial viability of this market. The deal is that you pledge to buy season tickets if the Maloofs leave, and if a new arena is built. To date, over 4,500 individuals have pledged well over $18,000,0000 dollars in season tickets if we get to keep our team, and dump their current owners.

We’re all about it at 3fold… from the perspective of #HereWeBuy being a killer social media driven grassroots campaign, and also from the perspective that here at 3fold, we can’t help but support any and all efforts that will help Sacramento continue to grow. We live here, we work here and we play here. Do we think that Sacramento can still thrive without the Kings? Sure. But we’re unwilling to just lay down and let it happen to us. It’s the eleventh hour, and I think we’re all feeling a little defeated… but, we’re with you Sacramento… we’ve got one last push left, let’s do this: #HereWeBuy.

Header image from herewebuy.org.

Not so cool:

• Lance Armstrong. It wasn’t cool what he did back then; and to many, this week’s Oprah interview is a PR misstep for him. What do you think?

Pretty cool:

• Walmart announced it will provide a job to any veteran who applies.  Cool.
• Mayor Johnson kept up the fight to keep our Sacramento Kings. Cool. (Stay tuned for a blog post about the Kings.)
• This week, Martin Luther King, Jr. would have turned 84.  Cool + bittersweet. Our continued recognition of all he did for our country, and world. Cool.

Another particularly cool thing for me this week was hearing Pulitzer prize winning poet Tracy K. Smith’s essay on National Public Radio. Did you catch it? If not, click here to listen or take a moment to read her essay. For those of us working in small business, as well as those of us working in nonprofit organizations trying to make the world better, she made an excellent recommendation: wake up, stop complacent dreaming and, instead, put desires into action – activate our hope. She said, “Hope makes us agents in our own fates. Hope defies us to sit back and wait. It says, buckle down, gather steam. Hope denies us retreat to the dream.”

Whatever you do this holiday weekend, I hope you also consider Ms. Smith’s advice. As we honor Martin Luther King, Jr.’s legacy, we should try to remember what exactly this legacy demonstrates: the greatest things in life can only be achieved by activating your dreams.

What could activation mean for your own life?

Check out more photos over on our Facebook page!