Small Agency Life: 3 Things to Know

I’ve been at Orange Element for almost three weeks and it’s definitely a different environment than my previous gig. My last job was a corporate giant with international offices, Chief Marketing Officers and Vice Presidents of Free Bagel Friday’s. But here I get to work in a charming row home (but with an exciting move in our near future!), know every team member’s name (and their favorite places to eat), and talk with clients over fancy cheese at happy hours.

Are you thinking about switching to a small marketing agency? Here are a few things you can expect:

1. Small doesn’t mean weak.
I admit, I was a bit wary transitioning from a 300-person office to a smaller agency environment. Where would I eat my lunch? What if I talk too loudly during calls? Sure, Orange Element doesn’t have 5 floors of wall-to-wall offices and 17 conference rooms. But office size doesn’t affect the type of work this team churns out. In fact, the “family style” culture only strengthens the work, injecting it with more passion and open minds than I could’ve imagined. And yes, there is a place to eat your lunch.

2. You get to do a lot of cool stuff.
From branding new maker spaces to local breweries, Orange Element’s client list doesn’t fall short of exciting. Because of this, we get to experience hands-on immersion that you won’t get at a lot of other places – like welding workshops and samples of craft beer (Monument City is now one of my favorites).

3. You feel valued.
I’ve gone from cube number to vital vessel. Every bit of work that every employee creates feels significant to the interworking’s of Orange Element. My coworkers are visibly relieved when I roll my chair over and help write copy, right then and there. And best of all? I love what I’m doing. I have the freedom to explore my ideas (read: this blog post) while contributing to the team’s needs.

One thing’s for sure: orange is starting to look good on me.

Want to join the team too? Check out Orange Element’s current job openings here.