2019 in Review
What a year it's been for us at That Marketing Guy.
We've won and lost clients; worked on projects we loved and grit our teeth through those we didn't like as much. We've had our work displayed in the open, but put in even more hours into those that nobody else will see. Whatever it may be, I hope that everyone in the team has something to be proud of from the past year.
The team has morphed significantly in 2019, with new faces in the office and a couple of farewell lunches. We've even said goodbye to Will, the founder of That Marketing Guy in November. (He's settling in well into his new role as VP of Marketing at JustCo)
While most of you know Will as my husband, I'd like to share a bit today about Will as my mentor.
On our first date, Will told me that he was leaving his job at a private education institution. Over the next few months, he struggled to settle into his next role, and he eventually decided to bite the bullet and start That Marketing Guy in 2013. While I was falling for the man - whom I'd eventually marry 4 years later - I was also drawn to his passion for marketing. His philosophy was simple: All businesses, big or small, deserve excellent and efficient marketing.
And so it began. Between my school obligations at NUS, Will and I would work together to do bits of what different people do in the team today. We'd meet with prospects and clients, manage social media pages, write copy, do design, dabble in photography, talk with printers and all sorts of other vendors. No client's budget was ever too small for us, and no task was unimportant. We worked out of anywhere we could find. My fondest memory is of us working together on designing a brochure until 5am at a closed coffee shop along Upper Thomson Road.
I finally got my first regular pay check in 2014 when That Marketing Guy landed its first big client. After that, we were able to grow the business year after year, and here we are today.
There were 3 annoying things that Will demanded of me at work, which I took a long time to accept. Hindsight is always 20/20, and we've since come to a (rare) mutual agreement that he's right. So, let's reframe this... As a mentor, Will taught me 3 valuable lessons that continue to guide my work and set my expectations for everyone at That Marketing Guy.
The best ideas are not created, they're sold.
First, showmanship is critical. As the saying goes, the best ideas are not created, they're sold. Presentation of our work is key. That's why our reports are never done in Excel sheets, and we pick on layout when you're not a designer and use of language when you're not a copywriter. As marketers, communication is at the heart of what we do - how can we be entrusted with creating communication materials to a broader audience when we fail to communicate our own ideas well?
Always over-deliver.
Second, always over-deliver. Expectations belie all interactions, and it's up to all of us to find out how we can exceed someone's expectations. Great things don't happen when we do exactly what we're told to, and exceptional work doesn't come from doing the same thing the same way over and over. Start small: get ahead of deadlines and deliver work early; add pizzazz into improving presentation of work; and make time to really massage and refine the big, crazy ideas and turn them into reality.
Say yes first.
Last, say yes first, figure out how to do it along the way. While That Marketing Guy was built on a leap of faith and sufficient knowledge about the work we do, it grew because we were able to prove our capabilities through opportunities that came our way. I'm sure that we'd not have come anywhere near this far if we'd only said yes to the things we knew how to execute to perfection. I started knowing nothing about accounting, HR, account servicing, Public Relations, printing and production, nor managing a team - and I certainly don't claim to be an expert on any of these now. However, I've always understood the outcomes I need to deliver and improved on delivering those outcomes by learning from the successes and failures.
At the heart of it all, a can-do attitude and a commitment to working smart took us from a company with S$60 in starting capital to one that bills its clients well over a million dollars annually. I hope that even as we continue to grow, that we never lose the grittiness that got us here.
Taking on the mantle from Will, I'd like to thank everyone in the team for having come this far with us, and that I'm humbled by the opportunity I now have to take us further in 2020.
Today, we've got better people on the team than when we first started - talented, hardworking people who take our work to the next level. We're working in a different league than when we first started, being trusted by more prominent brands to deliver work in the same league as the big (or medium...) boys.
The year will kick off with newly-minted clients and game-changing projects for us. Beyond that, I hope that we can continue to set our sights higher and continue to push ourselves to accomplish bigger, better things: Better clients, better work for clients old and new, better as teammates to each other, and a better That Marketing Guy for all. May 2020 be filled with new challenges, inspiring moments, personal and professional growth, and most importantly, lots of love for the work and people around you.
Written by
Enxin Wong
General Manager, That Marketing Guy
Published on
LinkedIn
December 12, 2019