Author: Team DIGO

This is the note I got to write to our team members.

The Best Small Agency In The North East, According to AdAge. You.

Yup, that’s right. Sarah just reported from The AdAge Small Agency Awards in Austin that DiMassimo Goldstein has taken the GOLD for the North East region.

Take a look at a map or globe — that’s a pretty large parcel of real estate!!

This one is really about all of us. All of us together. And the clients too, sincerely. And the great leaders we have built and earned. But mostly the leadership that flows in every direction at our place, up and sideways, and ping pong-like too.

This really is about courage, love, and understanding.

And it really is a story of a leap to greatness.

Not that you should think I’m suggesting we’re there yet, though I don’t question AdAge’s judgement. For myself, I think we’re in mid-leap and we still need all of those values — every bit of them that we can muster — to get where we’re going.

But, we’ll take this encouragement. We’ll celebrate. And we’ll use it too!

I’m proud of you.

Mark

On Fighting Past Failure

Kevin Karp, Associate Creative Director/Art Director at DiMassimo Goldstein

“Alright, what do you want to do?”

I’d spent the last nine months trying to answer the question for myself. Now, the creative director at DiMassimo Goldstein was asking me the same, while clicking through my website half-heartedly. Considering the lack of advertising in my book, it was a fair question.

In the months after my start-up company crumbled, I’d lost a lot: confidence, purpose, direction, and most of the progress I’d made as a self-supporting, high-functioning adult. I hadn’t touched my design portfolio since the first term of the George W. administration, and the only reason I had a meeting with him at all was because he owed a favor to a recruiter. And he was desperate. (more…)

The Comeback Kid

Richard Roberts, Business Development Executive at DiMassimo Goldstein

Zero. That was how much experience I had with advertising before walking through the doors of DiMassimo Goldstein back in April 2013. As a matter of fact, it the was first time I saw the inside of an ad agency other than while watching Mad Men, even though I was already a self-proclaimed Don Draper (could also be the hair or love of skinny ties).

I was interviewing for an “Account Executive” position, but hell, I would have interviewed for a position digging ditches for DiGo, if that’s what it took to get into this industry and more so with this company. The reason I was so adamant about getting into advertising is a story for another blog, but long blog short, I got an offer despite my lack of experience. My lack of experience began to show quickly, and the agency was changing just as fast. A few months later it looked like I was going to be walking out of those glass doors (which I think might look better with ‘Roberts’ added to them as well, just saying) for the last time… a short ride that started after a year of incessant emailing to Mark DiMassimo. (more…)

NYC or Sweet Tea?

Kevin Still, ACD/Writer at DiMassimo Goldstein

I never wanted to live in New York City, frankly the idea sent chills down my spine so cold it froze my southern roots. All I heard growing up was how rude New Yorker’s were because they got mugged every single day.  Plus, where do you even get real sweet tea in New York anyhow?

So, when I received an email from an old instructor and DiMassimo Goldstein creative director about visiting and checking out the opportunity to become a copywriter here, I thought, “Eh it’s a free trip to NYC, but working and living there? Not a Slurpee’s chance Hawaii.”

I have to say, no matter where you’re from; flying over the NYC skyline is breathtaking. You can see and feel the energy, even from the plane. And for the first time in my life, I was greeted at the airport with a driver dude holding up my name on a sign. I felt like kind of a big deal.

When I walked into DiMassimo Goldstein I could feel the energy. The air was electrified with creative excitement, bursting from a sleek and strikingly designed office. Complimented by the ultimate cherry on top: a Ping-Pong table! The next couple of hours were kind of a blur; I met with my potential partner (also named Kevin) and other amazingly creative and extremely talented people. (more…)

Leaps to Greatness – Tough Mudder

Photo by Merfam

The Inspiration

When Will Dean graduated from Harvard Business School, he faced a choice between helping the British Government catch terrorists or pursuing his dream – one that HBS called “too ambitious” when his business plan made the semifinals of the Harvard Business School New Venture Competition. Dean had soured on the corporate business world, and was in a mountain of debt upon graduating business school. He decided to focus on a building a lean startup, spending $300 on a basic website, $20 on Facebook ads and then worked hard to generate buzz for what would become the first Tough Mudder event.

The Leap to Greatness

The inspiration for Tough Mudder was the insight that, for athletes, the marathon experience can be quite dull. With over 500,000 people participating in marathons and 1.4 million attempting half marathons, the founders saw room to disrupt what were often poorly-run events with suboptimal experiences. As opposed to an individual event, they focused on teamwork. The result was a challenge that features a 10-12 mile course packed with 25 obstacles designed by British Special Forces to test the participant’s all-around strength, stamina, mental grit and camaraderie. (more…)

Write a worry list.

One secret of managing for growth is simply refusing to get clogged up.

You can think of this as never letting anything sit on your to do list.

But there’s still a problem:

Some of the most important things never make it to your to do list, because you don’t know what to do about them.

That’s why you need to start off by making a Worry List. What works for you? Talking? Doodling? Taking a walk? For me, writing works best. I’m uninhibited when I write. I just let my fingers fly and write any bullshit that comes out through my fingers. No one needs to see it anyway. At some point, I ask myself how I am. I ask myself what I’m worried about. I brainstorm concerns. There’s no bad worry here. I typically learn things I already knew, but didn’t know or remember I knew.

Think of great management as efficiently moving things from your worry list to your to do list to delegated, done or do-not-do.

I’m here to help you clear the blockages. The whole agency is. That’s what it’s an agent for! (more…)

Proud to be a Misfit

Gina Sund, Operations Manager at DiMassimo Goldstein

When people ask what my favorite thing about working at DiMassimo Goldstein is, I always reply with no hesitation, “the people.” The people, along with the quirky and bold work on the website, is what initially drew me to DiGo. And to this day, it is the people that make working here so engaging and enjoyable. Something I find not a lot of professionals can say, no doubt.

When I began at DiGo, the company was a fraction of the size it is today. We could fit the entire staff around the conference room table. Since then, the company has grown rapidly. Naturally, a lot of positive change has come with the explosive growth. But of all the things that have changed, one thing I can always count on staying very consistent is quality of the employees.

I like to think we are a tribe made up of people that dance to their own beat, and wouldn’t have it any other way. We are the misfits. All incredibly different, while sharing the unique traits that allow us to fit the DiGo mold and enjoy every crazy minute of it! (more…)