And So It Begins...
Hello friends,
If you are receiving this email, you belong to one of three groups:
21 Days: Long ago, we started a software project that allowed people to take a three-week challenge with the possibility of kicking off a new habit. It was meant to be a social experience, architected over Facebook’s API (application program interface). After Facebook changed the rules of their API game, we had to put the project on ice. We have a new plan to get that going again, so more on that later!
SPARK6: Eric kicked off a couple agency newsletters in our half-assed attempt to do some marketing. After near a decade of being around, our business comes by word of mouth and referrals. Marketing aside, everyone gets busy, and we really would like to keep in touch with all the people we enjoy being connected with, so we promise to stay the course this coming year!
Friends of Elijah: First of all, if you’re a friend of Elijah’s, we apologize. That must be generally difficult. He also had a newsletter which was an even worse half-assed attempt to stay in touch. In other news, he's about to move his family to Salt Lake City, UT and open another office there, and he promises to stay connected this time.
If you’re not one of the above folks, or you are and simply can’t be bothered with email, please unsubscribe by clicking the unsubscribe link at the bottom of this email. We honestly don’t want to annoy you. If you’re still with us, here’s what you can expect. Once a month, we will send you the following:
A Challenge. In the spirit of the 21 Days project, we plan on getting out of our comfort zones every month of 2020. We’ll identify a challenge in the categories of health, wealth, or relationships that our staff will be attempting for that month. We’ll include the rationale of why we believe it’s worth trying, how to make it happen, and the rules of engagement. Twelve months, twelve challenges.
Project of the Month. In case you didn’t know, we build stuff. Interactive stuff on screens like websites, mobile apps, and custom software. Even though we build all kinds of stuff from online shopping to other agencies' marketing sites, our favorite stuff is the stuff that betters the human condition in some way. We love projects that thread technology into wellness, sustainability, social justice, and education. Each month we’ll talk about a client that we feel is moving the needle in one of these areas.
Staff Spotlight. We’ve got a different kind of work environment than most agencies. If we are not hosting a team meeting with a client, there are ZERO days required in the office. Part of this is just a product of being in Los Angeles and not wanting to subject any sentient being to time on the 405. As it is, over 150K Angelinos spend 3 hours or longer commuting each day. Aside from the obvious environmental impact, that is valuable time which could be spent with family, friends, and Netflix. So when it comes to collaborative tech, we practice what we preach. We use video calls, project boards, and real time chat like nobody’s business. The downside of keeping people off the roads is that onsite time is usually all work and very little play. We’re not chatting around the water cooler for twenty minutes or bonding over heated foosball games. Each month we plan on going a bit deeper than a quick Zoom call to discover what makes some of these folks tick.
That’s it. We hope to stay connected and wish you and yours a great holiday break. Chat next year!
Elijah Szasz & Eric Colbert
Partners, SPARK6
