Archive for the ‘Around the Office’ Category

Entrepreneurship: Making the Leap

Posted February 24, 2010, by Tiffany Dowling

I never wanted to be an entrepreneur.  If fact, I resisted the idea for some time. I’ll admit I was in a transition and open to new opportunities. Who isn’t, after all? I was just not open to that one. Running a business seemed really complicated. There’s the client acquisition, the process development, the accounting, the billing and the list goes on.

It’s National Entrepreneurship Week!

On February 20 – 27, 2010, the Consortium for Entrepreneurship Education will sponsor the 4th annual National Entrepreneurship Week. In 2006 the US Congress established the need for celebration of National Entrepreneurship Week as a celebration of American entrepreneurs and the lifelong learning educational opportunities that prepare the NEW business leaders of the future. www.nationaleweek.org

However, for several weeks there were signs that kept presenting themselves, and if you believe that things happen for a reason, then you have to eventually stop and look at where life is pointing you.

I was lucky. Life knew better than I did that running a business would be a good thing for me. And, I definitely have the skill set that help an entrepreneur succeed. I am passionate, willing to work as long and hard as it takes to make things happen and, above all, I’m a risk taker.

I’m always open to trying new things and I never get worked up at the thought of failing. It is a great way to learn. I also like having the flexibility to dream. There are so many ideas that I have. It never stops. I wake up in the middle of the night and process the next thought. Not everything works out, but it is fun to know that I can process an idea, do the research and make a decision to move forward — or not.

There are days that I want to walk away from the pressure, responsibility and heartache. But, more than anything, I wake up and can’t wait to get after it. I arrive at work and the day flies by.  I love every minute of it.  I love the idea generation, the team that I work with and what we do to make businesses grow. It makes me happy.

There are two types of entrepreneurs: those who are driven by the type of work they do and those who just like to lead and it doesn’t matter what the business is. I’m a passion-driven entrepreneur. I don’t think I could run any business that I wasn’t personally connected to. If you’re interested in being an entrepreneur, I highly recommend it. It won’t be easy. In fact, it will be the toughest thing you’ve ever done.

Assess your skill set, do the research, decide to take the risk and go for it. Even if it doesn’t work out, it will be worth it.

Here’s a list of resources for entrepreneurs in Lansing:
Great Lakes Entrepreneur’s Quest
Center for New Enterprise Opportunity
Entrepreneur Institute of Mid-Michigan
East Lansing Technology Innovation Center
Lansing Economic Area Partnership
Next Bright Idea

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12 New Things

Posted January 7, 2010, by Tiffany Dowling

yarn ballsI’ll just put it right out there: 2010 marks my fortieth year on this planet, and I decided it was time for a daring resolution. I’m a risk-taker by nature and there’s a lot I’ve yet to do. So, why not make 2010 the year I get around to doing them?

Just before the New Year, I sat down with some trusting team members and compiled a list of 24 things I’ve never done. (Correction: 24 things I’ve never done and would be willing to try.) After compiling the list, each of my teammates voted on the 12 things they want to see me try in 2010 (one each month).

So, here it is, my new year’s resolution. The official list of “new things” I’m going to attempt in 2010 (in order, from January to December):

1. Take a polar plunge

2. Knit a scarf

3. Shoot a gun

4. Learn ballroom dancing

5. Change a tire

6. Hot air balloon ride

7. Skydive

8. Drive a tractor

9. Canoe the Grand River

10. Try Indian food

11. Take voice lessons; sing karaoke in front of people

12. Donate 30 pairs of new shoes to charity in one month

Spectators will be encouraged and welcomed at each of these events. Stay tuned for times and details. Of course, there will be photo evidence, or it didn’t happen.

“You must do the thing you think you cannot do.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

Are you thinking of trying something new in 2010? Share it below and Tiffany may join you. Live your fears Mid-Michigan … make your dreams a reality!

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Happy Holidays, from our M3 family to yours

Posted December 14, 2009, by M3

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51 things you should (or shouldn’t) know about M3

Posted December 2, 2009, by Justin Sailor
  1. 614 Seymour was built 1901.
  2. In the basement, there is a dirt room used for storage; on more than one occasion, a dark spirit has been spotted there.
  3. Most employees have a favorite cup.
  4. Every employee has a favorite pen brand.
  5. There are several bottomless candy dishes throughout the office.

  6. The staff participates in frequent ice cream runs in the summer.
  7. All employees are categorized by one of three types of birds: peacock, dove or eagle. M3 is seeking an owl to add to the flock.
  8. Justin is the only man to have ever worked on the second floor.
  9. Monday mornings are team meetings; Thursday mornings are brainstorming.
  10. Good food goes fast. First come, first served.
  11. Bad food goes fast, too. Second come gets the bad food.
  12. M3 once covered its parking lot with sand for a blizzard beach party — Tiana can testify to the challenges of keeping a blizzard tent cold on the hottest day of the year.

  13. Our creativity is often fueled by donuts.
  14. The 3D version of our mascot, Aha, was made from a toilet seat cover. The perfect color of teal!
  15. We squeeze a squeaking giraffe when meetings get off topic.
  16. 614 Seymour magically expands in correlation with M3’s growth to make room for new employees.
  17. Falling down the third floor staircase isn’t as bad as it looks — until you run out of steps.
  18. M3 subscribes to Advertising Age, Communication Arts, The Greater Lansing Business Monthly and several other publications.
  19. Many of the decorative details of 614 Seymour — the pink bathroom tiling, the elaborate fireplace — are original Victorian work.
  20. We draw pigs and giraffes.
  21. Sometimes our media invites include fresh hot dogs or picket fencing.
  22. The original molding contains several secret doors and hiding places.
  23. Every day is crazy.

  24. Pets are welcome at work any time. Many have become members of the team.
  25. We sometimes have to double park cars in our parking lot.
  26. You can always count on the team to make it happen … day after day.
  27. M3 publishes Capital Area Women’s LifeStyle Magazine (CAWLM).
  28. Every issue of CAWLM’s first year is framed and hung in Jennifer’s office.
  29. M3 works hard, plays hard and creates big ideas.
  30. We have a mechanical engineer running the marketing and graphic design department. Joni rocks the casbah.
  31. The third floor is haunted (and yes, Stephen is totally serious, Julie can vouch for this).
  32. Our coat closet is on the third floor (great spot for a coat closet, we know), and is affectionately referred to as “the dorm room”; Julie petitioned to move in when she was still at MSU.
  33. Some of us are Macs and some of us are PCs.
  34. We have a small collection of board games; Scattergories gets the most use.
  35. We once counted how many marshmallows were in a box of Lucky Charms, then helped to donate more than 85 boxes of cereal to the Greater Lansing Food Bank in partnership with the Lansing Breakfast Club.
  36. The south window in Tiffany’s office rattles violently when the wind blows.
  37. We all have a unique color of homemade flubber sitting on our desk.
  38. Everyone at M3 wants to kick their Brother (don’t worry, it’s just the temperamental second floor printer).

  39. Our company vehicle is often toting a big fish around to various locations to delight children in the community.
  40. Justin rarely speaks in full sentences; this is especially verified by Emily and Julie.
  41. We have a puzzle map of the United States.  The state of Maine is missing.
  42. The second floor “Bacon Bin” is divided by Nice Camp and Mean Camp. Nice Camp wants to be friends; Mean Camp refuses to leave.

  43. Our team concierge, Julia, doubles as the office florist.
  44. There’s a hole under the rug in the parlor.
  45. There is a dispute between Chris and Justin over ownership over the fan.
  46. M3’s parking lot doubles as a lake after a rainstorm.
  47. Julie (”Eagle Eye”) and Julia (”Watch Dog”) are the resident parking lot enforcers.
  48. Wood floors at 614 Seymour can be slippery even when only steam-cleaned.
  49. Unexpected breakfast burritos are the best any day of the week.
  50. White/bulletin boards and filing cabinets outnumber M3 employees at 614 Seymour, because our big ideas simply cannot be contained by a mere one per employee.
  51. Extra umbrellas are always available on the first floor … for brainstorming meetings that get exceptionally wild.

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The Other Side of M3

Posted August 26, 2009, by Julie Becker

To an extent, we all live with dueling personalities.

There’s a part of us that we show to the world, and another that lives deep inside our beings. The spectrum on which these personalities live is different for everyone. Some like to let it all hang out, while others keep their true colors quietly tucked away. The team at M3 prefers to live in the former, and it’s time we came clean.

The goal of our agency rebranding is three-fold:

  1. Keep the conversation going
  2. Help clients find their aha moments
  3. Remain transparent on all levels

What could be more conversational, aha-riffic or transparent than the personality each of us nurtures and exudes daily? Our brand deserved the creativity and uniqueness of every employee under the roof of 614 Seymour. Then, we had an aha moment of our own.

We wondered, why is it that so many creative, or “creative” agencies aren’t capitalizing on their most creative asset: the team? If there were any photos at all on agency sites, we found most of them to be generic, run-of-the-mill staff headshots or buttoned-up photos of CEOs and VPs and CDs. Bor. Ing.

That’s not us! That’s not the kind of show we’re running here. We’re not perfect headshots or buttoned-up black suit/white shirt and tie combos.

We have hobbies and passions, and make Rubik’s Cube costumes for Halloween. We like playing with desk tchotchkes and laughing and eating Cheetos out of fanny packs. We grow vegetables, wear jeans to work and go barefoot in the office if the mood strikes us.

There was no good reason our photos shouldn’t reflect all of this and more. If our clients are human, why can’t we be human, too?

So, Lynne Brown and her team at Perspective 2 in Old Town, Lansing, put on their working pants and carved out an entire day to capture the essence of our team.

After a bit of planning, coordination and about a dozen trips to the studio on a sunny day in July, we did it: a real staff photo shoot, complete with the zest and personality of our team.

It was no easy feat (we assure you), but the fruits of Brown’s labor and that of her camera are simply incredible. (Thanks, Lynne!)

If you haven’t discovered these photographic gems, visit the talent pages of our site. You can roll over the team’s professional photos, (as close to buttoned up as we’re going to get), to reveal our true(r) personalities. And for your efforts, we’d like to reward you with a video.

Here are the outtakes and M3 team photos we didn’t want you to see (at least not right away). Enjoy getting to know us in another light; then, go ahead — give us a call. We’ve got nothing to hide, and everything to show. Your aha moment awaits …

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Meet the M3 Team All Over Again

Posted August 11, 2009, by M3

And you thought we were crazy before

With a whole new Web site, we want to reintroduce the talent that makes it all happen at 614 Seymour.  During the last several months, a few faces have been added to the M3 team.  So if you haven’t met us all, take a look and get connected today.

Now you can get to know our deepest, darkest secrets.  Click each photo to read more.

Tiffany Dowling Joni Rainbolt Tiana Hawver Stephen PlumbleyChris HantleEmily WenstromJulie Becker Jennifer Hodges Kyle Dowling Julia Kloeckner Justin Sailor

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M3’s New Web Site

Posted August 11, 2009, by Justin Sailor

Welcome to the new Web site of M3.  We’re introducing new tools, having more fun and giving you more ways than ever to keep in touch with us and find out what’s going on.  Here’s a taste of what’s new.

Aha Moments & the Office Fuzzball

Please let us introduce you to Aha, M3’s office fuzzball. Born out of dream, Aha stands for everything that’s innovative and mind-opening inside our agency.

Keeper of our clients’ light bulbs and king of the aha moment, Aha is ready for you to share yours. So what are you waiting for? Your next aha moment is just around the corner.  Share yours or read more about aha moments.

Bios

M3 has expanded.  With new talent comes more experience, and with more experience comes more capabilities.  Each staff bio gives you a rundown of who we are, where we come from, our accomplishments, social media links and even some warm fuzzies.  Meet the team.

Reading list

We’re staying at the top of our game and sharing our favorite resources with you.  These are articles that give us inspiration, shed light on industry news or offer some mid-afternoon entertainment.  Read away.

Blog

Stay up to date with what’s going on around the M3 office, in the industry and get a dose of creativity and inspiration.  Clearly, if you’re reading this you’ve alredy found the blog.  And of course you can bookmark or subscribe to our blog. Thanks for reading, we hope you enjoy!

Twitter

We’re tweeple, too.  We tweet.  We attend tweetups.  We retweet.  And yours truly may even be a tweetaholic.  At the end of the day, we realize the importance of Twitter.  Feel free to start following @M3_Group today, and say hello to us while you’re there.

News room

For our media contacts we have a special section just for you so you can get the scoop.  Subscribe to our press releases via e-mail our RSS.  We’re providing the archive, PDFs, contact information and content so you can easily find the information you’re looking for.

Last, but not least, come say hello

Pick up the phone if you’re old school, tweet at us if you’re new school. Come say hello, we’d love to meet you.

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