Sleepless nights, cold sweats, mental health, transparency and giving back – why running your own agency is all worthwhile
Awaken’s founder and CEO, Chris Parker, reflects on a decade in the Australian marketing industry, and what he hopes to see the industry focus on in the future.
When asked exactly how we’ve made it through 10 years in the national marketing landscape, my honest response is always short and sharp: It ain’t all rainbows and sunshine!
From freelancing at my kitchen table, just days after my twins were born, hustling to get any small project and furiously contacting my LinkedIn clients, to being named on the Australian Financial Review’s Top 100 fastest growing companies list for the past four years, it’s been one hell of a ride for Awaken.
The realities of running a large-scale media agency are tough. There are sleepless nights, and moments where you’re pacing the halls and sweating the details. There are stretches where all you can think about is problems – and it sucks.
The past year has been particularly challenging. We’ve watched clients drastically cut budgets, consumer confidence dip to unprecedented lows, and spending in key categories significantly slow. And while we’ve continued to win new clients and managed to retain staff, it’s felt like a race to just stay on pace. We’ve had to work harder than ever to preserve our momentum and maintain our position in-market, in light of the broader economic conditions.
