Trust, stories & spark Fridays: How we redefined agency culture

The phrase “I wish I knew then, what I know now” must run through the minds of every founder or entrepreneur at many points on their journey, most probably at 3am or on the way out of a pitch. In the six years since starting Paper + Spark I have certainly gathered a few such thoughts and here I’ve tried to distil them down into a “six of the best” that I hope you’ll find useful.

1. Culture is everything

At Paper + Spark, we believe that culture isn’t about having a ping-pong table in the break room (we don’t) or a special snack cupboard the contents of which we all vote on (we do), it’s the bedrock of everything we do and what makes us Sparks. Our SparkFlex program exemplifies this, providing true work-life flexibility rather than simply “balance. It’s a work anywhere/anytime, creative no-meeting-Friday’s, and we’ve replaced Sick Days with Wellbeing Days.

SparkFlex empowers our team to align work with life, not the other way around. Need to attend a child’s recital? Take the dog to the vet (or even just for a mind clearing walk) or completely change how you work or countries? We make it work.

We’ve also replaced traditional sick leave with “wellbeing days” to prioritise mental health and offer “Spark Fridays” to extend long weekends a few times a year. These initiatives aren’t just perks; they’re a reflection of our commitment to creating a workplace that values wellbeing as much as productivity. With a turnover rate below five per cent and a 9/10 employee satisfaction score, it’s clear that our approach is working. We’re here for the long haul and we want our team to feel the same​.