Going From Absolute Zero to 2 Million Dollars
In 2012, we had an idea: to bring talent from across the world to projects that needed diverse skill sets. We wanted to connect project managers to talented individuals through a freelancing network, providing talented people with contracts, and companies with access to skills they needed. That was when CreativesAtWork was born.
Just like most startups, we didn’t have much of a plan! Instead, slowly, by working with people we knew and trusted, we developed short term, working plans, which allowed us to inch forward into the next plan, and then the next, and the next. Each plan made would inevitably change. And then we’d change them again. It’s a story familiar to many startups, but that didn’t make it feel like any less of a roller coaster!
5 years later, I’m thrilled to say, we have a core team of 5 dedicated employees, and a freelance networking base of over 1600 freelancers, and a completed portfolio of over $2 million in completed projects. And we are still expanding!
Throughout this journey, as we saw startups blossom and wither around us, we learned some key lessons, and developed the values that kept us going. In particular, I’d like to share the 5 key values that, I believe, have ultimately lead us to success:
1. Passion
You need to be passionate about what you are doing. Steve Jobs said the only way to do great things is to love what you do. We didn’t know where we were heading when we first started, but we loved the idea we had, and we loved working with networks of talented people. That passion for the work we were doing lead us forward.
2. Clarity
We have always been very clear, internally and externally, that we are solution provider. For us, ensuring the clarity and strength of our value proposition was essential from the very beginning, allowing us to position ourselves well with our contacts, and build trustworthy relationships.
3. Community
Any startup must be community-minded, no question. We see our networks not as business opportunities, but as friends, and professionals who have their own goals to meet. I cannot emphasize enough how integral that treatment of our community has been to developing good and trustworthy relationships.
4. Flexibility
Any new company is going to experience its ups and downs – it’s a part of the job description! It’s important to be able to adapt quickly, staying agile when circumstances change. Mistakes will happen – they are inevitable. But choosing to take opportunities to learn, grow and improve is a decision you make with your team.
5. Bravery
If you never try, you’ll never know. If you have an idea – small, big, it doesn’t matter – do it. Try it. Don’t wait for a bigger idea, or funding that may or may not come. Use the resources you have, and slowly build it up. Take the chance, and see what comes out of it!
I believe the future of work will include creative and non-traditional means to accomplish things that we can’t even imagine yet. Creativity and project management are key 21st century skillsets, and they are in ever-higher demand. We are well positioned to ride the next wave of change and propel our company to even greater heights, using our key values to keep us oriented.
Hope to see you on the journey!
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