As we wrap up 8 years in business, it’s crazy to look back and think where we started year one vs where we are today (and still counting!):
We are proud to not only grow in numbers, but also in services and representation. By 2023, cred has:
Expanded from managing IRL speaking and thought leadership conferences only, to webinars, podcasts, virtual events, SKOs, sponsorship support, content management, and others.
Prioritized getting underrepresented groups visibility on stage. 52% of speakers we’ve managed at events are from underrepresented communities.
Fostered an environment where we can motivate and grow one another. As a women-led and all-women organization, we are proud to continue to support each other.
Building thought leaders and being the go-to for the events space, we continue to push to be at the forefront of the events industry. We’re confident that we’ve connected more speakers to events than any other agency in the world, and have secured and grown relationships with some of the most well-respected and sought-after events, not limited to, but including:
As I approach a decade of learnings, there are 5 things I continue to remind myself about running a successful agency daily:
1. People come first. The amount of talent, passion, and creativity each individual brings to cred every day is unlike anywhere else. Just under half of our employees have been here 4+ years (45%). We’ve worked to continue to find new avenues and opportunities where they can grow and be challenged, and further develop their skill sets. We’ve realized (and we continue to remind ourselves) that our business would not be able to exist if it weren’t for the people who keep it running.
2. Pick your champions and let them shine. I’ve always struggled with knowing how much to ‘let go’ as a founder, especially as the company continues to grow. I love the advice when people share that founders notice everything (because we do), but you quickly learn you can’t do everything yourself—and shouldn’t. Find the advocates that you align with who are going to do the job better than you, give them authority, and get out of their way.
3. You can never celebrate ‘too many wins.’ In more recent years, I’ve learned how motivated employees are by positive feedback. Constructive feedback is important for growth, but I’ve realized my ‘no news is good news’ management approach doesn’t go as far as a quick ‘great job’ or a public shoutout. Find fun ways to encourage this in your business. It doesn’t matter how big or small your business is, declare your milestones and when you reach them, celebrate. We often don’t realize we need these victories to remind us of just how far we’ve come.
4. Don’t try to do too much at once. We’ve always prided ourselves on simplicity and focus. From our first blog post to now, what we’re all about remains. We’re expanding our offering based on the needs and asks of our clients, but we’re careful not to shy away from our purpose. As a natural evolution, we’re excited to continue to evolve and develop new skills and experience across social media, speaker training, content creation, marketing and attendee comms, and so much more. Read more here and here.
5. Share vulnerability. Employees want to see that founders are people too. They are motivated by the fact that you can run a successful business and have a family, that you have hobbies outside of work, and that you can also get stressed. It creates a unique connection and fosters more transparency and openness in the business. I send a weekly ‘credNotes’ recap that includes 1-3 current thoughts or triggers of mine at the top (it also highlights client updates, company performance and misc announcements) that has gotten incredible feedback.
As we move forward and look to what’s next, I’m excited to see how we’ll continue to evolve in the coming years. For now, we celebrate the big 8!
