REGISTER NOW: Uncomfortable Conversations: The Skills Crisis
REGISTER: 8THIRTYFOUR Skills Survival School Founding Cohort

Core Value #2: We Know Our Shit

Written by

Share This Post:

Yeah, we know. It’s one hell of a blog title. But that’s fine, because we’re one hell of an agency.
If you aren’t familiar with how we do things around here, you might not know that we religiously follow our five core values. We broke down our first value for you, and we’re excited to loop you in on the rest.
Our core values are these little things we keep tucked in the back of our minds that tell us how to do, well, everything. Think of them as the defining statements that make us who we are. (Shockingly, we haven’t included a statement about dogs, but we’re getting there. Probably.)
We embody our core values so no matter who you’re talking to at 8THIRTYFOUR, you know our brand. So, in keeping with that idea, we’re going to walk you through our second core value: “We Know Our Shit.”

We Know Our Shit

When it comes to our industry, we’re convinced that everyone on our team should be experts. It only makes sense, doesn’t it? Why would you hire an agency that didn’t know what they were talking about?
We do a lot of internal work to make sure that we keep up with all things digital, advertising, public relations, social media, marketing, communications, etc., etc…et freaking cetera. When you think about it, there’s a lot that’s constantly changing, so it takes essentially constant effort to make sure we’re on top of our shit.
Did you know that we score ourselves each week on how many new things we’ve learned? We also host weekly meetings where everyone has to come with at least one article (some of us overachieve and bring 2 to 3 articles – kiss asses) to share with the team. If that wasn’t enough, we also keep track of how many events we’ve gone to each week, including workshops, seminars, and networking events. The best way to stay informed, after all, is by getting out there and learning. And we love learning.

We Know Your Shit

So, on top of learning everything we can about our ever-changing industries, we make sure to know everything we can about our clients. After all, if we don’t know who we’re helping and what we’re helping them with…then we can’t call ourselves experts.
We keep in contact with our clients so we can know everything that’s going on with them, including new hires, events, and when their strategic marketing goals change. Our client kickoff meetings are where we learn who our clients are, from brand identity to marketing goals to what their favorite drink is. These meetings have been known to push to almost two hours. There’s just so much for us to learn!
But knowing your shit also means that we’re tracking things our clients might not even have an eye on. Our digital team, for example, kicks ass recording, tracking, and analyzing data and trends about how users interact with the client’s brand. It’s that sort of specialized knowledge that we use to come up with new suggestions for our clients’ goals. Basically, it’s our job to know everything our client knows, and then some.

But Why “We Know Our Shit?”

This value might seem obvious, but when you dissect it, there’s a lot of layers to it. It’s not just that we know our shit. It’s that if, for some reason, we don’t know the answer to a client’s question…well, we go out and learn it!
We like to brag around here from time to time, but we aren’t about to pretend like we know everything. Like we said, we’re in industries that change constantly, and when new technology hits the world, it’s possible for it to get missed.
What do have, is some serious hustle. If something new is happening in our industry or our client’s industry, we go back to the office, and we start learning. We are always crushing it, it’s just who we are.
Do you need a team who knows their shit? Connect with us today. We’d love to learn about you and your business.

Responses

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Search

Recent Posts

Something on Your Mind?

The way you show up at work shapes how people remember you.

Last month, alyshiahull joined bodespeaks on Happy Hour Hustle to talk about what workplace authenticity really means. Alyshia is a New York-based freelance journalist who writes for Business Insider, Fast Company, USA Today, Inc., and Entrepreneur. If you are ready to bring your authentic self to work, episode #134 is for you. 

Listen to Happy Hour Hustle on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Youtube. Link in bio.
The power of the Women's Entrepreneurial Fellowship, in a graduate's own words:

"Growth is never accidental, it comes from being willing to learn, adapt, and embrace change. After nine months of dedication, reflection, and business development, I proudly graduated from the Women's Entrepreneurial Fellowship (WEF) during the Small Business Association of Michigan Annual Meeting.

Throughout the program, I challenged myself to evaluate every aspect of my business, celebrating what was working while identifying opportunities for growth and improvement. The journey was made even more meaningful through the support of an incredible cohort of women entrepreneurs, the guidance of mentor Gina Jacquart Thorsen, and the leadership of bodespeaks and her team.

A sincere thank you to smallbusinessassocofmichigan for investing in second-stage women business owners and creating opportunities that empower entrepreneurs to build stronger, more sustainable businesses."

— Mary A. Barton, President and CEO of Equitable Accounting Solutions and proud WEF graduate.

Applications for the next cohort are now open. Link in comments.
"Out of failure comes growth – you have to see it as an opportunity." 

bodespeaks joined cuzzinjustin on the strictlyfromnowhere Podcast for an honest conversation about entrepreneurship, embracing your superpowers, and building a personal brand that's actually yours, the wins, the setbacks, and everything in between. And naturally, dropped an f-bomb or two along the way. You don't want to miss it.

Full episode in the comments 👇
AI doesn't treat every source equally; it trusts what's credible, cited, and current, like news coverage.

Showing up in the right places isn't just good PR. It's how the robots (and the humans) get you right.

Read the full blog at the link in bio.
"If you don't get up and grind every day, the needle isn't gonna move."

We sat down with brandonmccraney, founder and Master Blender behind olderaleighdistillery in Zebulon, North Carolina. Brandon spent fifteen years just thinking about whiskey before he finally opened his doors, and even then it took four more years, a dozen rejections, construction delays, and a global pandemic to get there. Two years later, Olde Raleigh had already won Best Micro Distillery in the US.

Check out the latest episode of Happy Hour Hustle, where Brandon shares what it actually took to grow a business through COVID, the military discipline that kept him going when everything else said quit, and how working with people turned out to be the hardest part of the job.

Listen to Happy Hour Hustle on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and watch the whole episode on Youtube. Link in bio.
It's 9 months that is impossible to sum up in a video - but here's just a taste. 

This Women's Entrepreneurial Fellowship is resources, mentorship, and connections that you can't build anywhere else. We're so exicted for what the next cohort will bring.

Apply now at the link in bio.
smallbusinessassocofmichigan