By Abby Breckenridge

It had been three years and two days since I had read a book for pleasure. I know that with specificity because it had also been that long since my water had broken with my first child. I had read countless parenting books, New York Times articles, food blogs and Pete the Cat books, but I was in an undisputable pleasure-book drought. 

Packing up my kids to leave a three-year-old’s birthday party, my girlfriend and mother of the guest of honor handed me a well-pawed copy of Anne Lamott’s Operating Instructions. “Have you read this? You should.” I grabbed it, shoved it into my basket of diapers and little jackets and brought it home. Then I read it. And I loved it.

It wasn’t so much that the book itself was amazing (which it was), or that it’s premise of recounting the first year of being a mother was speaking directly to me and my needs (which it did), but that I was reminded of a different way of writing—fresh sentence structures, unexpected vocabulary, alternative ways of getting to a point.

As a marketer, I work in words—drafting, scheming, refining to craft stories long and short that help our clients connect with their audiences. My adventure into Anne Lamott’s world reminded me how important it is for my work—and my wellbeing—to read books for pleasure. My creative instinct gets a refresh when I read pieces written for purposes other than drumming up business.

While my life as a business owner, wife, mom of two littles, home cook and occasional exerciser doesn’t leave me a ton of time for pleasure books, I’ve made it my homework to always be working through something interesting on my nightstand. Right now, I am plugging through David Levithan’s The Lover’s Dictionary, a novel written as an alphabetical series of definitions. It’s blowing my mind and making me better at my job. What’s your homework?

By Abby Breckenridge

It’s a dark time for immigration in this country—a country of immigrants. Between threats to Deferred Action to Childhood Arrivals (DACA), this week’s reinvigoration of Trump’s travel ban, and this latest announcement that the Department of Homeland Security plans to collect social media information on all immigrants, it feels like a jarring departure from the values that represent America.

And the darkness is hitting close to home for us this week. Two of our team members have family in Venezuela, which has recently been added to the travel ban. But as the ACLU Executive Director Anthony D. Romero declared, “President Trump’s original sin of targeting Muslims cannot be cured by throwing other countries onto his enemies list.”

While the country battles on a policy level, our sanctuary city is fortunate to have organizations like Casa Latina that work on a community level. The group empowers low-wage Latino immigrants to move from economic insecurity to economic prosperity and to lift their voices to act around public policy issues that affect them. We’ve been proud sponsors for years, and given today’s political climate, we’re increasing our support and are looking forward to celebrating their accomplishments at the upcoming gala.

Through organizations like Casa Latina, we can make incremental change against a monolithic policy. We can help the US regain its footing and to borrow a line from Dan Rather, “retain its standing in the world.”

By Abby Breckenridge

I’m eight months pregnant, and if there’s any life event that’ll make you pause and think about growth, it’s building a human. Combine that with last week’s announcement that we’re 686^th on the Inc 5000 fastest growing US companies list and you’ve got us reeling down a path of nostalgia, reflecting on all the ways we’ve grown as a business.

When I was pregnant with my now two and a half year old, 2A was renting desks in an old house, sharing space with a talented troupe of creatives. This week, we’re finishing up our second expansion in the Broadway Building. As I headed out on my last maternity leave, Renato and I strategized how to keep our team of 10 busy, happy and productive. This time around, we’re working with a talented line-up of over 30. Our client list has more than tripled, we’ve launched an animation practice, and have a new development team.

In addition to the obvious stats, we’ve grown up in a lot of ways too. We’ve expanded our benefits package to better reflect our values, including a new parental leave policy. We believe that doing great work requires being well, and that it’s the company’s job to be part of that wellness. We spent the summer hashing through and writing down what we’ve learned over the years and launched a consultant training program. And we’ve improved our hiring process, getting clearer about what it takes to be a successful member of our team and sharpening how to find it.

I’m pretty flush in growth right now—myself, my family, the 2A team—and I am feeling grateful for it. As Mark Zuckerberg recently posted on Facebook, it’s important to take time off for new children, and I am pretty sure the office will still be standing when I get back. At this rate, I’m sure it will have grown.

By Abby Breckenridge

Scott came to us pre-vetted. He had been in the Foster graduate program with two of our consultants which translated to two glowing recommendations. I consider hiring to be a huge challenge with an even huger upside—Scott was an easy choice. During his interview, he asked smart questions about the future of our business, and handed out milk.

Since he joined 2A, we’ve gotten the chance to build our own glowing opinions of him. Here’s a glimpse.

He loves words

Shortly after he joined, Scott asked if he could read an original poem at the holiday party. This was a first for me, and not the kind of request you say no to. Over wine and appetizers, Scott recited this poem to a room full of new colleagues and their loved ones, much to the delight of the room. His knack for poetry has sparked the recurring idea that 2A launch a business poetry offering (email us if you’re interested).

Before Foster, he spent five years at Gordon Thomas Honeywell in their governmental affairs consulting group where he flexed his language skills by bringing together stakeholders from across countries and industries.

Scott’s passion for words does more than entertain us at parties. His command of language (English being one of four) also brings a much-appreciated edge to his client work.

He collects information

Some people scroll through Instagram during lunch, Scott reads the Economist. And he listens to The World Next Week and Stuff You Should Know. From niche scientific factoids to international relations, Scott enjoys understanding how systems work.

Other items on the long list of things Scott has chosen to learn in his free time include: to play the bagpipe, to make soap, why Dalmatians are associated with fire houses, how aspartame impacts the body, to coach Special Olympics skiers, to be a karaoke rock star.

As marketing consultants, we’re called on to quickly get up to speed in a variety of industries. Scott has both a knack and hunger for just that challenge. Hopefully we’ll get a project in chemistry soon so he can put his knowledge of the periodic table to use.

He’s democratically goofy

A few months back when Nick and I were waiting for the elevator, we heard a thump, thump, thump. The door opened and there was Scott, a little embarrassed, dancing by himself.

He doles out “later ‘gator” with equal opportunity, and made an unexpected choice for his Skype profile photo.

One of our 10 rules of client management is that clients are people too. No one wants to work with a robot and we all owe each other a little leeway, as we’re just moving through life as humans. You’re not going to be a successful consultant if you’re struggling to be something you’re not. Scott’s ability to be his goofy self in all company makes him a pleasure to work with. We think you’ll agree.

By Abby Breckenridge

Building the infrastructure to support a growing business is less of a straight path and more of a series of jumps and plateaus. Every time we’ve made one of those jumps, we think to ourselves, why didn’t we do that sooner?

There’s no exception to hiring Kristina—Operations Manager of 2A. How did we get by without her? I’m not sure, but here are a few reasons we’ve come to rely on Kristina to do the heavy lifting.

She’s an expert process builder

Before joining 2A, Kristina spent 10 years in health information management, designing and managing procedures to improve operational efficiency. Lucky for us.  Since she joined, she’s put her process skills to work and streamlined our back office. Our clients may not know it, but they are benefiting from her skillful contributions every day.

She digs in

Thorough is an understatement. Her commitment to excellence means she doesn’t shy away from the hard tasks—a challenge makes Kristina double down. This is obviously an asset at work, but it also pays off in her free time. Commitment and persistence led Kristina to compete in her first weight lifting competition last year, and now she’s training for her next.

She has a hunger for learning

Whether it’s taking a UX design class at General Assembly, brushing up on how 2017 tax changes will impact our business, or dropping a new mix on her turntables, she’s less of an I-don’t-know, and more of a let-me-find-out. Her enthusiasm for the new makes her a perfect fit for the dynamic role of managing a budding agency, and also makes her interesting to talk to.

She’s been demonstrating her appetite for learning for a while now—Kristina is the youngest of five siblings and the first in her family to graduate from college (go dawgs!).

I am looking forward to learning more about Kristina. In the meantime, I sure am glad she does the heavy lifting around here—making the office run smoothly.

By Abby Breckenridge

Last Saturday morning, I helped my seven and nine year old nieces finalize their protest signs before we headed to Judkins Park to join 175,000 like-minded humans in the Seattle Women’s March.

While global participation was staggering, what struck me most while shuffling down Jackson was the homegrown creativity of our community that showed up on hand-made signs, hats, and costumes. It’s true, I am partial to my niece’s “Donald Trump has a bump on his rump”, but she certainly wasn’t alone in her break-out wordsmithing.  Turns out, museums across the globe took notice as well and are collecting signs to make sure we memorialize the effort.

I can’t think of the last time I was surrounded by so many powerful messages—and so few corporate ones. As someone who spends a lot of working hours mulling over the right words to spark a reaction, I was humbled by my sister marchers’ ability to turn a persuasive phrase.

Let’s keep it up.

By Abby Breckenridge

We run an open, collaborative office so a new personality always makes an impact. Since Nick joined the team in July, he’s been able to strike the right chord of fitting in and standing out. And while his choice of shirt may have something to do with it, there’s more to the story.

He challenges the status quo

Through his willingness to take a step back consider the unexplored, Nick opens up opportunities for all of us to be more creative. This is a huge asset to our line of work, where helping clients succeed often relies on getting your message noticed. It also may be an explanation for how his non-traditional career journey has lead him to 2A.

Before returning to his hometown of Seattle to pursue an MBA at the University of Washington, Nick spent years designing projects and writing proposals for USAID programs throughout Africa and Haiti. This work took him to big cities and rural towns in places like Liberia, Congo, and Burundi, where he interviewed underserved locals and showcased their stories in proposals for healthcare, education, and land rights projects. While working abroad he learned how to tolerate lots of ambiguity, take a bucket bath, and change outcomes through a well-crafted story.

While we’re glad Nick has traded in his frequent flyer miles for a steady job in Seattle, we know his sense of adventure and penchant for doing things differently are intrinsic to who he is.

He’s a natural born storyteller

His first foray into public storytelling started in college, where he wrote and performed in a sketch comedy group called Penguins Without Pants and became comfortable on a stage. He then put his writing skills to use and helped start a creative writing circle after college.

Whether it’s a tale about renting out a yoga studio on Airbnb as a low-cost lodging solution for a group of sports fans, meeting a childhood-hero-fortune-cookie-factory-owner through a craigslist exchange, or explaining the origin of his big fans shirt that his wife had made for him in Guinea, Nick routinely makes us laugh at Monday morning meetings with stories of his escapades. Sure, he has a penchant for adventure, but he also has a knack for finding the story and sharing it.

He has an appetite for technology

Nick came to 2A with a strong foundation in marketing, years of client management experience, and a flair for organizing information, but we thought we’d need to ramp him up on B2B technology. Think again. His ability to quickly find the kernel of value in complex products makes him a natural with our software clients. Turns out, he cut his teeth at a large aerospace and defense technology contractor, where he worked to translate the dry specifications of high-tech products into value messaging.

All that is to say we’re big fans of Nick Dwyer. Once you get to know him, we think you will be too.

By Abby Breckenridge

I’ve been looking for a reason to visit the recently renovated School of Visual Concepts, and certainly didn’t think it would come as an opportunity to speak with young designers about leadership. But that’s exactly what I got to do last Friday at an AIGA Emerge event—part of a national campaign to strengthen offerings for emerging designers.

My message? Feedback is a muscle that needs building and you’d better head to the gym if you want to grow in your career. And while giving feedback is certainly as important as receiving it, the early phases of our careers are weighted towards the receiving end, so that’s where I focused.

1.  Make space to hear it

If you’re too caught up in your own emotional response, you’ll miss the chance to grow. Calm that inner ego for a moment and make the emotional space to take in what you’re hearing.

2.  Find the nugget in what you hear

Not all feedback is good, or well explained, but there’s almost always a nugget in there that will make your work stronger. Ask questions. Think it through.

3.  Scout a way forward

Don’t get stuck and figure out what’s next. A new concept? A revision? A different deliverable? We’re making work that has purpose. It’ll never happen if we’re stuck.

4.  Recommit to the new vision

Find something you care about in the new path give it your all—even if that inner ego you squashed in step one still has her hands on her hips.

By Abby Breckenridge

I remember Jonathan from graduate school at UW Foster School of Business, he was the president of the class behind me and Renato.

I knew then that he was friendly and charismatic—the kind of guy everyone wants to know, and who chooses to know them back. I knew he was curious, with lots of interests that made for good conversation. I knew he was ambitious, as all class presidents are, and devoted to his community.

I didn’t know then, that like me, he grew up in the northwest and would later raise a family here. Jonathan is a 4^th-generation resident of Washington state. He attended tiny Nooksack High School, which is a few miles from the Canadian border and surrounded by dairy farms.

I didn’t know that he’d go on to build a rich and fruitful career in marketing, with work spanning retail, software, wireless, consumer electronics, and the emerging space of Internet of Things (IoT).  Nor did I know that Jonathan has also held a wide variety of jobs that he now refers to as “character-building”: security guard, delivery driver, barista, janitor, seafood processor, nurse’s assistant, postal service mail sorter, and produce salesperson at Pike Place Market.

And I certainly didn’t know that we’d work together at 2A, and that his thoughtfulness, creativity and domain expertise would become invaluable assets to our work.

With almost four months at 2A under his belt, we’re grateful to have Jonathan on the team. We’re learning that he’s unfailingly prepared, and that we all benefit from it. We’re getting to know that his seniority in our field spans both the subject matter of marketing as well as the life skill of understanding humans and how to work well with them. We’ve also gotten a taste of his passion for virtual reality and curiosity for disruptive technology.

You should get to know Jonathan too. Maybe he’ll help you with your launch strategy or make your messaging more customer-focused, or maybe you’ll grab a beer and talk about the possibilities of IoT. Drop us a line.

By Abby Breckenridge

Web addresses are changing. Have you noticed? We’re no longer limited to the old standards of .com, .gov, .net, and .org. Instead, a cruise through the internet will reveal a bonanza of new options: .yoga, .online, .marketing, .sexy, .buy, .read, .family, to name a few.

Generic top-level domains (gTLD), or the letters that come after the dot, are now for sale. ICANN, the international non-profit organization that coordinates unique web addresses, sells gTLDs to lucky applicants for $185,000 a pop. Why pay such a high price? There are a few reasons.

• Betting on a market need. The growth of the internet has left very few attractive addresses available, and with over 820,000 new websites a day, choices getting bleaker. Google’s new company Alphabet can be found at abc.xyz.
• Preventing fraud. Many businesses are buying their trademark gTLD to help fend off copycat sites which lure customers with almost-the-same addresses and scam for personal info. Barclays can be found at home.barclays, and hundreds of other companies have purchased their namesake gTLD.

As part of our recent rebranding from 2Adaptive to 2A we needed a new url. 2A.com wasn’t available, so we dove down the rabbit hole of new gTLDs and found something not only suitable, but better. 2A.consulting is clean, modern, and specific about what we do. Turns out, we’re in good company.