A Gift, a Goal, and Amazing Grace
(Left to right, Karla Jacobs, Dee Anna Parades, Mary Gilbert.)
As we round the corner of 2020 and head into 2021 there’s a strong and understandable urge to get it over with. I can relate to that. But I’m also not in a big rush. For me, 2020 has been a gift of awareness and focus. I’ve become even more aware of the strength of my long-term relationships and the things I’ve learned working closely with creative marketers and intentional change makers. Amidst all the loss, chaos, and discomfort, I’ve found inspiration in my belief that marketers are key to leading positive change and building a more equitable, just world. For me, the uncertainty of 2020 was exactly the motivation I needed to do what I’ve been wanting to do for a while, now. Start my own agency...but, with a twist.
I couldn’t, nor did I want to do it alone. I needed partners. Real believers, like me, in the power of good companies and ethical marketing to help us make a difference in the world. I needed people who’ve been around the block a few times and like me, are ready to create something new. No surprise that these partners showed up in female form. Powerfully skilled, visionary, vulnerable, and connected, get ‘er done energy that a team of strong women brings. Together, we conceived and built a business to help brands navigate change.
A tale of three wise women.
As I sit in overwhelming gratitude, I wanted to take the time to properly introduce this team and celebrate all that we have accomplished together during the worst quarter of the most challenging year many of us have ever lived through.
Dee Anna Paredes was my “Christmas Miracle” in 2018. I was leading the strategy and client services group at R2i and looking for that perfect blend of strategic advisor and driven account lead. Dee Anna, who had recently relocated to the Bay Area from Florida, was looking for her next opportunity. She came with an impressive portfolio of highly successful brand, digital, and campaign strategies for healthcare, NFP, and hospitality clients. Having primarily worked in entrepreneurial organizations, Dee Anna immediately proved to be a multi-purpose player as skillful at crafting brand strategies as she was at creating multi-faceted digital marketing campaigns. Her quiet confidence, her graceful mentorship, and her unwavering work ethic, inspires confidence in everyone lucky to have her leading their project. Dee Anna and I share a passion for purpose-driven business and the opportunity for marketers to be a driving force in making the world a better place.
Around July of this year, we were working on a project together as freelancers when she nudged me and said, “Are we doing this, or not?” Dee Anna and I formulated our vision, but we needed a creative force to help us bring our vision to life. I couldn’t stop thinking about Karla Jacobs, the best creative director and word goddess I’d ever worked with in my career. Around the turn of the century, I worked closely with her as she wielded her magic pen to translate the “Authentic Voice” framework that is still at the heart of Microsoft’s brand voice into messaging that resonated on a human, helpful, honest level. She just always knew what to say, how to say it, and where to say it. I’d never worked with a creative that had such a big vision of how a program could, and should come to life in a way that truly connects and builds trust.
The minute I called her— no money to offer just yet—but enough of a vision to pique her interest and she was hooked. Within a few weeks, our Trust platform was born. Just in time to to offer businesses something substantial and effective in responding to the new economic realities
A multitude of blessings.
There are many more people who supported our mission and helped us bring our vision to life. To name a few: Suffia Khanan of Suffia Khanan Design, Grant McDougal of Blue Ocean AI, Ken Chen of EM Marketing, Grady Baker of Contrast Design Works, Tirza Hollenhorst of Luman, and our friends and former colleagues at R2i and McCann.
Just three months later, we’ve got a roster of purposeful clients challenging us to bring our best work, a team of the best interdisciplinary talent lined up, and a mix of services that directly addresses the immediate needs brought to light this year. To say we grabbed 2020 by the balls would be an understatement.
Our north star.
meraki [may-rah-kee] (adjective)
When I think about what makes us unique, it’s not just our experience and perspective, it’s “how” we do what we do. The Greeks have a word for it, “meraki.” It means doing something with soul, creativity, or love. It’s when you put "something of yourself" into what you're doing, whatever it may be. Meraki is often used to describe cooking or preparing a meal, but it can also mean arranging a room, choosing decorations, or creating the businesses of the future.
When we applied meraki to our vision for Infinite Edge—consciously focusing on creating heartfelt stories that resonate—we experienced an outpouring of not only interest, but an enthusiastic sense of possibility.
Ready or not, here we come.
I’m hoping this holiday season brings you joy, peace, and a strong immune system. May you ride the waves of change with courage, resilience, a song in your heart, and a dance in your step. May 2021 prove our belief that marketers have the power to make a huge difference in a rapidly changing world.
InfiniteEdge is a consultancy of marketing and culture experts that helps companies build trust and navigate today’s rapidly evolving market environment, while providing all the marketing services you'd expect from a top-tier integrated agency. Invite us in to help you transition your marketing operation from reactive to responsive and develop a roadmap to help you thrive through the coming unknown.
