Roger That Agency

An exciting morning on Fox32 Chicago. Thank you for allowing Music Workshop to share about our inspirational programming! https://lnkd.in/gGpfUXdJ musicworkshop.org #musicisforeveryone

I spent a decade working in the nonprofit world as a fundraising, marketing, and operations leader.? ? The work was as challenging as it was rewarding and taught me an enormous amount about how budgets function in organizations with finite resources.? ? At most nonprofits, you have to work for – Every. Single. Dollar. Budgets are often set for their entire year based on the cash they have in the bank or funding they’ve already secured, so it’s an incredibly risk-averse environment. It also means that if an organization needs to update its website, brand, or marketing and doesn’t have the cash on hand, they have to rustle up the funding to underwrite the investment. Paired with the reality that most nonprofits make decisions by consensus, the room for error on a creative project of any scale, let alone a big and beefy website build, becomes slim to none.? ? Does all of that mean nonprofits are just SOL and can’t have great brand marketing to tell their story and grow their support base? ? ?Not at all!? ? ?I’d argue that most nonprofits can’t afford not to.? ? When you’re spearheading a mission that relies on awareness of your cause to stay afloat, strategic messaging, marketing, and communications are essential – with “strategic” being the magic word in that sentence.? ? To be successful, nonprofits need creative vendors with the awareness and ability to be good stewards of a project’s scope, stakeholders, and spending.? ? It’s why Roger That partners with our not-for-profit clients so effectively – we understand what’s on the line for everyone and know we get one shot to get it right. If you’re with a nonprofit organization and have questions about your branding or website, the Roger That team and I are here as a resource. I’m always happy to hop on a call, grab a coffee, or come talk to your staff about the best path forward to help market your mission and message!? ? #branding #nonprofitbranding #nonprofitmarketing #nonprofitwebsites #nonprofitresources?

In the fall of 2016, I was working with business coach Dana Corey, and in one of our first conversations, she melted my brain and changed the course of Roger That forever. She asked: What drives you crazy about your industry? I knew my answer immediately: The quality and consistency of services and deliverables across creative work. I could recall several times sitting on the client side of the table where I'd have a conversation with a designer that felt crystal clear and fully aligned, only to get back work painfully off the mark and wildly different than what we'd discussed. The worst experiences were, as a nonprofit leader, when I'd work on a project with a creative, only to have them disappear into thin air, leaving us with something half-finished and nothing to show for the investment. It's not like I could go sell another 100 widgets to start over. In both situations, I felt disempowered and disappointed. Dana then asked: Can you solve it? And right away, I realized I could. By applying my knowledge and experience in total quality management and continuous quality improvement, I knew Roger That Agency could offer clients a different type of experience, delivering higher quality and consistency across all our branding work.? And at that moment, our signature Brand Sprint was born — a turnkey solution to brand-specific challenges. With the right pacing and structure built into the process, clients gain a clear understanding of the work ahead, with zero surprises about the budget, time, and resources it takes to get them across the line. And to this day, we don't sacrifice quality. We like to say that within the constraints of process and time, we unleash creativity. The Brand Sprint never was and still isn't for everyone. But, if you're a small business, entrepreneur, or nonprofit that likes to move fast with purpose and loves a good process to boot, our Brand Sprint could be just what you've been looking for. You can always DM me if you have questions or want to learn more, and we can hop on a call or meet up for a coffee to figure out what's right for you and your brand! #branding #smallbusinessbranding #nonprofitbranding?