Making Mess: An Introduction

In 2010, we declared our independence from a holding company and moved into our current spot on the Wicker Park/West Town border at Division and Ashland. It served us real well- all the partners could walk to work, there was ample stuff like bars and restaurants around, and it was right next to a train and multiple bus lines. There was even a cute little grocery on the first floor.

Things change. The grocery became an upscale sushi joint. Partners get married, buy cars, a house. The makeup of the business grows- we’re older, and drinking less. The neighborhood morphs into something barely recognizable, with corresponding annual rent increases to match.

The business has grown at a steady 20% or so year over year. A producer turns into two, a production department. Projects turn into Accounts, which are starting to need Account Management. As our capabilities and portfolio grows, so does our desire to take a little more control over shaping our new business pipeline. This is going to require more people, more bodies in the office. An office with only one single stall restroom, and, thanks to the gigantic wall of apartments across the street, a conference room without workable wifi.

It’s time to go.

Oh, and since our website is real old and out of date, so we’re redoing that as well. Let’s just call it collectively “Mess 3.0”

I’ll miss this place tremendously. We built it out ourselves, hauling plywood upstairs, testing ethernet cables, the whole place a labor of love. Hell, I brought my wife here to hangout on our very first date. So yeah, it’s sad to close this chapter, but man, I am really excited for what comes next.

My plan with “Making Mess” is to publish a short series of articles about going from rough idea to working studio, with some thoughts and musings along the way. I hope you find it entertaining, or at least useful. Writing it is proving to be handy for me at least.