“How’s the business going?” My journey as a startup social agency founder.

This post originally started it’s life as a LinkedIn post. Short and sweet, but as I put fingers to keyboard I realized I had a bit more to say about the matter (surprise) and so here we are.

It’s been just over two months since I left my previous agency, where I served as President & Managing Partner for their US business. Two months since I started Ardent, a social creative agency that focuses on helping brands amplify their creator and community efforts to create real influence. Two months since I made the decision to stay in the US rather than return to the motherland, and I keep getting the same question…

“How’s the business going?” 

It’s an obvious question, but one I’ve found a little strange to answer, so much so my answer has changed every time.

“Yes it’s going well”

“I’m just enjoying a little bit of a break”

“I’m doing a few pitches here and there, but no clients at the moment so it’s off to a slow start.”

“I’m itching to get back into things but it’s fairly quiet for me at the moment and I’m fine with that”

I’m not really sure what I expected from the first couple of months, but I’m not in any way disappointed with how it’s going, in fact I’m the opposite. I feel happy with where I’m at personally, and ‘personally’ is where I needed to channel my energy. Even typing that as a self-confessed workaholic is a little bizarre.

For some background, I spent the last 6.5 years putting 150% into a business that I thought I’d be at for the next 10 years. There was a moment of realization that wasn’t going to be the case, which led to me making a very tough decision to step away from that environment.

That moment came earlier this year I was walking to a doctors appointment. I’d just came off a call where the leadership team had discussed the same challenge we’d been discussing for the past year, we were going in circles. I’d lost my cool, made it clear that decision making needed to be more effective, reiterated my frustration and left the call. I was headed down 14th street, I could feel the stress in my body, I was anxious, I was tense and my heart began to race. It lasted a few moments, but over the coming weeks my sleep was disturbed, I had chest pain and I noticed I was exhausted constantly. A quick medical visit, told me I had high blood pressure, cholesterol to match, and heart arrhythmia. All of a sudden I wasn’t just stressed about the business, I was stressed about my health.

Over the following months I was strapped to machines, placed on medication, told to focus on my fitness. I’ll never forget that conversation.

Doc: “Mr Crump, we just checked your weight…” awkward pause.

Me: “Yes"

Doc: “It was XXkg”

Me: “Yes…”

Doc: “How do you feel about that?”

Say less doc. Say less.

At this point, mental health = gutter ball, physical health = GUTter ball.

I want to make clear, the agency I’d worked at was not to blame, I had spent too long in an environment that wasn’t suited to me, I can’t imagine I was fun to be around, and I ultimately wish them nothing but the best. But, I had gotten to a point in my career where I needed a different type of challenge to what I was facing each day during that time, I’d just become comfortable with the safety net of guaranteed work.

In hindsight, I’d prioritized something, and my colleagues, for so long I’d forgotten what it was like to prioritize myself (again that wasn’t the business’s fault I’m a workaholic remember). As a result I’d become burned out, physically and mentally, I knew it, my doctor knew it, my friends and family knew it. I needed a break. 

The most shocking part of this phase of my life came towards the end of my tenure, I had began to question whether or not I even enjoyed marketing. Whether I was good at it. Whether I wanted to start my own business in it. It was a pity party I threw myself for a couple of weeks before I received a proverbial slap in the face from an old client who I was out for dinner with.

“You’d do so well if you started your own thing”.

This, from someone I respected and enjoyed working with. We hadn’t even discussed my plans, we were discussing the agency, some of the challenges we’d had with their account, and how things could’ve been different to set us up for future success.

I think that was when I knew something in my mentality needed to change.

The Beginning of Ardent

Normally, when you start your own business you’re excited about what’s about to happen, albeit a little apprehensive, but you have ambition, goals and objectives. I had none of those things, I was escaping something, to pursue something else, but as I started to plant the seed with other people, I started to hear the same thing.

I spoke a lot with friends and family about what I was doing, I discussed my plans with old clients, realizing my self-doubt was misplaced. I received a bunch of reassurance that made me realize, there was so much potential to do something different that allowed me to demonstrate my passion for the industry. I’d simply lost that along the way. I don’t know when or why exactly, but I’ve got a fairly good idea and it acts as motivation for how I’ll setup and work going forward.

Most importantly, over the past 8 weeks I’ve spent the majority of my time taking a breath, focusing on my health and wellbeing (I’m down 8.5kg), and thinking about what I want to spend the rest of my life doing, what business I want to build. I was lucky enough to spend that time in LA, eating more açaí than any human should ever consume, meeting connections, building new ones and just creating head space for what lies ahead.

The road is long, but I’ve figured if I remain focused on helping brands do their best work with creators and communities, then I’ll be fine.

Starting Ardent is the first step down that road.

It’s a rediscovery of my passion for creative marketing and I’m excited at the prospect of working with brands & agencies whose aim is to build positive influence with creators and communities. 

So in short, since starting my agency, I’ve not achieved a great deal on the business side of things, but the version of myself I’m now putting in front of brands is a damn sight better than the one I would’ve otherwise.

With that being said, if you’re a brand, agency or are based in NY and want an in-person meeting (the horror) please don’t hesitate to reach out. I’d love to chat about all things creators and community. 

Final note, next time you speak to the founder of a business ask them “how are you?”. We’re not the businesses we run, and that’s okay.

Day One in my New York Apartment