New gen bosses is a new series created to guide and inspire more people to go out there on their own, either as new business founders or freelancers. And what better way to do that than to ask the ones that already succeed at it? We want to know about big fuck-ups and even bigger successes, and the risky decisions they had to make along the way. We want to be the last little push you needed.

Job title: Director
Industry: Advertising and marketing, design and innovation
Company founder or freelancer: Co-founder
Company website: The Akin
How long have you been doing it: In forecasting and insight for 10 years, but we founded The Akin 3 years ago
Age: 31
Location: London

I had already left the safety net of a full-time job 9 months before we started The Akin. I was in need of a break and wanted to explore freelance and set my own rhythm of life. That experience sparked my passion to create a new type of agency that really put people first over profit.

I sadly had some bad experiences with agencies; being mispaid, being cancelled without notice, being haggled on my value and worth. It was clear that the status quo and opacity of how the industry and agencies work was overdue a shake-up.

The Akin began with a set of principles, we wrote a list of things we wanted this to be and, most importantly, not be. When I look back at those now, I am proud to say we still live by them. They have become our mantra and the lens we apply to decisions that are hard to make.

Those statements then expanded into a vision and proposition, which led to a pitch deck and the standard suite of resources needed to talk about ourselves. I think the thing that most new businesses struggle with is finding their values and the value they bring to clients and employees. When I hear people say they founded something ‘to do better work’, it is troubling. What is crucial is to explore the barriers you face doing that where you are, and how you can use those problems to create an environment that facilitates the type of work you want to do.

There have been a few hurdles we have faced and so many risks we have had to take, and as The Akin believes in radical honesty, I guess I should lay them bare.

Our first one was choosing to buy out one of our original co-founders—it was an extremely hard and emotionally taxing decision as she was a friend and an important person in my life. She, at that moment, was in a different life stage and needed something different than what the business could offer. It was clear it was selfish to encourage her to stay, but she was a huge part of the fervour of The Akin.

We weren’t sure if the business would survive to lose the cash flow we would have to expend, or if losing her (who rightly has an amazing reputation) would challenge our legitimacy or appearance of stability. I also personally wasn’t sure if I had the mental resilience to lose her as a colleague. It took time but we got through it.

The second was deciding to weather the two-year shit storm that no one tells you about. Into Q1 of our second year, the financial pressure of losing good cash flow took its toll, and our shiny newness had faded. We hit a dry spell and had projects that kept being delayed. We had to go into crisis mode and make the ultimate decision whether to continue but take no salaries for the foreseeable. We stayed with it, fought with everything we had and survived, coming back stronger than ever.

As they say, risk can reap rewards but fuck it takes its toll on your wrinkle and grey hair count.

Caution. I have a ‘why not’ mentality, which makes me great to go to New Orleans with but not great at super serious decisions. I am also an ‘over-functioner’ and tend to gung-ho into a crisis or challenge but I can also go too far or make calls too quickly. Luckily, I have a German Virgo for a business partner, so we balance each other out and she has taught me an enormous number of things—especially the need for caution. Especially when deciding not to drive into a private property in the deep desert of Arizona… hugely thankful for her call on that one!

The day we officially launched, we had an event at the Ace Hotel, who kindly gave us their 100 room. We were really questioning if we were about to make total fools of ourselves, 30 minutes before the event began we got an email confirming our winning of a Google project. Later that night, we looked around a full room, caught each other’s eyes and knew we had made something. Suffice to say there was a lot of tears, large amounts of champagne drunk and feeling like Beyoncé in Lemonade.

We spent (and still spend) our money on paying people fairly. Our overheads are low and our proposition is to work with the right talent and pay them their worth.

Happy to say that the fuck ups have been relatively low level. One we now know from the year two Q2 disaster was, we should have invested and focused more on new business when things looked good. It is something you have to always have resources on.

Our biggest success is creating a sustainable thriving company that gives us space to live the lives that we want to. We have worked on some amazing projects that have sent us to some amazing places and allowed us to meet some amazing people. I don’t know how we can top the memories and the happiness it has given us and will keep giving us.

That I am not an imposter, I have the legitimacy to have an opinion and be heard by global CEOs and fortune 500 brands alike. I think something that many female founders struggle with is feeling like because they are young or just starting out in running an agency, they are ‘playing’ founders.

…And that doing expenses on time is not a pain, and saves you money in the long run.

One: Your network is your lifeline and nurturing it is crucial, it is also your safety net.

Two: Know why you are doing it and how you are creating value with it, see it as a ‘raison d’être’.

Three: Blind faith isn’t useful, have scenarios and crisis plans ready, at a minimum for your mental health.

Want to discuss taking the leap with other new gens? You’re in luck! We’ve created New Gen Bosses, a Facebook group to continue and expand the conversation started through this new series.

New gen bosses is a new series created to guide and inspire more people to go out there on their own, either as new business founders or freelancers. And what better way to do that than to ask the ones that already succeed at it? We want to know about big fuck-ups and even bigger successes, and the risky decisions they had to make along the way. We want to be the last little push you needed.

Job title: Founder and Creative Director
Industry: Design services
Company founder or freelancer: Founder
Company name: Pitch Studios
How long have you been doing it: Almost 4 years
Age: 28
Location: Between Melbourne and London

What pushed you to start on your own?

It really started from an innate desire to work for myself. I always felt as though I didn’t fit into certain professional environments (too much pressure, never feeling like I could express myself) and wanted a flexible lifestyle. I had worked in environments that didn’t value life outside of the job and for me, that was never particularly inspiring—especially in a workspace that encourages open creativity.

I was never really able to picture myself inside a large organisation, where approvals and feedback took days to receive. It was too messy and I wasn’t into the politics.

What was the very first thing you needed to do to set everything up?

A combination of the first client and a good portfolio. I was lucky in the fact that Pitch Studios (a long time ago now) was a digital publication and we’d built a lot of contacts through that alone… which of course led to our first commissioned project.

Having the portfolio was also somewhat simple, I had personally grown my freelance practice which eventually moulded into the studios’ practice.

What was the riskiest decision you had to take?

I’d say most decisions are pretty risky. We haven’t and don’t take on retainer clients which in itself is rather risky. But overall it’s these risks that make the work more exciting, all-encompassing and fuels our passion for the work we do.

What was a skill you didn’t foresee needing that you had to learn?

People management. For client (and personal) projects it’s really important to us that we engage in our community and by doing so, you inevitably have to learn how to manage a team and share a vision.

It’s a skill that we have to learn in order to be successful but it’s a skill that’s still overlooked.

Everywhere around us, new gens are founding businesses and redefining their careers. New gen bosses is here to inspire those who might want to do the same, this time with extra tips, some lols from those who have been there, done that, and £20 in your new ANNA business account if you dare to take the leap.

At what moment did you realise that this was going to work out?

When more inbound enquiries came in and we were doing less outreach or new business meetings. Obviously these meetings still happen but it’s settling when the work comes to you.

What did you spend your money on?

A studio space and emerging technologies so we could experiment, play and iterate.

What was your biggest fuck up?

Probably too many to count!? In all seriousness fuck ups happen in almost every project, they are inevitable (we are only human).  Agreements don’t get signed, money doesn’t get paid. All you can do is embrace the learning curve and iterate for the next one.

What was your biggest success?

I’m really proud of the video we made for IAM Weekend 19 titled Virtual Gap Year, where we worked with creatives from all over the globe and managed to meet an incredibly tight deadline. We still get DMs to this day from people saying how much they enjoyed the concept and visual interpretations of the theme.

What do you know now that you didn’t know then?

Out of 10 job enquiries, you’ll probably only end up doing about 2 of them.

What are three tips you would give someone who wants to start on their own?

One: It might sound lame, but really understand who your business services or who your customer is and write a business plan. Figure out why you want to do it and write a manifesto. What do you believe in? What defines good work? Does the world really need more X products?

Two: As a creative person, business is often seen as something that gets in the way of creativity. But it’s almost always more important than the creative side. How can I effectively make money off my work if I don’t have a strategy in place?

Three: I’ve worked with a business development coach over the past few years who’s helped me understand the bigger picture. Would highly recommend (if you can afford it).

Feel like you’re not one to forget to sign an agreement? There’s only one way to find out. Take the leap, open an ANNA business card completely free of charge for the first 3 months and get £20 in it, too.

Want to discuss taking the leap with other new gens? You’re in luck! We’ve created New Gen Bosses, a Facebook group to continue and expand the conversation started through this new series.