Brick by Brick

As we were walking into our office today, the historic, former Chaska flour mill, we were struck by the bricks that form the foundation and make up the interior walls. They were laid one beside another, layer by layer, stacked strategically. Each individual brick is connected to the next with mortar, creating a bond that is strong and not easily broken. To start, one single brick was set, and as more bricks were laid beside it one-by-one, the walls took shape.

Just like most things in our lives, the Chaska Mill came to life over time, brick by brick…

Nothing worthwhile happens quickly, and everything is built in steps and stages. When we slow down to reflect for a moment, we see this in our business all the time. The best things, and the things that are the most valuable, require long effort and work. Nothing worth building or achieving comes easy.

Here are three areas we see this at OrangeBall that we hope resonate with you as well…

1. Our Relationships – The relationships we’ve built with our staff and clients are based on long-term work. We put extra time and effort into getting to know each customer and member of our team as individuals. Who are they, what makes them tick, and what are they striving to achieve? We ask these questions because we really want to know, and because we understand that these relationships are the reason we exist – not the projects, but the relationships. The answers to these questions don’t come quickly. Each answer is revealed over time as we build these relationships, brick by brick.
2. Our Services – We’re not the same agency today that we were when we started. In fact, there was a time many years ago when we shared with a client that we were strategic. They pushed back and challenged that statement, and because of that, we spent the next five years focused on bringing a new level of strategy to our clients. When that same client came back a year later and told us we had grown to become strategic, we knew we had accomplished something great. Part of this strategic vision and focus also led us to develop our Brand Bounce Bootcamp, which is now the most powerful tool we have to offer our clients. Again, we evolved and built these services over time, brick by brick.
3. Our Leadership – When we began this journey, we were three creatives who knew how to design and loved working together. As we’ve grown OrangeBall and added to our team, we’ve had to develop our leadership abilities to match our design chops. The path we’re on has required us to become stronger in how we lead and show up for our staff, how we invest back into the business, and how we make decisions with real impacts. This has been a process, and we’ve been blessed to receive the guidance and advice of great coaches and mentors along the way. Like everything else, we’ve become better leaders slowly, brick by brick.

If you’re reading this, you are likely building something brick by brick as well. Maybe it’s a business. Maybe it’s a marriage. Maybe it’s your career, or raising your kids. Maybe you’ve been stacking bricks in place for years or even decades. Or maybe you’re just laying those first few bricks.

No matter where you’re at in the building process, be careful not to rush. We say all the time at OrangeBall, “Trust the process.” Sometimes, that is easier said than done. Sometimes, we want to achieve results quickly and speed up what we’re building.

Looking at the mill we work in, it was built in 1865. The space has stood for over 150 years. These bricks, made from a distinctive yellow clay found in Chaska, were fired in local kilns by German and Scandinavian immigrants. Each brick reflects its character and tells a story, and was laid one-by-one to build what we see today. Did those craftsmen know then that what they were building would stand the test of time? Maybe not, but because they were diligent in their work and followed the process, you’re reading about it here today.

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Trust the process. Laying bricks to build something amazing can be tedious and it can be tiring. Most things worth achieving are. But, if you can stay the course and continue your work, success will follow, however you define it. Just keep building, brick by brick.