Back To The Future With Johnie Hampton

June 2002. I remember the struggle I felt as we launched Hampton Creative…the never-ending internal dialog: “Can we do it?” “Do we have the right stuff?” “How would we meet our clients needs?” At the time, it felt like a sink or swim moment, but the decision to push off in search of deeper waters over 13 years ago, was one I’m so incredibly thankful to have made.

Fast forward to 2015. I’m pinching myself. To look back at the amazing client’s we’ve worked with, the team we’ve assembled and the massive projects we’ve developed during that time is humbling indeed. And we’re really just getting started.

We are blessed to have attracted a talented team of people who could work anywhere they wanted to. We’ve expanded our core competencies and continued to innovate in order to offer our clients a truly full-service experience. We’ve knocked down walls – literally and figuratively – and have continued to take new ground while continually building out our ever-changing office space.

I’m grateful for so many significant projects executed at the highest of levels (like this one), partnerships built, friends made and many, many lessons learned along the way.

Here are a few of the most important lessons I’ve learned in the past 13+ years.

1) Work Your Strengths, Hire Your Weaknesses. Many small business owners try in desperation to “do it all.” I am thankful to have been given this wisdom in year one, and to have benefited from it greatly. I regularly ask myself, “is the task in front of me something that only I can do, or would it be best delegated?” My weakness is someone’s strength! I mean, I personally can’t optimize your website, but I know our interactive team can make sure you’re easily found on search engines.

2) Right Person, Right Timing We’ve experienced significant growth over the past 13 years, but it certainly didn’t happen overnight…far from it. But our commitment to organic, strategic and sustainable growth has worked out pretty well to date. And every time I felt that Hampton Creative would take our next step, I received a call, email, text or fax (hey, it was 2002!) from someone who was crazy talented and felt like our company was an ideal fit for them. It still amazes me to this day. And we’re always looking for great people with character and a passion for doing work that matters to join our team.

3) You Can Be Right and Still Be Wrong. Proverbs 22:1 says “a good name is rather to be chosen than great riches.” There have been more times than I can count, when I have learned that I may be right by contract, by principle, by common sense, but in the end, I can be wrong and lose the relationship, because I didn’t consider the entire situation. I have to step over to the other side and view the situation from our clients perspective. When you’re in a service industry (aren’t we all?) you have to be customer-centric, full stop. I believe it’s one of the reasons we’ve enjoyed long-standing relationships and built a reputation for consistency with our clients.

4) Admit When You Blow It. I remember meeting with a client who happened to be the president of a bank, and breaking the news that the print job we had done for him was not right. And the fault was mine. At my admission, he began to shed tears… and man, I thought I was really in trouble. Come to find out, bankers don’t typically get the truth and my honesty moved him to tears. (I, too, shared in the sorrow as the reprint cost me thousands of dollars). I learned so much from that experience. And consequently, that banker friend has been a advocate and brand evangelist for our agency for 13 years. (Thank you for your support, Dee!)

5) Let It Go. It’s okay to prune - healthy, even. Growing up we had a weeping willow at our house. And no matter how many times I trimmed that tree, it continued to grow. Larger and larger. In fact, the pruning caused even greater growth—growth that would not have happened, had I not said YES to pruning those long beautiful, branches. Sometimes pruning involves ending a business relationship, or significantly altering a “way we’ve always done it” so that we can be more efficient and effective. But in my experience, the temporary sting of the pruning process is always replaced by something greater. Key take-away: Know what to prune and when.

6) People Matter. I believe that God has entrusted me with a team of 13 awesome employees. These diligent people make the dream of Hampton Creative a reality for the hundreds of businesses and organizations we serve. And at the end of the day, I love these people, not just for what they contribute—but for the dreams they dream and the ability to make them come true. It is an honor to serve them, and work with such talented, passionate and creative people every day. Our people at Hampton Creative are our competitive advantage…and our clients appreciate that difference.

7) Cultivate Culture. Talking about corporate culture is a hot topic these days (thanks, Jeff Bezos), but it really wasn’t a “thing” back in 2002. When I first started Hampton Creative, I wanted to create a environment that would foster creativity, allow our people to use and grow their gifts and talents, and to be a place that would be enjoyable to come spend 8+ hours everyday. l take pleasure in doing the simple things to make Hampton Creative a place people love to work at. We place a premium on the value of people (our greatest asset), integrity, character and a very open and collaborative spirit. To me, that’s the single defining characteristic of our culture…we are all pulling in the same direction toward a common goal, without ego’s or agenda’s. I’m reminded of the African Proverb that says: When you want to go fast, go alone. When you want to go far, go together. I believe we’ve got a lot further to go, and I wouldn’t want to take that journey without each one these awesome humans!

8) Family First. Work is important. Ask anyone who owns a business. I recently heard a man speak who was retiring from a multi-million dollar corporation and whose success was directly related to his great leadership. He relayed to us the elaborate details of that departure—but mentioned it paled in comparison to the statement made by his teenage son. “Dad we are proud of the success you have seen in your work, however, we are MOST proud of the fact that we knew God was first, family was second, and your business was third.” This is the truest mark of a great leader and the legacy left when family is first.

9) Always Be Excellent. Some of the smallest projects—which seemed insignificant at the time—have turned into some of the largest markers for our company. All because someone experienced excellence in some small way or small details. Our commitment to excellence is ingrained into our brand, and we pride ourselves on bringing our A game to the table every time. For us, satisfaction comes from going all in to help our clients win the day. When you really care, people can't help but notice.

10.) Work That Matters. In my 24 years of creative work, I have been blessed to say that I have always loved my work. WHY? Because I have been able to apply my heart to my work—and call alongside those who feel the same. Our team is passionate about our clients and their tireless pursuit of making their dreams come true. When people do what “makes them come alive” instead of pursuing what makes them “rich,” the world around us all becomes better because we are doing what we were MADE TO DO! Our mission - to do work that matters - is simply about making things that that touch hearts, inspire minds and affect change in a significant way.

11.) Better Before Bigger. We are not the same company we were 13 years ago. We’ve evolved, pivoted, and expanded our capacity on all fronts. But our passion, our heart, our team spirit and commitment to serve our clients creative problem-solving is unchanged. We haven’t arrived by any stretch of the imagination, and in many ways, we’re looking at how we can continually improve and bring even more value to our clients. We’re focused on getting better before we get bigger. Because our goal isn’t to be the fastest-growing agency in Tulsa, it’s to be the best.

To your success,

On August 19, 2015
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Hampton Creative, Johnie Hampton, Past, Present

Back To The Future With Johnie Hampton

Here are a few of the most important lessons I’ve learned in the past 13+ years.

To your success,

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Back To The Future With Johnie Hampton

Here are a few of the most important lessons I’ve learned in the past 13+ years.

To your success,

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Above the Fold or Bust

Onward and Upward

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