A “Break-Through” Year
Start with why.
The title of a great book by Simon Sinek about effective leadership, but also a simple and powerful concept.
More foundational than even your mission statement is understanding what drives you. Why do you do what you do? What is the real purpose of your organization?
At Active8, we love all things Marketing, and we’re pretty good at it. We build Marketing strategies, develop effective content and messaging, design memorable creative elements, and ultimately execute and manage Marketing programs and activities that move the needle and drive action.
That list of skills and expertise describes what we do for our customers. But what drives the team at Active8 Communications is partnerships. More specifically, partnering with great companies and organizations led by great people to help them tell their important stories to the right people.
As the end of another year rapidly approaches, it’s satisfying to look back at so many treasured and meaningful partnerships.
2021 Partnership Highlights
We’re proud of (and energized by) our work in 2021 with great nonprofit organizations making a difference in our community, like:
- His Way Recovery Center’s amazing work battling the drug epidemic
- First Stop’s leadership on the front lines offering help to the homeless community
- Downtown Rescue Mission Thrift Stores generating important funds for that great organization
2021 also saw new partnerships formed. Our team had the privilege of helping the great people at Hill Technical Solutions execute a complete rebrand with a new logo, website, and supporting materials. Of course, a company with such a positive, supportive culture needs a professional video to tell their story.
Also, we have a passion for start-ups and fueling the entrepreneurial spirit. We love playing even a small part in helping Founders make their dream a reality. This year, our team held on for dear life supporting FigBrew’s launch and rapid growth. If you’ve not tasted this healthy, delicious coffee alternative (that’s well on its way to becoming a national sensation), you should! And, it makes a great stocking stuffer.
Variety is the spice of life, and our team has enjoyed working with some old friends to launch a fantastic and innovative new restaurant and social market concept. From logo and signage to menus and a new website, it’s been exciting to watch The Standard establish itself as one of the hottest new destinations in downtown Huntsville.
We’re also thankful for another year of rewarding partnerships with so many other great organizations:
- Working with FiberRise and their “servant heart” culture that drives them to bring reliable internet to underserved markets
- Being a part of Gregory Construction’s team as they focus not just on quality construction projects, but on improving the quality of life in the communities where they work
- Celebrating with our friends at SkyWave Antennas as they launch a ground-breaking new product. It couldn’t happen to a nicer, more fun-loving group of people!
The list of the partnerships that drive us goes on and on.
Breaking Through Walls
Breaking through walls. As our customers grow, we grow.
In 2021, we were able to double the size of our office space in historic Lincoln Mill and welcome several new team members to Active8. Jordan Williams came on board as our Marketing Specialist, supporting customers in a number of areas and always smiling while he does it. Carly Alcala joined Active8 as Content Manager, immediately bringing more discipline, consistency, and effectiveness to how we develop copy and messaging for customers and driving website and other content-heavy projects. Morgan Williamson has been a great addition to our Graphic Design team, turning her artistic talent into effective Marketing programs for our customers. Savannah Miller just recently joined the team as a Communications Specialist and is already directly supporting some of our largest customers.
Another great addition in 2021 was the promotion of Stacie Turner to Art Director. Stacie has played a critical role in Active8’s creative work for over 5 years. We’re excited about her taking on this leadership role and ensuring creative and design standards throughout Active8 as we continue to grow.
Breaking through walls is a phrase we use frequently around Active8 to describe how we must go above and beyond to help our customers be successful. When Russ Edwards started Active8 over 20 years ago, he etched a radical customer commitment into the company’s DNA. In fact, sometimes a member of our team will surprise a person interviewing for a job at Active8 with the question, “How do you feel about running through walls?”
Start with why, but one of the next things to do is make sure you have the right team in place.
The team at Active8 is not just skilled and competent. We are a team. We enjoy working together each day. We’re comfortable challenging each other to make sure we do what’s best for the customer. We are driven and motivated by developing close partnerships that will help our customers achieve their organizational goals and tell their stories. And, we believe it shows the first time you sit down for a meeting in our office.
By the way, feel free to come by next year. We have plenty of room.
Bill Neiland
Managing Partner
