After twenty years, I am leaving my PR agency, LEWIS. That’s a long time to work with one firm, especially in an industry where average tenure is about three years. So I thought I’d take this chance to talk about two things – the importance of tenure, and what’s next for me personally.
Loyalty – overlooked and underrated
Loyalty to a company is rare in today’s gig-centric world. We all have different paths, but the one least taken is to advance your career with one employer, gradually building the company and moving up the chain. That’s not surprising since there are strong motivations to change firm – a pay increase, new experiences and often more status/authority.
You can’t get to the top of the ladder without demonstrable results. And that’s one of the main reasons to stay at a good employer. It takes 12-18 months to get fully immersed in a role and to hit peak productivity. Not to say you can’t deliver value from day one (you must), but it takes some time to learn the role, the power structures, the seasonal nature of the business etc. That time is an investment from the firm and from you – so stick around to get returns.
But 20 years is way out on the extreme end of tenure. In fact, you’d be forgiven for thinking it starts to count against you. I mean – aren’t you ambitious? Are you sitting in your comfort zone? Can you even get another job? Those are fair questions – ones which I asked myself regularly to make sure it’s a conscious decision to stay, not a default.
The fact is, my company changed enormously since I joined – from ten people in one office to 600 people across 27 offices; from a media relations company to a full-service marketing firm. During that time, I’ve had several new roles, including founding and leading the US operations. On that first day in the US, there was just me, my hugenormous computer, a dial-up internet connection and a prospect’s phone number scribbled on a piece of paper in my back pocket. Today, we have over 200 staff, four offices and $35m+ in US revenues. So things have changed – and so has the role.
What hasn’t changed is my employer nor a group of colleagues who are lifelong friends. We’ve been to each other’s weddings and christenings (and divorce celebrations). We’ve beaten the Dotcom bust and Great Recession, and ridden the booms together. That builds a level of trust, intuition and togetherness which most of us only get from a few relationships in our lives. Work needn’t be a simple transaction of salary for labor, it can be emotionally fulfilling too. And who better to share that journey with than with friends?
So let me take this moment to thank my colleagues for this journey together. This is my stop, but you’ll go on to great things.
What’s next?
I’m setting up a new communications agency called Firebrand. It’s still in development but will be at the intersection of PR and content marketing with an emphasis on influencer relations and advocacy – encouraging target audiences to take action. Those audiences might be prospects, customers, media, analysts, influencers, employees, partners or investors – they all play a role in an organization’s success, and we’ll help them move up the ladder to desired actions.
The new firm will launch in the Fall. I’m looking forward to working closely with clients, to mentoring staff, moving fast and being entrepreneurial. I love all that. Meantime, I’ll be tapping you for advice, contacts, and potential clients – armed only with an enthusiastic smile, a plummy accent, and a much lighter laptop.
To LEWIS – so long, thanks and good luck. And to the future – buckle up.
About the Author
Morgan McLintic is the founder and CEO of startup marketing agency,Firebrand. Firebrand works with early- and late-stage startups to help raise awareness and drive demand. It does this through integrated programs involving PR, content marketing and digital marketing. The firm was recently recognized as the Boutique Agency of the Year by the PRSA (Public Relations Society of America) and awarded Gold Winner of theB2B PR Campaign of the Year by The Drum. Firebrand works with startups in sectors spanning fintech, cybersecurity, AI/ML and infrastructure such as Emburse, Human Interest, Planful, Weaviate and Yubico.
Prior to Firebrand, Morgan was the founder in the US of LEWIS, a global communications firm, which grew to $35m in revenues and 200+ staff in the US, and $75m with 600 staff globally. He has over 30 years' tech experience, both consumer and B2B. At LEWIS, Morgan lead the acquisition of three companies - Page One which was integrated and rebranded as LEWIS Pulse; the Davies Murphy Group, a 65-person PR and marketing consultancy; and Piston, a 50-person full-service digital advertising agency.
Morgan has been a speaker at events for AlwaysOn, Holmes Report, MIT / Stanford VLABs, OnHollywood, PR News, PRSA, Social Media Club, Social Media World Forum, Venture Capital and Private Equity Group, and WITI. PRWEEK named him to its Global PR Powerbook in 2015 and 2016.
Morgan is the host of weekly startup marketing podcast, FiredUp!
