Every year that a business remains open is truly a blessing. Remaining alive, vibrant and growing for 15 years is an amazing accomplishment. We have been very fortunate to reach this milestone, and we’re extremely grateful to all of our current and past clients, partners, team members and friends that have helped us along throughout the years. Without all of you, we would not be where we are today.

As with any 15 year old, we are still pretty young and plan to do even bigger things as we grow older. However, we have picked up a few pointers along our journey to "adulthood." Here are our top 15 biggest lessons learned throughout our 15 years in the industry – high school style.

1. Sit at a new lunch table every once in awhile.
   We all have our best friends and favorite people, and it can be tempting to retreat to the comfort of these familiar circles. But if you’re always around the same people, you’ll always be exposed to the same ideas – and those ideas will get stale. Fast. While we love our Indy connections, we realize it’s important to get out of the city to network and learn from other industry leaders. Whether we’re attending SXSW in Austin, spending a week in D.C. or traveling around the globe, we’re always surrounding ourselves with the energy of new people and ideas, and that makes our solutions more effective, engaging and unique.
2. Participate in extracurricular activities.
   There’s more to life than the 9-5. Encourage your staff to use their time (yes, even work time) to engage themselves in the community. Attend an industry function. Join a professional club. Volunteer at the next neighborhood cleanup. Invite a new group of friends out for a drink to foster new personal and professional connections. In other words, enrich your life. By doing so, you’ll find inspiration in unexpected places, and you may even make new business contacts while you’re at it.
3. Share your lunch money.
   You can’t be faulted for wanting to make money in business – nothing is wrong with that. However, it’s also important to share the good fortune and spread the wealth. Besides contributing good karma to the universe (never a bad thing), giving back to others gives you perspective on the industry. We’re all guilty for getting caught up in landing the next big client. Being charitable – whether it's through a formal pro-bono program (like ours), event sponsorships or good old fashioned donations, helps you realize that the point of life, and even business, isn’t just padding the bank account.
4. Run for Class President.
   Don’t wait for someone else to step up and take a leadership position – do it yourself! Yes, it can be time consuming and frustrating to take on such a role, but the benefits are huge. Not only will you be seen as a thought leader in a given space, but you’ll also be well positioned to learn from others at the top. The next time you’re approached, say yes to the TV interview, board position or speaking opportunity. And promise that as Class President you’ll extend lunch period for everyone. Except freshmen.
5. Choose your lab partner carefully.
   Deciding to go into business with someone is a B-I-G decision, one that can make or break your business. The same goes with choosing your employees. Take the time to carefully vet anyone you want to bring onto the team, from the intern all the way up to a principal. Just one lazy lab partner can make the whole project blow up.
6. Don’t cram for the exam.
   It’s impossible to provide meaningful solutions that truly impact your clients with a few hours of last minute work. Just like in high school, you may get lucky on a test or two and pass by sheer luck, but eventually that poor work ethic will catch up with you. Take your time to perform projects and tasks, do research and refine ideas, and be realistic with your clients about deadlines.
7. Break curfew once in awhile.
   Work hard… but play hard, too. We’re not afraid of taking some time to kick back and relax – or hit the dance floor and whoop it up. In addition to letting off steam, taking time for play can bond your team together and give your brain the space it needs to decompress, allowing you to continue to crank out creative ideas. (Although, after some trial and error, we do not advise engaging in curfew-breaking on “school” nights. Yikes.)
8. Two-a-days pay off.
   Sometimes you have to get into the office early, eat lunch at your desk, stay late or pop in on a weekend. Few of us love these kinds of demands, and it isn’t a sustainable routine for very long, but you gotta do what you gotta do. Just like those two-a-day practices, your blood, sweat and tears will produce big results – and your clients will thank you.
9. Don’t be a know-it-all.
   No matter how successful you are, you don’t know it all, and you’ll never have all the answers. Everyone has something to offer, from the receptionist to the intern, so open your mind and learn from others.
10. Remember cheaters never prosper.
    You might get away with cutting corners, stealing ideas or cheating the system once or twice. Eventually, however, others will catch on to your sneaky game. The only tried-and-true long-term success strategy is working hard, holding yourself accountable and being honest and transparent in all that you do. Period.
11. Don’t be a wallflower at the big dance.
    Socializing, schmoozing and networking doesn’t come easily for everyone, but these are skills that any successful professional must master. Put yourself out there. Go to industry events. Speak on a panel. Introduce yourself.  Take a peer out for coffee to make a connection. Of course, you don’t want to be the desperate guy (or girl) begging everyone for a dance, but make yourself part of the action (just not under the bleachers).
12. Smoke in the boy’s (or girl’s) room.
    Okay, not literally. We think smoking is pretty disgusting. We do, however, advise you to break the rules once in awhile. Remember how the design community said your logo must always stay the same? And remember this little company called Google that became internationally known for their always changing, super cool logo? But know the rules before you break them, and make sure you’re breaking the rules for good reason and not just to get attention for being a rebel.
13. Take the free comb on yearbook photo day.
    Appearance matters, especially in this industry. Everything from your clothes to your office space to your business cards speaks volumes about the type of person you are and the kind of work you do. We spent a good deal of resources designing show-stopping business cards, utilizing unusual materials and effects. They were more costly and time consuming to design than your run-of-the-mill card, but we get compliments on them every time we hand it out. As ad people, we’re expected to be uber creative, and these cards – often the first impression people have of us -- say just that.
14. Don’t forget your gym clothes.
    In this business, you have to be prepared for everything. We’re expected to think on our feet. Do your homework. Prepare, prepare, prepare. Engage in background research. Gather any and all materials you could possibly need. Your goal should be to be better prepared for meetings, pitches and projects than your client. Let them see you as an indispensable resource.
15. Choose your clique wisely.
    Like your mother always said, the people you surround yourself with speak directly to your character. If you’re associating with the shady firm that tries to squeeze business out of everyone they pass on the street, people will think you’re of the same caliber. Look around at the people you spend the most time with, both on and offline. Are they people you think of as experts, or examples of model businesses in the industry? If you hesitated with a “yes,” it may be time to evaluate your crowd.