When the lights go on in our offices along Northwestern Highway in Farmington Hills on Monday morning, Tanner Friedman will be moving into its 10th year of existence. An unheard of milestone for a Metro Detroit business? No. An important reminder for our agency, clients, collaborators and friends that we have persevered and succeeded? Absolutely. And we could not have done it without each and every one of them.
Looking back, the uninitiated might consider leaving full-time, partner-level jobs behind in January of 2007 foolhardy if not downright foolish. Then again, the economic depression to come was still a year away and Matt and I had firmly decided on our desire to start a business, culture and environment from scratch that we believed in, could build upon and could stand behind. We’ve never looked back nor taken a step back.
From the beginning we sought to be among the respected PR firms in Michigan. We continue to strive toward that everyday. Those are not words but, rather, a mission. And the recipe is very simple: treat people the right way – with honesty and integrity – no matter who they are. That means empowering and mentoring colleagues; providing the media with respect for the in-basket; and delivering true and sustained value and counsel to our clients. Demanding is fine, we like to say, but mutual respect is demanded – of our partners and ourselves.
And those we want to work with and for get that. Some clients have not and are no longer with us. Most, on the other hand, have been with us from the beginning. And for that we are grateful. As important are our people. In nine years we are proud of low turnover mostly borne of love (three have left to be with significant others in other cities). We want Tanner Friedman to be the place not for a job, but for a rewarding career. Our staff is the best and we are proud of each and every one of them.
So, here’s to the next decade. May the years continue to be as successful and fulfilling for you as they have been for us. Running a business is never easy. Nor is staying nimble and ever adaptive to evolving market conditions and industry dynamics. We will continue to learn and teach, adjust and move forward. We wouldn’t have it any other way.