Agency Cultures: How do we define them?

Cultures like agencies evolve. It's taken me awhile to put my finger on WonderGroup's, but like all good things it's borne from truth. Some people mistake a slogan for culture, "home of kick ass creative" (actually suggested to me), "smash mouth creativity" (also suggested...I promised to protect the identity of the suggestor). Or they go to guardrails like "respect each other" and "Listen" as cultural badges. But when I tell people what I think defines our agency I point to three things.

1. Entrepreneurial: It's a get it done spirit that inspires everyone to take ownership. If we don't know something, we figure it out. Entrepreneurs are not afraid to work hard, take risk or even fail in stretching to do something different. For our clients, it means we are always working to help them find an advantage. I respect people who get their hands dirty.
   
2. Curious: We really push awareness and learning throughout the entire staff everyday. What did you learn today? How does it change your thinking or approach? A rapidly changing world dictates that we foster and reward curiosity and sharing. It's exciting for me to see folks who were not digitally savvy 4 months ago become Twitter machines overnight. I respect people who ask how and why.
3. Underdog: Nothing like having a little chip on your shoulder to make you more competitive. WonderGroup often finds itself competing against bigger more established New York, Chicago and LA agencies for new business. We relish being the little guys from Cincinnati because the competition almost always undersestimates us. When you start anything as an underdog you, by definition, have to work harder to be smarter and more creative in order to win. When we win, and we do much more than not, it's very gratifying to me, since I'm a recovering New Yorker (did I mention I like competition?). Underdogs never take anything for granted and they don't leave anything on the playing field.

So that's it. Pretty simple and straightforward. And that's the point.