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Fifteen years ago, we started 5BYFIVE Creative. It didn’t begin with a grand plan. It began with conversations.

We met every morning. We got there early so we could claim the big table and the whiteboard in the back corner of the Starbucks on Olive across from City Place. Fueled by caffeine and optimism, we asked ourselves a simple question that turned out to be anything but simple: what kind of company do we want to be?

A foundation that’s stood the test of time

We looked closely at our competitors and tried to understand what they did well, but also where the opportunities were for us to be different and make our mark. We took marketing executives we trusted out to lunch and asked what they valued about their agency partners and in what areas they wished they had more service. We met with designers, developers, and digital strategists to line up strong collaborators who could help us scale when the time was right.

After all of that listening and learning, we set out to build something different: a small, focused studio grounded in three ideas that still guide us today: Ask. Listen. Create.

Only in hindsight did we realize that what became our guiding mantra was also the very process which grounds our work today. Over the years, we’ve embedded that mindset into our team and our processes, believing that asking the right questions and knowing what to do with the answers can always make our work, and our path towards improvement, much better.

The people who’ve stood by us

From the beginning, we’ve been fortunate to work with extremely talented, hardworking people who take pride in what they do and believe in how we work. We’ve created a culture where questions are welcome, speaking up is encouraged, and the understanding that good ideas can come from anywhere is omnipresent.

The goal was never growth for growth’s sake. It was to do meaningful work that reflects our vision as partners, as well as the combined creativity of the entire team. 

During the uncertainty of the COVID years, we were proud to offer our team a sense of stability. We protected livelihoods and avoided downsizing at a time when many didn’t have that luxury. And even as some of those team members have moved on to their next chapters, we’ve felt genuine pride watching what they’ve gone on to accomplish. We like to think we may have played a small part in helping them grow.

As far as today’s team, our senior leadership team brings well over 100 years of combined experience in the field, nearly half of it at 5BYFIVE. And across the rest of the group, we’re humbled daily by the commitment, care, and craft they bring every day.

Clients that matter

Finally, and most importantly, there are our clients.

From our very first clients, many of whom we still work with today, to those who’ve joined us more recently, we’re grateful for the trust they place in us. Just as important, we’re thankful for the ways they make us better. By challenging us, collaborating with us, and sharing their insights, they push us to deliver our best work.

The expertise and creativity we bring to the table is founded upon the focus, clarity, and effectiveness our clients share with us about their markets, their customers, and their realities. Time and again, the strongest work has come not from us working in isolation, but from true partnership - from clients who are willing to engage, question assumptions, and contribute their own experience to the process. 

Collaboration is not just valuable to us, it’s essential.

What comes next

Over the years, the tools have changed. Platforms have come and gone. Industries have expanded and contracted. And the pace of change has become faster than ever.

What hasn’t changed is our belief that true understanding starts with curiosity, humility, and hard work.

As we mark 15 years, we’re proud of what we’ve built alongside our clients, collaborators and team, and we’re energized by what’s ahead. This year, we’ll be rolling out refreshed branding, a re-imagined website, and several new collaborative and in-person initiatives that celebrate our team, our clients, and our city.

We hope you’ll stay tuned and, better yet, participate. Whether you’ve been a client, an employee, a collaborator, or a friend of the firm, you’ve played a part in where we are today. We’re looking forward to celebrating that together over the year ahead.

So, happy new year. And thank you for being part of the last fifteen. 

Here’s to being heard loud and clear for the next fifteen…

Mark Eberhardt

Justin Sherwood

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