Blog Layout
Living Up to the Name.
Steve Russell • December 7, 2015
Working as a freelancer can be a bit of a mixed bag. Yes, the freedom is wonderful. And all the clichés are indeed true. (Working a 10 hour day in pajamas and slippers is hard to do in most office settings.) But with freedom comes ambiguity; over when (or if) the phone will ring…over when a check will arrive…etc. With the exception of a very few lucky individuals, the real world of the freelancer exists somewhere between idealism (“I’ll only work with the kind of clients I want!”) and pragmatism (“What’s that? You say the internet costs money?”). Which creates a dangerous middle ground for any creative. Perhaps even more so for a writer. (No offense to my art director, designer, and illustrator friends!) Because while they can direct from afar, it’s harder for a client to make changes directly to a Photoshop or InDesign file than it is to a Word document. It’s just the nature of the beast. (Once you hear the phrase “I made a few changes and sent it along,” you know you’re in trouble.) The simple truth is, there are agencies that give lip service to the idea of respecting the work, and there are those that practice it on a daily basis. When dealing with the former, it’s easy to take on the attitude of “no attachment to outcome.” Of just doing the job. Billing the hours. Punching the clock.
And that’s the death knell of creativity.
The sweet spot for any creative is to find an opportunity that lets you work on interesting projects, with talented people, in an environment that nurtures both the people and the process.
And that’s precisely what make roux so wonderfully unique.
The team at roux (and that’s exactly what they are, a team) doesn’t just talk the talk of mutual respect and inclusiveness, they live it – as part of their very culture. It shows up in every interaction, in every exchange. Whether with clients or creatives, or in their endless (and inspiring) work in the community. At roux, the work is respected, and the people are appreciated. Which, in turn, helps make each of them stronger. In every role and at every level, there’s a shared sense of purpose. Of commitment. Of an almost familial community. And of fun. Which is far less common in our business than you might think. As someone with a deep appreciation for both the written word AND gastronomical delights, I find the name “roux” to be particularly fitting. Not only does it conjure images of a warm, rich foundation on which to build endless possibilities…it also speaks to a slightly “nutty” flavor. And both of those descriptions do a nice job of capturing the essence of an agency with which I’m quite proud – and happy – to work.
We are excited to announce the recipient of our most recent Food for Thought grant — the Hot Springs Food Pantry, located in Hot Springs, South Dakota. Food for Thought is a fund we created through The Community Foundation to offer grants to organizations that help feed children in our community. This isn’t just about money though. We’re also on the lookout for ways to teach kids about good food, to help them learn to prepare it, and to encourage them to love it as much as we do. We are always looking for organizations in our local communities whose mission aligns with ours and have specific needs we can provide grants for. Because our croux reaches far and wide, “local” doesn’t just mean Tennessee. In this case, the community is local to one of our core team members, Lauren. After moving back to her hometown of Hot Springs, South Dakota to be closer to family, she got involved with the local food pantry and saw a specific need there. The food pantry needed a refrigerator so they could provide more fresh produce and protein to families in the area. They were also seeing an above average need in the community due to rising costs which has depleted some of their funds. The grant received from Food for Thought will go towards these efforts and help provide fresh food for families in the area.
We’re back with another creative croux feature. Normally, these pieces are put together by one of our freelance writers, Annie Van Essen, but this time, we’re spotlighting her!
We celebrated our 10-year anniversary in July 2023, making this our tenth Mardi Gras as a krewe. We are so thankful for the many projects, partnerships, clients and friends who have been a part of our journey so far. The essence of Mardi Gras can be summed up in one lighthearted phrase, “ Laissez les bons temps rouler!” — French, for “Let the good times roll!” We’ve had a lot of good times here at roux over the last decade, and we’re excited for them to keep on rollin’. Bon Mardi Gras and merci beaucoup, friends!
Every January we like to gather as a croux and plan for the year ahead. It serves as a holiday celebration and a strategy session. We look forward to it every year. Over the last few years, we’ve also begun incorporating a “word of the year” practice, where we each choose a word that we will focus on throughout the year.
This year, we decided to take our merry-making to the streets of Nashville to see how well the average passerby could interpret some of our favorite Creole vocab. The results were… entertaining. See for yourself!
Every year, our croux puts together a roundup of our favorite Super Bowl commercials.
This time around, we thought we’d switch it up and ask for submissions of our team’s favorite commercials EVER. Whether from 2023 or 2003, we want to celebrate the advertising magic of Super Bowl Sunday.
Here at roux, we have a wonderful team of creatives supporting us, including photographers, videographers, writers, and designers.
Today, we’re excited to introduce you to Kyle Sorvick, one of the talented graphic designers we work with as part of our extended croux.
We all look forward to receiving Christmas greetings from friends and loved ones, whether it’s a social media post or a physical card to display in our house or hang on the fridge. But when it comes to company Christmas cards, corporate greetings can sometimes fall a bit flat. We love when a company spices things up and sends a message that’s genuine and fun. Videos can also be a more effective and affordable option for a company, when you consider the reach made possible with email and social media, and the savings on printing and postage. Averitt and JetRight are two local companies that knock it out of the park every year when it comes to their video Christmas cards. Whether they choose to be lighthearted and silly or share a heartwarming message, watching their videos shows you the real people and spirit behind the companies. Check them out below!