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roux's Open-Table Culture

Joy Sarnacke • August 16, 2015

I love the round table at roux. Large yet inviting, it’s just the right mix of brawn and beauty. But what I admire most about this well-placed anchor are the people who gather around it.


Unlike many traditional agencies which typically have carefully defined boxes (and departments) for creative, strategy, production, etc., roux champions the act of bringing everyone to the table. Here, all are welcome and in fact expected to contribute to and from every angle.


Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying 15 people should be involved throughout each step of every process. At some point you have to let the core team run with a project. In fact, I’m a firm believer in giving individuals alone time to focus on what they do best. However, for the first brainstorming session or two, there’s a lot to be said for setting aside job titles and simply thinking out loud together.


When you encourage people to look at a project as a whole before they hone in on their areas of expertise, something big happens: Creative thinkers become more strategic and vice versa. Flashes of brilliances pop up from places that might otherwise have gotten overlooked, and the work itself becomes stronger, smarter and often more efficient.


After 15 years as a copywriter/creative, I know this broader viewpoint sets me up to work at my best. Yes, I’m a writer, but with this approach, I’m not just thinking about coming up with a clever headline. I’m also considering the overall strategic direction the client/company wants to take, and how my messaging can further support that. Or, I might find myself pondering the production of a piece and how we can make a bigger impression without killing the budget.


I’m using my copywriter role as an example, but at roux this type of thinking happens all around the table. And, because anyone can contribute to making the work better, people often step outside their specialties to do so. In fact, one of my favorite roux projects started with headlines written by a designer.


Don’t take my words for it though. Stop by roux sometime and see for yourself.


(Just don’t be surprised if you get asked to pull up a seat and join the conversation.)
Hot Springs Food Pantry volunteers pose with their new refrigerator.

Food for Thought: Supporting the Hot Springs Food Pantry

By roux LLC • April 30, 2024
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. 

Say hello to Annie

By roux LLC • February 27, 2024
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!

Mardi Gras 2024: Celebrating 10 years of good times

By Lauren Weiss • February 12, 2024
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!
Lauren, Stefan, Lianna and Karen sit together on a couch.

Sharing our 2024 “Words of the Year”

February 5, 2024
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.

A little bit of “lanyappy”

By roux LLC • February 17, 2023
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!
Favorite Super Bowl Commercials 2023

Our favorite Super Bowl commercials — EVER

By roux LLC • February 13, 2023
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.

Say hello to Kyle

By roux LLC • February 2, 2023
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.

Christmas greetings from partners and friends

By roux LLC • December 23, 2022
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!
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