Three years ago, I hung a small shingle. Well, it really wasn’t a shingle. It was an ink jet printed sign hung on the wall of my dining room with four little letters, A-R-P-R.
I converted that little dining room into a home office, which in retrospect, was quite metaphorical. I was hungry - voraciously hungry. I wanted to change the 100-year old PR industry while simultaneously propelling technology brands to the top of their industries.
I don’t think I slept much during the first year and a half, and I certainly didn’t have a social life, but the hard work began paying off. After a few months, I hired my first contractors. After 12 months, I hired one, two, three and four employees. After 24 months, we welcomed nine more. Along the way, we picked up bigger, more innovative and insanely inspiring technology companies who are impacting our world and disrupting their respective markets. Clients like Nuance Communications, the 15th largest healthcare IT vendor. Early stage brands like NexDefense, whose cybersecurity solutions are protecting our world’s critical infrastructure. And entrepreneurs like Bob Summers who built an app to help himself stick to a workout regime that today is featured in the App Store and Google Play in 148 countries.
Each day I’m inspired by both these technology innovators, who envision a safer, healthier, more efficient world, as well as our Uncommon Crew who busts their asses every day to be their absolute best. While 90% of companies fail before their third birthday, I’m proud that AR|PR has defied the odds. And in many ways, our story is just getting started.
Next month, we’re expanding our Atlanta headquarters and moving to 1,800 square feet in our city’s Tech Square. We’re also expanding our client footprint with more global brands (like France-based Hull) and supporting more and more brands in all corners of the U.S. (like Silicon Valley-based Canara).
In honor of our third birthday, we wanted to step back and celebrate how far we’ve come (and share some behind-the-scenes jokes). Without further adieu, here’s a 36-month highlight reel full of hard work and hilarity.