What's the secret to a 24/7 partnership? "We've learned how to disagree," said Jackie Powell, who owns the Serif Group, an eight-year-old marketing agency, with her husband Bill. "And we have a fun spirit about things."
"Don't mistake my kindness for weakness," he said. Both are graphic designers, and they have added Web design, media buying and copywriting to their advertising and marketing services over the past few years. The Powells have taken advantage of local university internship programs for extra help and currently have independent contractors on call.
Last year, to diversify their income and provide needed information locally to expectant parents, they launched Baby in the Bluegrass, a pregnancy resource book distributed through OB/GYN offices in the area. "There are a thousand marriage licenses issued in Fayette County each year but 8,000 babies are born," said Bill Powell. "And you spend more on babies than weddings."
He has added yet another business angle to their company with Inbox Orange, a permission-based e-mail marketing program. "We needed interactive ways of marketing for our clients," said Bill, who runs the service with partner Lisa Wester. "This gives instantaneous feedback."
The Serif Group was a finalist for Commerce Lexington's 2008 Independent Professional of the Year. Bill Powell admits he didn't want to take the time to fill out the application but he is glad his wife did. "It's very cool," he said of the experience. "I was thinking we would get a certificate to hang on the wall and we got a trophy."
The couple met as advertising students at UK. She had planned to go into nursing until she watched reruns of Who's the Boss the summer before entering college and decided advertising would be a great career. He was artistic and liked computers, so choosing graphic design as a major was a good fit. After graduating in 1996, he was production manager at the sports publication The Cats' Pause. She graduated a year later and they got married. She worked with a small ad agency and was soon subcontracted to Gray Construction as a graphic designer, where she gained a full appreciation of marketing from the client's side.
"We always had it in our heads we would have our own business," she said. Three of their four parents are also self-employed. When Bill was laid off in 2000 and their first son was on the way, they decided to take the necessary steps to make self-employment a dream come true. He filled in for her at Gray during her maternity leave and then, with seven months of savings, they took the leap of hanging out their own shingle.
"So many people told us it was impossible," she said, but the late Rick Roth, an associate professor at UK, encouraged the Powells to start their own business.
"Ten people beat you down and that one of encouragement makes it all worth it," said Bill.
The first name for their business was Serif Design. "We wanted a word that related to graphic design," she said. They started from scratch, with no bread and butter account, and participated in lots of networking events to find clients and projects. Bill Powell was one of the eight founders of Lexington Young Professionals Association (LYPA). Through that organization they met real estate developer Phil Holoubek, whom they consider a friend and mentor. "He's a 'big idea' person," said Jackie Powell. "It's easy to get caught up in the minutiae, but he forced us to think bigger." One of the big ideas Holoubek suggested to the owners of the Serif Group was to keep a list on a bulletin board of 10 things to accomplish each year.
When Zach was born in 2000, the Powells took turns taking care of him at home for 15 months until he went to daycare. They gave each other a metaphorical "golden ticket," meaning whoever was working couldn't be disrupted with child-related issues. In 2004, the Powells had their second son, Billy, and renamed their company to Serif Group. Two years later they moved out of the home office to a 'real' office building, conveniently located right across the street from the boys' daycare.
Work is important, of course, but they always make time for family and friends. "We work to live, not live to work," said Jackie.
"I'll sacrifice income for lifestyle any day," said Bill. "I don't work for Fridays anymore."
To learn more about the Serif Group visit www.SerifGroup.com.
Kathie Stamps is the co-founder of www.ISBO.biz, an online directory of independent/small business owners. Contact her at kstamps@isbo.biz.