In Good Company: The Black Sheep Agency
March is Women’s History Month and B Corp Month – so we’ll be featuring women business leaders and B Corps in every issue this month.
I first learned about Black Sheep Agency around 2017 when something – can’t remember exactly what – or someone – can’t remember exactly who – prompted me to look and see how many B Corps there were in Houston, Texas.
As it turned out, there were only two B Corps in the nation’s fourth-largest city at that time, and one of them was Black Sheep Agency, a brand strategy and creative agency. (Indeed, it would appear from a search today on B Lab’s directory that there are only eight B Corps in all of Texas <Population: 31 million> and Black Sheep Agency was the first in 2016.)
I did some investigation and quickly ascertained that not only was this flock B Corp certified, but it was an ass-kicking agency as well.
They had an exceptionally cool website. Still do.
And their work. Wow. There’s depth and breadth – from branding assignments for the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco to digital marketing and community engagement for Rapper Trae The Truth. (I can’t think of two clients at more different ends of the identity scale.) I particularly dig the strength of simplicity of the logo they created as part of a rebrand for the United Domestic Workers Union.
So, they can create standout work that’s on par with any agency, anywhere. They’re a B Corp. And they are women-owned and led. That’s a pretty rad trifecta right there.
But what really sticks in my heart is the chin-out and honest way that founder and CEO Aimée Woodall and her team unabashedly rock their talent in a conservative market (Texas) for social and environmental impact companies and causes. As it says on their website, they are “rebels with a mission” working for an agency “that wakes up every day with the goal of activating people around things that matter.”
It's stellar brand positioning, and one that most agencies are afraid to take. I can tell you from trying to accomplish the same with an agency here in Idaho that there can be real costs (💰) to taking public stands when your beliefs and stances run counter to much of the surrounding business community.
But that’s not the way Black Sheep Agency operates. I’ve been a fan of theirs since the day I first learned about them. So much so that I wrote about them in an article about purpose-driven agencies for Forbes back in 2018. In 2019, they sent me one of the best gifts I’ve received in 33 years of business, certainly the most memorable: A heartfelt, handwritten note along with trophy of a sheep and a life-filled exhortation inscribed upon it.
There are nearly 14,000 advertising agencies in the U.S. A small slice of them, like the Black Sheep Agency, can craft creative work that breaks through the clutter. An even smaller percentage of agencies live values that prioritize social and environmental impact and fearlessly voice their advocacy through words AND deeds. So, if you’re looking for an agency that checks these boxes, give Aimee and her rebel flock a holler. Doesn’t matter if you’re in Houston or Texas or anywhere – the Black Sheep Agency should be on your radar.
I could blather on, but I’ll simply end with two words: Fuck Yeah!
Godspeed, friends.
Russ
B Corp Month Special
Did we mention that it's B Corp Month? 😉
We also run the B Corp Wear website selling the best sustainable t-shirts on the planet. In celebration of B Corp Month, we're offering 20% off the B Corp t-shirts. There are five different designs to choose from in both women's and men's sizing. Just use this link and 20% will be taken off at checkout.
💬 Quote of the Week
“I've learned one thing over these last nine years, and I was glib at best and probably dismissive at worst about this – the work of making this world resemble one that you would prefer to live in is a lunch pail f***ing job, day in and day out, where thousands of committed, anonymous, smart, and dedicated people bang on closed doors and pick up those that are fallen and grind away on issues 'til they get a positive result, and even then, have to stay on to make sure that result holds. So the good news is, I'm not saying you don't have worry about who wins the election. I'm saying you have to worry about every day before it, and every day after it, forever.” Jon Stewart, The Daily Show. (Thanks to subscriber Nathan Stuck of Profitable Purpose Consulting for making us aware of this.)
💥 Quick Hits
• Thanks to subscriber Joe Waters of Selfish Giving for sharing this with us following last week's tribute to Alexei Navalny.
🤔 Trivia Time
By what percentage do more young people aged 16 to 29 say they fear inflation than say they fear climate change?
• 2%
• 9%
• 14%
• 33%
Today's trivia answer can be found at the bottom of this newsletter.
Find the Most Meaningful Work of Your Career
Our partner One Work has you covered with meaningful work that goes beyond a paycheck, a cubicle, or a weekly team Zoom call. You'll find purposeful jobs like those below, along with many more at the One Work job board.
• Beautycounter - A leader in clean beauty products that invests significantly in political advocacy for safety of product ingredients, transparent labeling, and a future in which the beauty industry does not harm the environment. B Corp certified, too. Vice President of Operations and Supply Chain, REMOTE.
• Uncommon Goods - Help chart the branding course for this marketplace of creative, original gifts and experiences that go beyond the ordinary. B Corp certified - yes! Chief Brand Officer, Brooklyn, NY.
• Coursera - Get your arms around things and learn a thing or two at a pioneering leader in the field of online education. B Corp certified since 2021. Operations Manager, REMOTE.
Trivia Answer
In the 16-29 age group, 9% more fear inflation than climate change. Source: Seiko Epson Corporation, by way of Harper's Index.