Run Family, Run!

The unbridled independence of family-run companies.

Our very first client is a small, family-run company with national accounts. We were working on a project even before we had our own agency logo or website. The project didn’t make us rich and it isn’t going to make them or us famous overnight, but none of that matters, because it was fun, and fun is why we started Pie Fight.

There were no investors. No board of directors. No copy testing, focus groups or layers of approval. It’s just a father and his sons who asked for irreverent humor and were stoked to get it. They’re the only ones with skin in the game, so they have total autonomy and creative control. It made the process seamless and enjoyable.

Could they have been a nightmare? Of course. Many family-run companies can be a house of horrors. But this easygoing group wanted a specific style of wittiness they knew we could deliver. They never felt like they were being coerced into comedy. We were all in on the same joke.

So, for all you small, family-run companies out there, keep running. Continue to have the kind of fun your unfettered freedom affords you. The world needs your levity now more than ever.