(Culture is King)

I know there are more than a few critical elements in any successful business, but in my limited experience I’ve learned that culture is king. It’s a part of the day-to-day, week-to-week and year-to-year.

A strong company culture all starts with people. You need the best people, and we’re lucky to have the best at Block Club. You need to create an environment where each person can find fulfillment and satisfaction in their job everyday. Your company should be a place where your team can grow while working through self-learning and exploration. Some people say that work needs to be fun - I hope they mean that it needs to be fulfilling.

I disagree with the idea that building a strong culture comes from having a foosball table and beer in the fridge. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see that you’re trying to mask everyone’s general lack of enthusiasm by painting walls bright colors, forcing parties and bonding experiences, hanging inspirational signs, and buying a Wii. These things don’t hurt (note to self: buy more beer), but building a strong culture isn’t this elementary.

I’ve thought a lot about what makes our culture great, but it’s been difficult to distill the last five years of team work into a few solid ideas. Over the next couple of weeks, I’ll be posting my thoughts on our culture. I’m really looking forward to sharing our experiences and all of the things we’re still learning.

(Three Inspiring Reminders from Last Month)

Children know.

This is a cliché, but since clichés are just repeated true things, I’m going to continue the trend. Children inspire me because they embody what I all want from my audiences, readers, clients, and cohorts: honesty, clarity, openness, curiosity, tenacity and joy. They tell you when you’re wrong. They tell you when they want more. They tell you what you need to hear. They tell you that they like your face. They follow everything with a hug. Things don’t get much more perfect than that.

(Disclaimer: Age matters. Don’t expect a rhetorical response from a four-year-old, but expect lots of hugs at the drop of a dime. Similarly, four-month-olds can’t answer your question about their wet diaper, but they can tell you in no uncertain terms when something is wrong.)

Figure out the signals and you’re in the clear. Such as in life.

Burgers have a way.

I was recently invited to a monthly meeting of a local burger-of-the-month club. I say “a” to indicate that there are more than one in town. It’s a movement. I do not know the histories of these groups, their leaders, or their missions. I do know that they are serious about their burgers. They meet once a month at a restaurant and catch up over their shared meal. They ask chefs to create special house burgers for the group. So fancy.

But more impressive than the ingredients and their umami was the conversation we had. We talked about our favorite bowls of cereals, grilled cheeses, and what constitutes the ideal lasagna. It was no more serious than that: ground meat, condiments, bread, toasting rules, cheese-melting techniques. It wasn’t intellectual. It wasn’t political. It wasn’t complicated. It was fun. It was light. It was easy. I highly encourage regular meals with friends, or strangers—people at the next table, even—where you discuss nothing other than cheese. We bonded over cheeseburgers, which made it one of the more memorable conversations I’ve had in a while.

Parameters open more doors than they shut.

Meet yourself.

I came across an article I wrote 10 years ago, meaning it was one of my first, meaning it was for my college newspaper, meaning it was horrible. Don’t look it up. It was about what I had learned about life at 20, and what I was sure I wouldn’t settle for as I moved forward. (I piggybacked onto Mike Nichols and stole from “The Graduate” in the title. Talk about clichés.) It was passionate, but horribly off-target. I misused phrases. I crossed my metaphors. I didn’t have strong enough opinions, which made articulating them even worse. But that’s what 20 is for.

I don’t normally wait for milestones to be reflective. But this was something else. This was a friendly slap in the face to remind me to actively engage my mind, even change it; to develop opinions, even if they’re unpopular; and to delve into new territories. You have to know what you believe in, not pretend that you do if you don’t, and not be afraid to say you have no idea.

You can teach yourself a lot, even if you don’t know the lesson at first. 

What is your position at Block Club?

Ben: I am the editor of Block Club Magazine, and I contribute to the creative work for our design clients. For most projects, I am the “Word Guy.”

How did you end up doing what you’re doing?

Before the magazine launched in 2007, I had been freelancing for The Buffalo News, covering local arts and culture. I was hoping to stay in town to write, but I was reluctantly prepared to enter the tornado of applying to small-town newspaper gigs. Luckily, a friend introduced me to another friend who had this novel idea to start a magazine, and I jumped on board. Haven’t looked back since.

Where would one find you outside of the office?

The mundanity of it is absurd, but you know, cooking with friends, going to the theater, sitting in a coffee shop. All those activities that consume an interested/boring person’s life. Sometimes I crave a more adventurous social calendar, but I am quite fulfilled with my interests.

(Ben is an avid twitter-er.)

We’re going to be introducing some fun new features to Club Haus over the next few weeks! While Club Haus will always be a platform for us to share weekly inspirations, intriguing design work and news, you’ll also see more original content in the form of interviews, design and business recommends, and one-on-ones with the faces of Block Club Creative. 

But first, some introductions! This week, we’re checking in with Patrick, founder and principal of the company - a job that involves growing the company with new products, services, and of course, clients.

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