It’s funny how a little red bubble on my LinkedIn app can make me feel panic and glee at the same time.
A few days ago, the robots over at their algorithm marked the four-year anniversary of Pink Robot Studios existing.
First and foremost, it made me realize: I was gonna buy a cake for Ashley and Lugo to celebrate, but I forgot. Whoops.
I’m getting them a cake on Tuesday, but don’t tell them. Ashley’s sitting right behind me as I type this, so I hope she doesn’t turn around.
But secondly, it made me realize something else: in the four years since I started my life’s work here, my “favorite part of the job” has pulled a 180 without me realizing it.
A Slow Burn
I have chronic heartburn, so I’m very familiar with the concept of a “slow burn.” Some of my favorite movies are slow burns – Se7en, Parasite, etc.
It’s easy to pinpoint in a movie, but the thing about a slow burn is it’s hard to tell when it’s happening to you in real life.
As you might imagine, I started Pink Robot Studios because I love design deeply. Something about taking someone’s hopes, values, and passions, and putting them down on paper. It’s incredibly gratifying to see their faces light up when their vision they’ve dreamed of is right in front of them.
But I’m starting to realize a slow burn of my own (other than my heartburn): I think I just like talking to people about their passions.
Over the past several months, I’ve started a new initiative – I try to meet one new person every week for coffee, and at the end of our meeting, I ask who I should meet next.
It’s allowed me to meet some of the most incredible people ever. I’m convinced Boise is really something special. How else would so many special people be in one city?
The best parts of the discussions are always when we talk about what makes them tick. Did you know that in Idaho you can get a grant to record an album?
Me neither, up until this week. It’s amazing what you can learn when people just talk. Sounds pretentious, but it’s true!
My Executive Order
Every single time I meet with someone cool, I walk out the door feeling unbelievably fulfilled.
As I was walking through beautiful downtown Boise the other day, crunching those mid-fall leaves (best time of the year!), I started thinking: this is the same way I feel after we meet with a client to talk through their project.
It’s the exact feeling I was talking about earlier! You know, “seeing their faces light up when their vision they’ve dreamed of is right in front of them”? When you talk with someone about their dreams and aspirations, and show them that you care, you’re helping them visualize that vision.
Maybe that’s what I’ve loved about my job here from the beginning, and I just didn’t realize it. Either way, it was a slow burn to that realization.
And so, I’ve made an executive order here at Pink Robot. We need to meet with our clients more often!
Whether they’re local or national, old or new, I just want to talk to more people. I want to hear about what makes them feel the way talking to people makes me feel. And I’ll ask them who I can meet next.
Maybe I can meet a cool local baker who can do same-day custom cakes for the inevitability that I forget our five-year anniversary too.
Here’s to four more years of Pink Robot Studios!
