2 years ago on May 9th, 2014, I took the first step on a leap of faith that would come to define my career. I started the company that would ultimately evolve into Knucklepuck.
There have been some challenges along the way, like being forced to change the name of the business after 4 months to avoid getting sued. There have been a lot of late nights and early mornings, long weekends and even a few all-nighters. Startup life has been a grinding, tumultuous, stressful, wonderful, life-changing adventure.
To stay grounded during this whirlwind rollercoaster, it’s important to take time to reflect and appreciate what you have already accomplished. One of the strengths I’m studying as part of our StrengthsFinder approach to professional development is Achiever: A constant need for achievement. Although this is not one of my primary strengths, the sentiment that this constant pursuit of the next achievement can prevent you from appreciating present successes resonates with me and is something I strive to be conscious of.
On Knucklepuck’s birthday, I wanted to take the time to reflect on how far we’ve come over the past two years. What starting as a freelance consulting business has exploded into a full-fledged digital marketing agency. Knucklepuck offers a full suite of services from web design and development, content strategy, SEO, and digital PR outreach. We’re hoping to start offering Paid Media services as soon as we find the right person to help us build out that department. We’re considering bringing on someone to offer strategic Salesforce consulting to optimize the entire conversion process for our clients and serve as their truly integrated marketing partner. Our goal is to service the entire lifecycle of marketing to grow businesses.
Even in my aspirational vision for the company, I never dreamed we would be able to do so much so quickly. I’ve been extremely fortunate to be surrounded by brilliant people every day that push me to be the best version of myself. A key turning point in Knucklepuck’s growth has been the decision to partner with an incredible team over at Launch That to accelerate the growth of my business and support the sustained growth of theirs. This partnership allowed me to bring on a team that I sincerely believe to be some of the sharpest minds in our field.
I’ve had an opportunity to design and construct a new 3,913 sq. foot space in Ballston to house our growing team. You spend so much of your time at the office, it is essential for this environment to enhance your overall experience. After several months of hard work, I can barely contain my excitement that we will be moving in this week. Major props go out to Jon Robinson, who is the real reason this vision was executed on.
FYI for Those in the DMV area: we’ll be hosting a ribbon-cutting ceremony in early- to mid-June. Keep your eyes peeled for details on Facebook.
At the end of the day, it boils down to a simple truth: successful businesses are founded on passion. The startup endeavor requires absolute commitment and this can’t be manufactured, it must be inherent. Building Knucklepuck has undoubtedly been the hardest thing I’ve ever done and the road ahead isn’t going to be much smoother.
And I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
Oh, and P.S. – We’re hiring! 🙂
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About Brett
Welcome! My name is Brett Snyder and I am the owner of Knucklepuck, a digital marketing agency based outside Washington D.C.
When I'm not studying and practicing SEO, you can find me hanging out with our dogs Lemon and Hippo, going to concerts, catching up with friends, exploring new hobbies, or spending time with my son Colin.
Follow @BrettASnyder