August marks the end of West Digital’s 23rd year.
I’ve been thinking about what success actually means.
In a growing economy the answer feels obvious. Revenue up, team growing, awards on the shelf. But in a contracting market and the TV, film and marketing communications world has been contracting for a few years now, survival becomes the measure. Costs keep rising, rates have fallen, there isn’t enough work to go around. The government and big business have quietly stopped talking about the creative industries as an engine of growth.
So what does success look like in this environment?
I think it looks like character. How you cope in the bad times. How you preserve relationships. How you treat the people around you when things are hard. How you find healthy ways to carry the weight.
Being a founder can be lonely. I’m genuinely grateful that Peter and I have always been able to share the good and the bad. We balance each other out. That matters more than I can say.
Social media gives us a very glossy view of business. I’m not sure it does us any favours. We’re all human. We’re all carrying something. The support that actually gets us through doesn’t come from government or from the brands we buy, it comes from the communities we’re in, the people we work alongside, the everyday connections that acknowledge what we’re actually going through.
I’ll admit I’m sometimes guilty of carrying too much on my own. Not sharing it. Just shouldering the responsibility. But none of us should have to do this alone.
If you’re in the industry right now and finding it tough, the lack of work, the uncertainty, the weight of it all, please know you’re not alone. We see it. We feel it too.
We’re in Goldhawk Road, Shepherds Bush. Our doors are genuinely open. If you want to come in, have a coffee, sit with people who understand what this industry is actually like right now, no appointment needed. Just come. We’re not promising answers but we can offer company, a friendly ear, and a place to breathe for a moment.
From Peter and myself to our team, our clients, and the colleagues across the industry who have supported us thank you. We’re really grateful your on this journey with us.
In a few weeks we begin our 24th year at West Digital. The path from our 20th year to our 23rd has been one of the most difficult of the company’s life. But here we are.
Still standing. Still building. Still grateful for the small things.
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