In my inevitable search for a post-graduation career, I stumbled across an agency that I now hold the highest regards for, and know that my path will cross with again. With an open, collaborative culture, a strive to create conversations, and a kick-ass bar, it is no wonder that Little & Company has been able to find such success in their decades of operation.
I met up with Brooke Rymer, the Marketing and New Business Manager of Little to chat with her about the culture and processes in place at Little. With their prime location, right above the hot-spot coffee bar, Penny’s, I was excited to see their space from the moment I walked in. A space that was clearly designed by designers with teamwork in mind, this office boasts an open-concept, gorgeous meeting rooms, a bar where they hold gawk-worthy parties, and its own family-style, Italian table for meetings, meals and even the occasional panini bar, set up by the President and Chief Creative Officer, Joe Cecere.
Little is a design and branding agency specializing in brand strategy, identity and naming, communications campaigns, employee engagement and experience design. Founded by Monica Little 38 years ago with the personal mission of inspiring everyone and giving back to the community, Little attempts to solve problems with design, but they are so much more than just a description on a website (which, by the way, is beautiful).
Rymer described their process of acquiring new business by saying that they look for projects that will excite the team. Little values employees who have passions outside of work and bring their most creative selves to the office. This leads to a great diversity of thought, and therefore client teams that possess depth and will bring fresh insights and ideas to the table. Little starts each project by immersing themselves in a client’s business, industry and culture, so they are able to create solutions that will solve a real problem and move the brand forward. Often times this comes from asking, “why” and then “why” again and again, to find the root of the problem, and build from there.
From new client acquisition to the kick-off of a project, something that stuck out to me as unique, and incredibly telling of the culture at Little, is that strategy and creative work together as a cohesive partnership to create solutions and deliverables. Each person at Little is first and foremost a designer, by trade or by heart. This allows the open flow of ideas between strategy and creative. As a student who is still learning about the agency 
world, and who only knows what she has heard, this struck me as a quality that is sought after, but hard to find. It shows in their incredible work for companies like Target, U.S. Bank, Fair State Brewing and Lowe’s.
This agency excels at more than just client work. They also serve as a catalyst for conversations surrounding creativity and design. Through their speaker series, “Kick Ass Happy Hours,” Little has opened its doors and served as an educational institution for anyone who is interested. When they feel a buzz forming around a topic, they love to insert themselves into the conversation and create a safe space for artists to collaborate and learn within.
It’s no surprise that this self-proclaimed kick-ass agency has been named a Minnesota Best Place to Work, the 2015 Silver Midwest Small Agency of the Year by Ad Age, and has been recognized with two Minnesota Keystone Honored Company Awards for its community giving. I walked out of Little feeling motivated and inspired to do my best work in hopes of someday working at a place like Little.
Photo credit: Shea Design
Kate Sefton is a senior in the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota studying Marketing and Digital Media. Currently sitting on the Communications Committee of Ad2 as the Community Manager, she is excited to learn from the best young professionals in her dream industry.
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