With four months remaining in 2021, we took the time to assess the last eighteen months. What did we learn? That our enduring success has not come without personal sacrifice.

It’s time to rethink the way we live and work. 

When we started The Charles, we set out to create something different. We vowed to work smarter, harder, and more creatively. Our goal was always to smash the agency model status quo and break down the barriers of the client/agency relationship so we could genuinely be excellent partners and collaborators. 

We’ve decided to close the office for FIVE BUSINESS DAYS. We are starting on the 3rd of September, until the 13th of September. During this time, we’re encouraging our teams to take time for themselves and make space for reimagining new ways of doing things.

If we have learned anything over the last eighteen months, sometimes we must rethink how we usually do things to make room for new uncharted possibilities and growth. We truly believe that having the opportunity to think expansively outside the constructs of “business hours” or “off-sites” is what the agency needs. We must take risks to get the big rewards like anything we do in strategy, marketing, and creative.

We’ve asked our teams to shut down their machines, take a breath, and reboot.

We’ve also asked our incredible clients and partners to trust in us. The most fantastic thing about all of this has been our client response and understanding, which shows that we’re doing something right.

This mindset is not a trend or fad. It’s a new approach to thinking about the future of our agency and our work/life balance. It’s new. It’s nerve-wracking, but we know we’ll all be better for it.

Closing down the office for a week? Who would have thought it? If 2020 and 2021 have shown us anything, it’s to RESPECT the unexpected. 

-Aaron and Samantha