Janine Allen
I’m feeling a bit of déjà vu. This time last year we were waving a collective farewell and good riddance to 2020, with more than a little hope and optimism that 2021 would be our “return to normal”.
And yet here we are – anything but normal. But at the risk of algorithms sorting this post into the (-) pile, I’ve resolved to focus on our agency and the good that 2021 brought as well as the things I’m looking forward to in 2022!
K&P’s 10-year anniversary
In 2021, Kaiser & Partners celebrated our agency’s 10th anniversary.
In the last decade, we have worked closely with our clients as part of their teams and provided bespoke solutions-based strategies that engage, inspire and influence – with an unwavering focus on measurable results.
We’ve had 10 years of incredible success, despite the toughest conditions imaginable. We built lasting partnerships between the most talented staff in the industry and the smartest and nicest clients. We’ve grown to nearly 30 people with offices in Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa and affiliated partners throughout Canada and around the world.
As we wrap our first decade and look ahead to the future, with gratitude for our success and in recognition of our anniversary, we feel strongly about empowering our communities to make a difference going forward. We committed to supporting the call for accessible workplaces that provide fair treatment for individuals who are displaced due to disabilities and this month we donated $2,500 on behalf of our clients and $2,500 on behalf of our employees to selected charities that included:
Important wins
Some of the best, most rewarding memories of 2021 include the many new business wins for industry-leading clients who chose us to support them through these difficult times. We are so honoured to have had the chance to work with new clients in industries such as financial services, real estate, technology, food & beverage, HR, retail and many others.
Together with our existing clients we killed it during award season with awards in every category we entered for clients including LifeWorks, Canadian Payroll Association, ADP Canada – and a finalist in BEST in Show at the CPRS Toronto ACE Awards for our Picton Mahoney client.
K&P’s #BestTeam
But none of this success would have been possible without our #Bestteam.
It was a busy growth year with as many hires as our anniversary year and multiple promotions! In the last four months alone, we hired Marwan in Montreal and promoted well-deserving Shane and Lauren.
As our team succeeds, we all succeed. I am so proud of the talent, tenacity and kindness that everyone on the team demonstrates every day and am so excited to see how far we can go together.
Continued focus on wellness
In 2021, we also prioritized wellness.
Agency life has always had its unique stresses but combined with the emotional impact of the last couple of years, the detrimental effects of both can’t be overstated. Despite the reassurance that our business was growing and succeeding, stress was a looming reality…both in work and our personal lives.
We regularly surveyed the team to get a pulse check, instituted K&PJ Thursdays (with no cameras on for internal Zoom/Teams calls), Friday afternoon “hangouts” with trivia games and wellness sessions that ranged from a killer Pilates class to yoga, nutrition and other topics of interest.
As I look back on yet another demanding year, I am grateful for the resiliency, care and camaraderie we shared as teammates and yes, friends. In 2022, as we cross our fingers and toes for a permanent change that will finally allow us to supplement virtual with in-person get-togethers, we will continue to focus on prioritizing what matters most: Our staff, our clients, our health, and producing exceptional work.