There are times in life and business when things come together for the good. It could be called destiny, karma, luck, sovereignty, or a plethora of descriptive phrases. Ryan and Gloria Lowe have found it. Maybe it found them. However it may be described, there is an “Aura” about this couple and their rising marketing and design business. Somehow they have found the opportunity to do what they love. Behind Energyhill’s aura of excellence is a story of the American dream.
Find a job you love and you'll never work a day in your life. - Confucius
The journey began in 2001 in Pittsburgh, PA. Ryan started building computers from scratch. It was a wonderful time with amazing technology surging on every front. Ryan was there in the middle of it all investing in a future enterprise loosely referred to as “RyTek.” Later, it evolved to “RyDesign”.
He drew his whole family into the process and a lengthy debate arose to choose the ideal domain name for the future. The final choices were Energyhill.com and (believe it or not) Energypuppy.com. Obviously, Energyhill won the vote.
As time passed, DESIGN emerged, and then MARKETING. Ryan was honing his skills and loving every minute of it. In 2002, Ryan was accepted at the Savannah College of Art and Design in Georgia. On scholarship for his strong personal portfolio of work and development of an innovative hub for students, Ryan began gathering the building blocks for the owned but dormant domain name of Energyhill.com.
Meanwhile, far away in Florida, a highly skilled designer was enrolled at the Art Institute of Tampa. It was there that Gloria began infusing her Dominican passion into her beautiful art and where she would meet her soulmate. Meanwhile, Ryan completed his Master’s degree at SCAD and was hired by the Art Institute and moved to Tampa. After Gloria completed her degree, she began working with Ryan on the side. As their professional relationship grew, so did their courtship and they married in 2008. After joining together, they realized what advantages they had as a couple that they didn’t have before. Their combined skills, knowledge, and experience exceeded the combination of the same as separate individuals. After a few years of contracting and outsourcing in the industry, they decided in 2013 to officially launch Energyhill.com. To better equip himself for a future enterprise, Ryan earned a doctorate in business from Argosy University in 2014.
When a team works well together as a unit, they are able to accomplish more than the individual members can do alone.
Gloria and Ryan found the sweet spot of collaborative design and business aptitude. They complement each other, work tirelessly, and put everything into their brand. The result is a design and marketing agency that is competitive with much larger companies. They deliver in every aspect to make others succeed and grow while at the same time establishing solid relationships with each of their clients.
Each client knows they can be trusted to deliver on time and with the highest quality, and every member of their staff is trained with this in mind. Energyhill is now established and entering its fifth year as an entity. With many years prior to that working with small and large businesses, Ryan and Gloria were positioned to hit the ground running.
Making others succeed is a pretty good formula for Ryan and Gloria; it’s what makes them successful. “Clients are part of us, and we are part of them,” they say. If the clients, who they call “partners” suffer, so do they. If they prosper, so do they. Thankfully, the latter is what happens with Energyhill.
It’s obvious that Ryan and Gloria and every one of their team at Energyhill LOVE what they do. Does this mean they never WORK a day in their lives? Hardly. The fact is they are TIRELESS workers, and they function as a TEAM. They are so passionate about design, advertising, and marketing, that it seems like they are not working. That’s the mystery of the Confucius quote, it’s about LOVING what you do.
By the way, they have three small children that require NO WORK, and are a JOY. Well, at least the second one 🙂
Today's gig-driven economy means there are more individuals than ever hanging a virtual shingle and advertising their expertise for hire. Especially in advertising, marketing and design fields, freelancing has become a key aspect of the gig economy.
While it is tempting to hire a freelance writer or designer for your next project, an agency might be a better option. Here are some points to consider when making the choice.
In most cases, hiring a freelancer is cheaper - there, the cat is out of the bag. However, freelancers are often one-man bands (or one-woman shows). They don't have a pool of resources to draw from - there isn't an extra set of eyes reviewing copy or design elements. There isn't anyone to brainstorm with or rely on for new insight. A marketing agency, on the other hand, brings the added benefit of more people to your project. More people means more experience, wisdom, and creativity than you can get from just one freelancer.
Agencies have overhead which drives up their rates. However, the leverage of an agency can bring unexpected benefits to your project. An agency has often worked with the biggest media in town, established relationships with high-profile people, and generated a body of work that can be leveraged to increase your reputation. All of these elements work in your favor. In the end, an agency rate may be higher on paper, but the connections, insight and advice you'll receive from a team of experts might make it the more cost-effective option.
Some marketers hesitate to use agencies due to a long held belief that they are stodgy or maybe a little too set in their ways. Freelancers are a little quicker, typically younger, and seem to know all of the latest buzz words. However, just because something's fast, doesn't mean it's good. The breadth of talent a marketing agency can provide far outweighs the extra one or two days it may take them to turn around a project.
When deciding between a freelancer or agency for your next advertising, marketing or design project, consider all of the above. Remember that it must be about value, not cost - you want to see the best possible work for the money you'll spend. A marketing agency is almost always your best bet in that regard.
I have worked for large and small agencies. Also, for 10 years I was solely a freelancer. They all have their advantages and disadvantages. Finding a freelancer who is talented and experienced, can communicate well, and is available is a challenge that I see many companies running into. Working with a marketing agency typically avoids this scenario. However, processes can bog down a lot of agencies. That is why we formed Energyhill: to have processes that align with our clients' goals and are customized to our clients' needs. For example, we've had partners that just need print material, but need it to tie into their digital campaigns and initiatives. As a team of digital experts, we can make that happen; most freelancers working solo would have trouble. Flexible processes and a team of specialists allow us to pool resources, get creative, and deliver on our goals efficiently. All in all, I'd much prefer the agency route, now that I have been in both worlds.
