The first decade of April Six in America
Personal reflections on the power of craft and culture
by Grady Ban
As marketers, we typically avoid clichés, but the undeniable truths embedded in phrases like “Ignorance is bliss” and “Better safe than sorry” resonate with us. Celebrating my 10-year milestone at April Six, I find it hard to escape the adage, “Time flies (when you’re having fun).” Because, just like that, a decade has passed between accepting the position of Account Manager—as the number two employee in North America–and entering my third year as Managing Director. Over that time, I’ve witnessed our agency evolve greatly, expanding its capabilities and employing a growing number of exceptionally talented people. Amidst the changes, one constant remains: an unwavering commitment to our Sixers.
Celebrating the people at our core
April Six was established in the U.K. (on April 6, 2000) with a mission to deliver breakthrough creative solutions for B2B brands. From the beginning, the agency fostered a positive, supportive work environment—where dedicated individuals were inspired to harness relevant skills and solve real-world challenges. So, when Co-Founder and Global CEO Fiona Shepherd made the decision to expand to the U.S. in 2013, she did so with that same, people-centric mindset.
The allure of contributing to an agency so defined by quality, positivity, and inclusivity motivated my decision to join April Six in 2014. Since then, it’s been my ambition to make April Six North America an organization that empowers smart, self-motivated marketers to succeed at every level.
Looking back on the past decade, I’m most proud of how we’ve championed the ongoing improvement of the April Six employee experience and offering. There’s no question that our ultimate success hinges on the efforts, dedication, and expertise of every Sixer. It’s for each of them that we’ve gone beyond the expected (competitive pay packages and healthcare plans) to deliver on the people-centric (training and development opportunities, continued acknowledgement of achievements, and the establishment of an environment in which the voice of every Sixer is respected and valued). This culture of respect and trust aligns to our core values—Be Curious, Be Fearless, and Be One—and fuels our ability to create impactful work for our clients.
I have always said that “being One” is the most palpable of our core values. It reveals itself in daily interactions with Sixers and in larger agency shifts, most notably over the past four years as we have transitioned to a fully remote team. Our people adapted brilliantly to the many challenges and limitations imposed by the pandemic and even found ways to enhance our culture.
While I was saddened to lose the bustling energy of our San Francisco office, I was excited to gain an even more diverse range of Sixer talent from across three time zones. The remote team structure even allowed me to move my own family to Boston, and then Minneapolis, without ever feeling disconnected. Whether demonstrated through our countless Zoom calls or our in-person regional meetups and annual all-agency retreats, I am always impressed by the strength of our team’s connection.
An Unshakeable Commitment
Spending 10 years at the same firm might seem like an eternity, particularly in the agency world (where constant job-hopping is the norm). But, from day one at April Six, I could feel that we were building something special. It’s why reaching this professional milestone has prompted, in me, deep reflection on the experiences, achievements, and myriad clients and colleagues encountered along the way.
What I know is that I am part of an agency that has the courage and foresight to evolve and reinvent itself, steadily raising the bar on the delivery of memorable work to our clients and, more importantly, meaningful support to our team members. We are agile in our adoption of new ideas, challenging ourselves to be better, and devoted to building powerful partnerships with our clients and colleagues. We are a team of Sixers committed to lifting each other up, acknowledging our challenges, and celebrating our successes. These principles are core to who we are today—as it was 10 years ago and, with any luck, as it will be 10 years from now.
As a proud Sixer a decade in the making, I can state confidently that my commitment to creating a thriving, collaborative team remains unshakeable. Every day that I log onto my computer, engage in Zoom calls, review scopes of work, or have the chance to sing karaoke with my team, I am re-dedicated to achieving this goal anew.
Grady Ban