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What are you worried about? I’ve worked at shops of every size and have found zero advantage at being at a holding company.
Worked at both indies and hold cos (Omnicom currently and WPP previously). Hold cos pay way better and I haven't seen as many layoffs. My work life balance is better too. But im also senior management and the work is a couple clicks above nosebleed boring.
Hot shops are hot, but when things start to cool off it gets ugly.
Indies tend to have way less of a WLB than the big hold cos…. And the hold cos aren’t exactly known for working banker hours
Yowch. I’ve always had a decent WLB at hold cos and that was sort of my fear. “You’re producing what?! With this team?”
Get ready to work all the hours because you’ll be doing your job plus the job of a junior and a midlevel strategist. Flex down is how indies afford you
💯
I’ve been in indies for the last 7 years and vastly prefer them.
The big thing to be aware of is that it’s a whole different brand of company politics. You have to be sure you see eye-to-eye with leadership and your contemporaries before you jump, because leadership is never changing and there are no teams to switch to. Don’t come in thinking you’re going to shift the culture or push the agency in a new direction. An indy is the way it is because the founders are who they are, and that’s probably never gonna change.
Yes, I’ve worked directly with leadership at each indie I’ve been at. There’s no easy answer other than to ask as many people as you can about the founders and culture before you take the leap. As a group director you’ll probably get a decent amount of face time with them before you get hired, so it’s also just whether you get along with them on a personal level.
Some indie shops may not offer a 401(k) match. I’ve also found that smaller agencies can be stricter with your PTO because there aren’t as many people to help cover when you’re out.
I have seen it both ways. Some indies offer unlimited, but you’re right - there’s no one to cover. When I was in a leadership role at an indie shop I worked 24/7.
I worked at all kinds of shops and the smallest ones tend to be either really good (smart people making efficient moves) or really bad (no structure no clear pipeline). I was expected to bring in clients as a creative at one of the messy indies, was shocked when the CEO said that as if it’s KPI for everyone working there. So i guess tell them to write down things like responsibilities, how to take days off, raise and bonuses structures, etc. before you sign anything. Also don’t let them do “probation period” I’ve seen multiple places using that as a reason to let go people w/o causes.
Worked at two big hold cos and now at an indie - honestly there are pros and cons to both, but take the employee reviews of indies seriously. If the same major problem keeps coming up in reviews (especially if it’s about how leadership operates) run
Have you talked to them about resources? Numerator, MRISimmons, Circana, social listening… they’re all extremely expensive for indies. I was making much more at a private company, but couldn’t be efficient and effective.
And you’re right - WLB was a huge factor, robust client roster, and processes were things the holding companies offered.
I am happy to chat 1:1 if you’re interested. I have also seen a lot of narcissism in indie leadership… it’s likely widespread across holding cos, too, but experienced first hand at multiple.
Very helpful! I’m at an absolutely massive company agency now and we don’t even have the most basic research resources. Hilariously, they want to charge us based on revenue and number of employees, when we have very few advertising and marcomms employees globally and it makes up so little of our revenues.
I’d love to chat. Will message.
A few things will be different. Clients make an active choice to work with indies. You won't be part of a holdco procurement deal.
You will be more hands on with clients and leadership. That's a good thing.
You will spend less time on HR, compliance, and thought leadership type work. That's also a good thing. Networks waste a lot of time feeding their own scale and complexity.
The personality of the founders shapes the entire agency. If there is a taboo or infighting, it colors everyone about the company.
You don't have a holding company demanding its 15% margin at all costs, or assuming that your company still prints money like it's 2018. On the other hand, there's no cushion for a cashflow crisis or a loss of a founding client. I know founders who have remortgaged their family homes to keep indie agencies afloat.
But the biggest factor is the state of the industry today. The advantages of scale are disappearing every day. There has never been a better time for indies to take a bite out of the business. The risk delta between indies and networks has never been smaller.
Very helpful perspective! I’ve been trying to shift up ‘n out of middle management for years, and this makes a compelling argument for indies if I can find one with a compatible culture.
Potentially less pay and less resources/team headcount but not always the case
Was definitely offered a substantial pay bump (I’ve been at my current spot too long) but what sounds like not enough headcount to get the work done. 😥
When they fuck you they don’t always have the decency to give you a reach around.