?They say if a small business makes it to its fifth year, things are good,? says Tarrin McGhee, owner of Memphis-based Pique Creative Agency. ?I just renewed the license for the fourth year, and it feels nice.?
Tarrin McGhee of Pique Creative Agency, from their office across the street from the Soulsville Foundation.
After a few years working for area non-profits, the Omaha, Nebraska native felt the call to move on. With a background in advertising and public relations, she took?on freelance projects while working to secure job ?interviews with agencies and various companies, before landing two very appealing offers for full-time employment.
But, another call was echoing within- the wild call of the small business owner.
?Cardell Orrin, my unofficial mentor and official business partner, encouraged me to think about different alternatives by asking me if I?d consider going into business for myself,? says McGhee. ?So I began thinking about that, praying, talking to family, and ultimately decided it was worth a shot.?
The urge to go all in as a business owner was further edified when McGhee attended one of? LaunchMemphis? Startup Weekends, regular workshops that arm aspiring small business owners with connections, resources and a plug-in to Memphis? culture of entrepreneurship.
Pique Creative Agency launched in September 2009 when McGhee took the leap of faith.
?I don?t regret it at all,? she says. ?I wanted to compete with the agencies I interviewed with and starting my own company presented an opportunity for me to spend my time working to get closer to other long-term goals that I?ve set for myself, instead of using my talent to help other people accomplish theirs.?
McGhee, center, with Henry Jones and Lindsey Kurtz of Pique client Stand For Children.
?The first two years of business, I had no social life. None,? says McGhee. ?Friendships suffered. My relationships with my boyfriend, my sisters, my mother, friends, all were damaged. I was absorbed with business, clients, prospect meetings, and it took a while to find balance. But I found it. I remembered how to live and why it was so important to ensure that other aspects of my life were not forgotten.?
?You do have to pour yourself into a business to be successful, but you also have to find time to just enjoy life, be present in the moment, and celebrate where you are.?
Organically, Pique has landed mostly non-profit clients, an arrangement that suits McGhee fine. ?I get a lot of fulfillment working with non-profits. I see people are giving of themselves to help others do better and to improve our community, and helping my clients succeed gives me a broader sense of accomplishment than just earning a paycheck.?
Operating out of an office in Soulsville?s Towne Center, just across McLemore Avenue from the Stax Museum and Soulsville Charter School, suits the business model Pique has established. The building complex itself was part of a massive redevelopment project in the community, and McGhee thinks it?s important to stay involved in the city as it changes.
?I remember eleven years ago in college at the University of Memphis people were talking about Memphis being on the brink of greatness,? she says. ?It?s still talked about today because our city has so much potential to improve and so many people working hard to do it. I could have done my business anywhere, but I?m glad that it?s here. Memphis is home.?
McGhee, second from right, at Common Ground's 4th Anniversary Celebration held at the Stax Museum earlier this year.
A lifelong reader and lover of words, she writes fiction and poetry when she finds a rare moment of downtime.
?It helps cleanse the mind,? she says. ?But I don?t share it. In business, I?m the face of the company, which is difficult for an introvert. I write this other stuff for myself. My fear is that after my death it will all be discovered and my secret self will be exposed. A good PR person stays behind the scenes!?
In ten years, McGhee hopes to see Pique as a major competitor to the other agencies in Memphis.
?I started the business to leave something behind for my family, to generate wealth for my loved ones,? she says. ?I?d love to see the company grow and expand into other cities. Because we focus on non-profits, I think that our work can succeed in any city.?
She acknowledges that this kind of growth presents a new spectrum of unknowns and challenges.
?It will be tough to break into new markets, but I?m up for a challenge.?
?People say you work harder for yourself than for an employer,? she says. ?It?s totally true.?
Tarrin is a graduate of the Leadership Academy?s A10 Fellows class. Find out more about the program here.
Source: http://www.memphisconnect.com/2012/09/28/pique-to-arouse-an-emotion-or-provoke-an-action/
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