How do you do what you do? And when was the last time you asked yourself this question? Most of us don’t ask it often enough. Instead, we allow our first attempt to become our standard, and so our method is derived by mere chance. Often there’s no revision stage, no edits made. Tom Crimp is the exception – he loves asking this question. Tom is the founder of AUXILIARY Advertising & Design in Rockford, Michigan, and he’s become successful in his field by asking this one question: how?
“There’s this inherent belief that you must stick to your ideals or you’re not being true to your craft, but I have found that by approaching this business from the standpoint of a problem solver, we will ultimately get there, we’ll feel good about it, and doing so makes our work better.”
Tom went to school at Kendall College of Art and Design in Grand Rapids. There he studied to be a designer. After working at the Jager Group for seven years, he had the urge to start his own agency. He looked at the traditional business model that advertising agencies use, and wondered if there was a better way. So he set out to build a more sustainable model that was less volatile in nature, relationship-based and need-focused. AUXILIARY Advertising & Design was founded in 2005, and is now a thriving agency with roughly thirty employees. Tom and his group seek first to know their clients, then to understand their needs, and finally to meet those needs in creative ways. For AUXILIARY, advertising and design is not just about doing creative work; it’s about doing creative work in a creative way.
“I see the little things in my day-to-day life. I notice patterns and environments, and I store them away as a reminder to do things differently.”
Internally, Tom strives to meet the needs of his employees, and to refrain from adding unnecessary corporate structure. Tom sincerely believes that by taking care of the person, the person will take care of the work. It sounds basic, but it’s a pretty radical thought in the business world. The advertising industry is renowned for holding on to what has worked in the past (some agencies have death grip on the Mad Men lifestyle), but Tom is a true believer in doing what’s good for everyone– not just best for himself. It’s Tom’s empathetic nature that causes him to pursue a better way, and continue revising. Creatives would be wise to take a step back and do what Tom does – ask yourself that one all-important question: how?
“Don’t be short-sighted. Find people who go about their work in a good-hearted, ethical way. Don’t work somewhere that takes shortcuts, and don’t just be lured by dollars. Find people who care about more than just themselves.”
Tom Crimp lives and works in Rockford, Michigan. He is an Art Director by trade and the founder of AUXILIARY Advertising and Design.
Joshua Best 