Coming into a new office can lead to some major culture shock. Stone Ward’s Camp Reality internship program is designed for us to know that we would be making a difference and working on actual client projects, not coffee runs. While you may still have to get coffee, it’s because you’re on a commercial shoot at one in the morning, and the talent is beginning to get tired. Stone Ward throws you in the deep end pretty quick, but you aren’t alone. Leaders are there, and you better have a pen and paper because being a student is just step one.
From the creative heads, brand managers, media moguls and tech gurus, the personality of Stone Ward shines through its leadership. This personality is dictated by both the employees themselves and the principles who developed the Stone Ward mission. Tommy alone exemplifies servant leadership. Bill and Danny make exceptional creative while maintaining accountability on a no excuses, no apologies basis. Lucie and the brand team listen to clients and ensure that any commitment we make, we keep. Brett and Mandy do a lot of thinking. They work hard to reduce assumptions as well as meticulously schedule and plan for better campaigns. Stone Ward’s mantra permeates every department and every employee, and it’s easy to get swept up in it as an intern.
However, one important thing to note is that just because you hear a message doesn’t mean you listened. Being a student, sitting in the backseat to those wiser, was the hardest step for me. Prima donnas and self-proclaimed experts do not exist at Stone Ward. For any potential future intern or applicant, take notes, be honest and always ask. You are only expected to do your best.
The most important part of the Stone Ward mantra, in my opinion, is as follows:
“If your work is late or substandard, someone else will have to compensate. When you make a commitment to excellence and a deadline, stick to it.”
While deadlines are always changing, that commitment to excellence is on the dotted line of every client project – big or small. Every employee visibly, audibly and consistently strives not to earn the pride of their superiors, but to have pride in their own and their contemporaries work. While the inorganic structure of Stone Ward is phenomenal, the personality in each and every department of Stone Ward is built for meeting and exceeding expectations on a regular basis.
Because that’s what they do—they build good and live the Golden rule.