What is a 'collective'?

The past few weeks have each been 'one of those weeks'. You know the type. No matter what you do, it simply never feels to be enough. 14 hour days don't even scratch the surface of never-ending to-do lists. We've all been there. But it's those very times that remind you of how essential your team is, both internally and externally.

As I drove home one night last week, desperately fighting Siri to accurately translate my vocalized flow of consciousness into a text, I glanced at the clock - 8:30PM. Within seconds of my disjointed and misspelled text going out I received one back. It was a full answer to my overdramatized request and willingness for a 7:00AM touch base the next day. One of our developers. Quite often, one of my saving graces. He is just one of the many talented individuals who make up our collective. One of the best of the best in his field that joins other freelance team members to create magic; bringing camaraderie, passion, and expertise to every project.

The collective model has seen a recent surge in popularity. As the allure of freelance life bombards today's workforce, many brilliant and skilled creatives choose to venture out on their own, allowing the freedom to choose who they want to work with, what they want to work on, and when they want to get it all done. The thought does sound enticing. But the freelancers that I've been lucky enough to work with don't live the freelance promised in social media ads. They are around the clock juggling just as many projects as any agency does, working with multiple clients, in various platforms, and expected to carry the same passion as a full time employee.

When I joined born collective, while understanding that this model allowed us to put a specialized team together that can solve a clients' challenge and meet their goal, it quite honestly perplexed me. How could we possibly get everything done without being able to run down the hall to get a quick answer? Why would anyone without born collective in their email signature care about the work as much as we did? It didn't take long for me to realize my perceptions were wildly off base.

Not only are these experts in their respective crafts, but they are dedicated. They answer texts at 8:30 at night. They send email follow up at 7:00 the next morning. They are not 'just' freelancers. They are a part of our team, an extension of who we are. Our collective has participated in annual giving, supporting organizations that we select to support each year. They attend events. Drop by for visits. They ask about our families and experiences. They share theirs. These inspiring men and women aren't just partners, they're friends. And together we're able to generate ideas, overcome obstacles, exceed expectations, and celebrate success.

What I have come to know is that we are able to provide our clients with the creatives that best fit their needs. We're able to have diverse viewpoints, a larger base of talent, all while accomplishing internal business goals.

So what is a collective? It's simply a name for our remote team. They may not have a born collective business card, or a desk in the office, but they have the same commitment and drive as each of us. And with that, 'those weeks' are always manageable. The long days feel shorter. The late nights don't bring frustration, but appreciation that we are all unified in meeting our objectives. The collective is an integral part of everything we do. And we couldn't value them more.