When we say Bigmouth is a small agency, we mean really small. Right now, five full-timers, two part-timers and one summer contract person make all this magic happen.
Well, a lot of the magic, anyway. Bigmouth also relies on an incredible network of creative partners, from photographers and videographers to printing and fulfillment to events and experiences. We literally couldn’t do what we do without them, and we’re so grateful to connect with folks who both produce great work and share our purpose-driven values.
Crucial among those partners is myWHY, a small Chicago agency with a foundation in PR, media relations and social/influencer marketing. Their skill sets and experience complement our own, and our missions and passions couldn’t be more aligned.
Founder/ringleader Emerald-Jane Hunter sits at the heart of myWHY. EJ was born and raised in Ghana, West Africa; her immigrant mindset inspires her dedication and tenacity of purpose.
“Another day I get to do what I do is another day to keep thriving and striving for greatness,” she says. “That’s a big part of my career and my passion. We’re able to retell stories that matter.”
As part of Bigmouth’s fifth anniversary celebration, we asked EJ and Jonathan Hart, our owner and design director, to share the secret sauce behind our collaborative partnership.
Another day I get to do what I do is another day to keep thriving and striving for greatness
Emerald-Jane Hunter, myWHY founder/ringleader, on what inspires her dedication and tenacity of purpose.
About the Agencies
myWHY’s capabilities include:
PR/media relations
Influencer, social media and content marketing
Brand strategy
Diversity, equity and inclusion
Corporate social responsibility
Bigmouth’s capabilities include:
Brand and creative strategy
Brand systems and design
Marketing and communications
Emerald-Jane Hunter
Combining our teams and skill sets allows us to go after bigger business and serve broader audiences. We’re doing big agency work with small nimble teams at affordable prices because we’re coming together to do the work. The truth for me is that when we combine our skillset, we check all the boxes.
Jonathan Hart
EJ and I clicked immediately. Aside from the fact that each organization’s offerings and backgrounds mesh, we vibed in terms of what we care about, what we value and what we’re trying to accomplish with our businesses.
DEI and diversity is big for me, so knowing that Bigmouth was a Certified LGBT Business Enterprise was attractive. I’m very intentional with not just my client base but who I collaborate with.
The collaboration was seamless. Karianne and the myWHY team were working on messaging and positioning, and Bigmouth created the look and feel, logo and roadmap. The project went so well, and it gave me a sneak peek into the quality of work Bigmouth produces. As an entrepreneur I believe in partnerships that align with quality, because myWHY churns out high-quality work. I thought this was a partnership that was worth holding onto for a long time.
I really want to build the context of how we look as an intersectional agency duo. We’re not just coming to you from two matched marketing and communications backgrounds, like PR and influencer work paired with brand and creative services separately.
We want to define how that looks as two agencies trying to carve out a space for ourselves by bringing a DEI perspective to our work. Our approach to the work we want to do is Not About Us Without Us.
One of the first things EJ said was that she wanted to build an intersectional team. But you can’t go out and ask people their sexuality or gender identity, so it’s tough to explicitly bring LGBT voices to the table. It’s a little easier to bring racial minorities or women because it’s easier to go into those spaces to find candidates.
We work together well from an established leadership position. EJ and I have identified as specific minority-owned businesses, so we come to the table with those no matter the team makeup. It’s an unfortunate reality in the business procurement world that the only way you can explicitly bring those voices to the table is through diverse business certification.
Bigmouth is on a mission to do good — and authentic relationships do good for our agency and our clients. We all carry traumas from bad working relationships (and class projects) with us. By choosing to be vulnerable and trust the potential of positive collaboration, we’re creating a world we want to work in.
We can’t do it all ourselves — join us! Bigmouth turns five in 2023. As part of our celebration, we’re publishing a five-part blog series on leadership in today’s creative world.
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