Lately, I’ve been reflecting on one of my dad’s favorite quotes by Albert Einstein:
“Compound interest is the eighth wonder of the world. He who understands it, earns it… he who doesn’t, pays it.”
While I’m no financial expert, it’s remarkable that something as simple as time and consistency can generate exponential growth. It’s a low-effort, high-return phenomenon.
But this idea is not limited just to money—this principle can apply to company culture too.
Why Building Company Culture Matters
Over the course of my career, I’ve worked for two agencies, started another, and am now building a fourth, Made in July - my personal dream come true and favorite project yet.
Each experience has taught me something different, but the most profound lesson came from my first job at CPB Miami. That job wasn’t just a paycheck; it was a masterclass in balancing hard work, creativity, and camaraderie.
Nights were long, clients were tough, and stakes were high. However, I ALWAYS felt like I was working with people who had my back - people who were in the trenches with me. In fact, CPB Miami had an infamous saying in their employee handbook: jumping on hand grenades.
The expectation existed that trials and tribulations would assuredly come, but you never had to doubt that those around you would do anything to support you. Client requests didn’t come first, supporting your team did.
We learned when you invest in your team first and prioritize teamwork, overdelivering on client requests undoubtedly follows.
And the beautiful thing was that while we were in the trenches, we were building lifelong bonds and deep friendships that put agency culture above everything.
Because the truth is, when you love the people you work with, work becomes something else entirely. Work becomes the byproduct of a high-functioning, collaboratively-focused team.
When I was tasked to launch Orange Umbrella, I knew I wanted to build something with that same sense of connection I had found at CPB Miami.
Our little team at Orange Umbrella started with only two students and me around a table in January 2017.
Seven years later, that small group had grown into a family -- and more importantly, it had grown into a network of over 450 smart, caring, and talented individuals who continue to invest in and rely on one another long after graduation.
How Investing in Company Culture Compounds Over Time
How did that happen? The answer is simple: culture.
From day one at Orange Umbrella, we focused on building a community where people wanted to be—not because they had to, but because they wanted to. We prioritized laughter when things got tough, celebrated the best ideas no matter where they came from, and surrounded ourselves with people we genuinely enjoyed.
It wasn’t always easy or perfect, but that early investment in culture created exponential returns.
In fact, that company culture was a selling point to so many students and kept them coming back semester after semester. I recently wrote about how we reached record-high retention rates in an environment that was prone to having exceptionally high turnover.
At Orange Umbrella, and now at Made in July, I’ve seen how the small choices you make on day one—who you hire, how you treat people, the values you uphold—lay the foundation for something much bigger.
And as with compound interest, the real magic lies in time. The longer you allow smart culture decisions for your agency to do their work, the more the benefits of those decisions grow—like a snowball rolling downhill or a junior account executive gaining the confidence to lead senior-level projects.
The Value of Building Company Culture
Investing in company culture is one of the smartest moves you can make—its value compounds with time.
If you’re building something—whether it’s a business, a team, or even a community—start small, start smart, and trust that the effort you put in today will pay off in ways you can’t yet imagine.
Do you have other insights about building a meaningful company culture?
Let me know because I’d love to discuss!
