A Reflection on 100 Weeks

Today, Tuesday December 30th marks the start of the 100th week since we came under new leadership and changed from Merrick Towle to Merrick Creative.  Looking back on the last 100 weeks, one thing is clear: the work didn’t just get done—it got done the Merrick way. Across wins, curveballs, long nights, and a few questionable dinners, we consistently showed up in ways that reinforced our four core pillars: Bring It, Stir It, Embrace It, and Own It.

Bring It

At its core, “Bring It” has always meant showing up fully—even when the path isn’t clear. That spirit was tested early and often. Our projects and clients demanded adaptability, endurance, and trust in the team’s ability to figure things out in real time. Through what often felt to be impossible deadlines,  we found a way each time and earned genuine client satisfaction, proving that pressure doesn’t break us—it sharpens us.

This pillar also showed up in personal sacrifices: working trips that blurred into vacations, stepping up during emotionally difficult moments, and staying locked in when clients needed stability the most. Over and over again, the team brought energy, focus, and follow-through when it mattered.

Stir It

If “Bring It” is about effort, “Stir It” is about momentum. Over these 100 weeks, we didn’t just maintain pace—we accelerated. Real estate went from an industry full of uncertainty to one of the fastest-growing verticals in our business. Wins weren’t quick or easy, but they were earned through big-thinking, candid recommendations, and creative problem-solving that turned exciting opportunities into partnerships.

Stirring things up also meant expanding services and deepening relationships. Public Relations, a new core competenacy, became a meaningful extension of the work for both historical clients and new ones, reinforcing the idea that growth comes from pushing beyond what’s expected—and doing it well.

Embrace It

Growth only happens when discomfort is welcomed, and this period was defined by a willingness to learn on the fly. New tools, platforms, and workflows—After Effects, Canva, Figma, WordPress, Shopify, Klaviyo, Amazon, Riverside—weren’t obstacles; they were invitations. The team embraced them not just to keep up with clients, but to future-proof the agency.

The intern program and the thoughtful use of AI unlocked scale, speed, and creativity without sacrificing quality. And perhaps most notably, three separate teams from different companies and locations were successfully integrated into one unified group—aligned, collaborative, and operating as a single entity.

Own It

Owning the work also meant owning the outcomes. Wins didn’t come from playing it safe—they came from believing in our approach, challenging assumptions, and standing behind our thinking even when it would’ve been easier to say yes and move on.

This pillar showed up in how the team handled clients time and time again: delivering what was asked for, while confidently offering better solutions. It showed up in developing new brands or revitalizing the creative direction in established brands, injecting new energy and creating new opportunities for them. Our clients don’t just hire us—they rely on us.

The Through Line

Across all four pillars, two themes carried everything forward: consistency and camaraderie. The steady commitment to doing the work well—week after week—created opportunities no one could’ve predicted. And the relationships, both internally and with clients, turned projects into partnerships.

One hundred weeks in, the takeaway is simple: this wasn’t luck, and it wasn’t accidental. It was a team that brought it, stirred it, embraced it, and owned it—together. And if the first 100 weeks were the foundation, the next ones will be even more interesting.