I was recently in Savannah for the weekend for the first time, and for the most part it was everything I perceived it to be; a laid-back, genteel place where you stroll through the live oak-covered squares. During one of these strolls, we happened upon a local favorite hole-in-the-wall sandwich shop, Zunzi’s. If for nothing else, you should go there to try the most amazingly tender chicken or South African sausage and veggies, but it wasn’t the food that caught my eye in the beginning. It was the bumper sticker with the shop’s tagline, “Shit Yeah!” Not so genteel or traditionally Southern, right? I don’t see the typical seer-suckered gentleman shout out profanity, but I absolutely loved Zunzi’s for it. No matter what you asked for, their ebullient employees exclaim with delight, “Shit Yeah!”
“Can I get the chicken and veggies sandwich, but on a salad?” “Shit Yeah!”
“Can I try the delicious South African peach rooibos sweet tea?” “Shit Yeah!”
It was the most validating, uplifting use of profanity I’ve ever heard, even though it was a bit jarring. But more than anything, at its essence, it proclaimed that you as the customer were right. That they were down to make everything right for you. Shit Yeah!
You may not know that Yellow Duck Marketing just turned five years old. No longer are we little ducklings with fuzzy down. In fact, we’re probably not even yellow! But, in reflecting upon what our culture is and what’s fueled our growth is this attitude (in not so many words) of Shit Yeah! If a client wants a change, we don’t get our feathers ruffled about creative expression. If they want to go in a new direction, no problem! We’ll get that done. We aren’t tied up in egos — we really just want to serve the client.
But it’s not always about the client — it also applies to teamwork.
“I’m too busy to tackle this change to a website — can someone help out?” You bet!
I feel that attitude is the #1 predictor of success, and I have tried to create a team of friendly, collaborative and positive ducks that is reflected in our culture. We hope you agree, too.
We’ve had an amazing ride for the last five years, and thank the early clients who have stuck with me/us all these years (Grubb, Crosland Southeast, Northwood Ravin, Laurel Street, etc.) I’ve learned a lot of lessons, and we’ve gotten a lot better. So, I thank everyone for their patience, support, business and, most importantly, friendship. I look forward to seeing what the next five years brings us and how we can serve you. Shit Yeah!
