The Beginning: Surf Rider Media
In what already seems like a lifetime ago, I decided to start my own small business. When I first got going, I opened and stared at a blank document with excitement, unease, and a bit of uncertainty about my own ability. For those who have taken the challenge of starting your own business, you likely experienced many of the same challenges as I did. What should we name it? What will we offer? What will be our purpose? After many long walks, hours surfing the web, distractions, and feelings of uncertainty. The blank document began to take shape.
The first major decision was our name: Surf Rider Media. I knew that we wanted a name that helped define our culture, something that didn’t force us to remain in a specific vertical, as well as something we were able to connect with. Digital specific names were quickly crossed off, and names that were overly generic removed. Given our family's connection to Hawai’i, and my wife's native Hawaiian roots, we landed on Surf Rider Media. It brought a relaxed vibe, a connection to a culture dependent on rapidly changing conditions and unpredictable events, a local activity that has a global presence, and a built-in adianoeta to connect us to the web.
With Surf Rider Media official, it was time to create the business. Why would we exist? My experience and expertise came in the form of Programmatic, so I knew that the core of the business would be focused on making Programmatic accessible to businesses of all sizes. Our past experiences both good and bad helped us to define our Core Values.
Commitment – An unwavering commitment to do what is best for our clients
Education – Provide value outside of traditional media campaigns by educating, guiding, and setting our clients up for future success
Innovation – Always staying on top of the newest innovations in marketing, so we can implement the best available tools for our clients
Once we defined our core values, it was easier to define our Mission Statement, which would guide our day today.
To provide small businesses access to cutting edge marketing technology so that they can reach customers in their community
Then it was important for us to have a long-term vision of who we want to be. Our Vision Statement will provide us a purpose, and guide us as we make long term decisions.
Amplify the voice of our clients so they can tell their story and change the world in a way that is right for them.
As the details began to fill in, and the document began to take shape. It grew from a blank document, into a daily planner, into a short term to-do and long term goal list, and finally a blueprint for how we will achieve our vision.
How do our Core Values align with your small business? Can our Mission and Vision statements help your company reach its goals?
