Great way to break into the creative sector - Account Strategist Illustria Employee Review

I've been at Illustria for a while now. I've seen all the good sides and the negative sides - every company has them - and I can confidently say, "This is an amazing place to be." I love the growth that I've had here in the last couple of years (if you seek it out, I guarantee that you will find it), I'm surrounded by passionate/brilliant/awesome colleagues, and I know that we will continue on this upwards path. These are not simply "fluffy" words coming out of my mouth. At one point in time, I felt negatively about Illustria. In the past, we were a young startup, filled with (at the time) young people, who were figuring it all out. There were naturally some hard moments as we stepped on each others' toes, but I am glad I chose to commit and trust in the leadership here. Illustria is incredibly adaptive and always bent on always becoming better-both as individuals and as a company. This is exemplified in our CEO, who is a living and breathing example. She is one of the most intelligent people I know with sharp instincts to make wise business decisions. At the same time, she humbly listens to and accepts the feedback of the team around her. I completely trust in her leadership. On culture: we had a necessary shift in the earlier half of 2017, which inevitably introduced some discomfort, but it was the best move Illustria could have made for the health of the company. Fast-forward to today, I love our team, and I'm excited by the work we're doing for our Members. We have become a stronger team and company that creates valuable work for our Members. I couldn't be prouder.

There is a great deal of ownership in whatever position you're in. You will be expected to pull your weight, which can either inspire and motivate you, or intimidate you. If you want a static environment where things are very set in stone and clearly laid out for you, Illustria may not be the right fit.

The options are very limited for creatives living in DC. Illustria provides an opportunity to work on non-governmental, non-association, and non-nonprofit work. The clients (Members in Illustria speak) are start-ups, organizations, and companies who are experiencing high growth, some in DC, but most are throughout the country in cities like San Francisco, Boston and NYC. The Illustria business model is tailored to serve these types of businesses. By offering accessible creative services with transparency at its core, Illustria is paving the way for the “agency” of the future. Traditional agencies rely on “project managers” who manage scope, schedule and budget, but have no stake in the strategy or success of projects. At Illustria the Account Services team does both and is incentivized to do each equally well. This simple concept encourages teamwork and collaboration between Account Services and the Design team. The business model and scoping process also eliminate bloat and inefficiencies that traditional agencies bake in to boost profits. Illustria is still a young and always-changing company, but very much on the path to a bright future and disrupting the industry in a very necessary way. The culture here is great, and management values employees and treats them with respect and empowers them to be creative.

Our chairs suck, but we're getting new ones!