Pros
Trade School remains one of my favorite places I’ve ever worked. The people are exceptional, the culture is genuinely collaborative, and the team cares deeply about strategy and the craft of the work. Strategy sessions are thoughtful, everyone stays closely connected to trends in the industry, and there is a real sense that people enjoy working together. My manager was fantastic, and the work-life balance was better than most agencies I’ve experienced. Though the company is small, the spirit is BIG. Since moving to a different agency, I've missed this environment deeply and often mourn the TS culture.
Cons
For me it truly sucks that I have to give cons because I LOVED it here, but the cons are enough for me to not recommend to a colleague. First, the business development function feels underdeveloped compared to many other agencies. Many firms invest heavily in building pipeline through dedicated business development teams, conferences, outreach, and aggressive / proactive client acquisition. At Trade School, the strategy around business development sometimes felt less clearly defined, with directors expected to bring in new clients while also managing departments and overseeing client work. This can make it difficult to build a consistent pipeline and creates uncertainty when a major client changes or ends. Because the company relies on a smaller number of large clients, the organization can sometimes feel vulnerable to changes in those relationships. When a major account shifts, there are fewer opportunities to redistribute teams across other accounts, which can create instability for otherwise strong teams. There is also a noticeable gap between leadership and the teams executing the day-to-day work. As a result, there are moments where important context from the execution side doesn’t fully reach decision makers. Creating stronger feedback loops between leadership and the teams managing client relationships could help improve retention, strengthen accounts, and support long-term growth. Finally, career growth can occasionally be limited by the size of the client portfolio. When there aren’t enough accounts expanding or launching, it becomes harder for talented people to grow into new roles or take on additional leadership opportunities. This creates an unnecessary competitive environment that distracts from client delivery.