Creativity is at heart of innovation and entrepreneurship. And for Burlington, Mass.-native Amy Cueva, Co-founder and Chief Experience Officer of design agency Mad*Pow, that "big idea" part of starting a business came naturally.
Born with a gift and passion for art, Cueva majored in design at the University of Hartford. During her junior year, she studied abroad in Paris, swooning over the city's rich history as an inspiring international capital of art and culture. When she at last returned to the United States, she began teaching herself about a form of architecture of a quite different nature than the French gothic – HTML.
"I realized information architecture and usability really resonated with me. I could see how it all worked together," explained Cueva. " I thought, 'Wow, I can really impact people's life with the designs I'm doing.'"
Wanting to build out her business strategy chops, Cueva then worked at a integrated marketing communications agency and freelanced on the side for a few years before pursuing Mad*Pow with Co-founder Will Powley.
Since its inception in 2000, Mad*Pow has delivered digital solutions to fit businesses and organizations' needs across a cadre of sectors, working with brands such as Google, Aetna, Timberland and Intuit, among others. The company currently employs 55 people from its offices in Boston, Portsmouth, NH., and Louisville, KY.
The artist-turned-entrepreneur imparted a few startup tips unto us that we're excited to pass along to you:
Know your passions...But also realize your blind spots.
When starting a company, entrepreneurs need to be fully aware of their personal limitations, even if the startup is within a sector of expertise. "My trade and my passion is design, but we were designers," said Cueva, of starting the agency with Powley. While she had gained experience working within the intersection of marketing and technology, the artsy entrepreneur admits that she initially lacked some of the "left brain" thinking. So she tried to learn as much as possible, whenever possible, particularly from her founding team members and peers.
"As an entrepreneur, you must constantly be learning new things," explained Cueva, "but don't be afraid to reach out to others for help."
Build relationships by bringing something to the table.
"There are so many tools and resources out there that if you don't know something, you can find someone who does know, and who can help you," explained Cueva. The founder especially stressed the importance of active mentorship. "Help yourself by picking out people that you can learn from and trying to make your interactions with them very targeted," said Cueva.
Mentorship, however, is a two-way street; you'll get out of it what you give in. "Bring something to the table too as part of that interaction...you need to build solid relationships, and try to be of service to others in whatever way you can contribute," noted Cueva.
Think big, and then think bigger.
When the company was just starting out, the team had an opportunity to seal ESPN as a client. Albeit small, Mad*Pow is mighty, and Cueva was relentless. "We weren't in the mindset that we were small, and couldn't go after a big client like [ESPN]. We were more, 'Heck yes, we want to go after ESPN,'" joked Cueva.
"If you can believe it, you can achieve it," said the founder. "Don't be afraid to dream of wild things."
