We recently connected with Sara Green and have shared our conversation below.

Sara, appreciate you joining us today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

Starting my own business back in 1998, only a year after graduating college, felt like a huge risk! But having worked early on for a person I didn’t respect, helped me recognize the value of ‘setting a tone’ for a business. I wanted to lead with kindness and work with people whom I respected and who respected me and my craft the same. Every few years new challenges appeared and with them, opportunity arose. Continuously thinking ‘outside the box’ for solutions has shaped me, my career and my company.

In 2002, I moved myself, my pup Milo, and my small business to Seattle—seeking to rent an office space that would allow me to bring my dog to work—which was not a common occurrence back then! With Milo by my side, I grew our team slowly and organically—only hiring when absolutely necessary and when that time came, thoughtfully selecting people who brought a lot to the table, both in expertise and character.

In 2007, I delegated all of my responsibilities to my small team for 6 months. Having been gifted the opportunity to create a family, I wanted to embrace every aspect—a luxury many small business owners don’t allow themselves. I hadn’t been sure if the business would sink or sail and I found that it soared! That risk taught me that, although I was the founder, I was not integral to every detail – that with the right team members in place, the company could still be very successful. This is probably the most valuable lesson for a business owner: build a team that you trust wholeheartedly, and learn when (and how) to let go.

In 2011, I moved my young family from downtown Seattle WA to Bend OR—in search of a slower pace of life, with nature and outdoor recreation at arms reach. I flew to Seattle every week for 8 years, spending 1-2 days in the office with my team and working remotely in between. At the same time, the rest of my team began working from home on Fridays. As a team, we learned how to effectively communicate and collaborate remotely using tools such as Slack and later, Figma. This turned out to be a huge boon when the whole world shifted to remote work due to the Covid pandemic. Because we had each already established home offices and learned how to work together when we’re apart, it was a very easy transition for us.

In late 2022, we rebranded from DEI Creative to People People. This felt like a huge risk since we had built 20+ years of brand equity. DEI Creative was an acronym for Design Elements Inc, having been quickly selected for a business license back in 1998. In recent years, the DEI acronym had taken on a new meaning globally and we felt we were using a name that now had a more important role. So we took the opportunity to turn the tables and put ourselves through our own brand strategy process and repositioned ourselves as People People.

My entire professional life has been spent taking risks. Hiring people based on their personality and exceptional creative portfolios as opposed to the school they attended. Building a team that feels like family. Leading with kindness and compassion as opposed to focusing on the bottom-line. All the while putting people first: their families, my family and recognizing that the best creative results come from people who live an inspired life.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am Sara Green, Founder and Principal at People People, a creative firm dedicated to building strategic brands, world-class websites, and award-winning print, packaging and digital experiences.

I started this agency over 25 years ago, just one year after graduating from Washington State University. I lived and breathed all things design but had to learn how to run a business along the way! I’ve worked with some truly amazing clients over the years, and building those relationships has allowed us to grow organically through word-of-mouth referrals—the absolute best kind of marketing!

While we’ve developed brands for some of the Pacific Northwest’s most iconic organizations such as Pike Place Market, WA State Parks, Seabrook, Vulcan, and Seattle Cider— we also continue to work with small businesses. We are passionate about maintaining a balance in client size and industry. That range and diversity keeps things interesting and adds fresh perspectives that guide creativity and decision-making.

I believe what sets us apart from other creative agencies is the fact that we work very collaboratively, both as a team and with our clients. We listen, we guide, and we’re extremely nimble—crafting a scope and strategy around the very specific needs of each new client and project we meet. ‘Understanding’ is always the very first step of any new engagement, and that approach keeps work grounded in strategy. In my opinion, positioning is key to almost everything in life, especially when it comes to helping people tell their story.

Have you ever had to pivot?

In 2021, we created and implemented the online marketplace platform support-local.com, which we licensed to neighborhoods and cities across the country. With Covid forcing storefronts to close and foot traffic to cease, our marketplace platform offered a way for all businesses in a specific area to be promoted and make sales via one community website. Our own business had felt the impact of Covid heavily, and our creation of this platform was our way of supporting other small businesses, while also creating a new business strategy for ourselves. Ultimately, the effort was very successful but it required creative thinking and taking a risk on a new idea!

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

Early on a client told me, mid-meeting, that “this was the absolute best part of their day”—meeting with our team to talk about their brand and all of the accompanying creative components. That comment always stuck with me and I’ve tried to ensure that every client really enjoys working with us. Not only do we want them to love the final result of our work together, but we also want them to love the process.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://people-people.com
• Instagram: people.people.studio
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/people-people-seattle/

Image Credits

Brooke Fitts