I wish I could tell you Sater started with a perfectly thought-out business plan, years of experience, and a clear vision of where I wanted to take it.
It didn't.
I was still in university, applying for full-time marketing jobs and having very little luck. After what felt like an endless number of applications, I decided to try doing my own thing.
I had my phone, a camera I'd bought off Facebook Marketplace, and enough confidence to give it a shot. Looking back, there was so much I didn't know.
But I started anyway.
A lot of learning, and a lot of growing
In the beginning, I was doing just about everything myself. I was creating content, meeting with clients, editing, planning, and learning how to run a business while still figuring out what kind of business I wanted to build.
I've made mistakes, changed my mind more times than I can count, invested in equipment I once could only dream of owning, and spent countless hours educating myself on marketing, strategy, photography, video, and running an agency.
And somewhere along the way, Sater became something much bigger than me.
Today, we're a team of creative women working with businesses across different industries, producing hundreds of pieces of content each month and getting to be involved in some pretty exciting projects.
It's still a little surreal sometimes.
The kind of agency I wanted to build
As Sater grew, I became more particular about the work we were putting out.
I didn't want us to be an agency that simply showed up once a month, took a few photos, and filled a content calendar.
I wanted to build a team that cared about the businesses we worked with.
That meant investing in better equipment, improving our creative process, continuing to learn, and making sure there was actual thought behind the content we were producing.
It also meant getting to know our clients beyond their Instagram accounts. Understanding their businesses, being involved in their ideas, and having honest conversations about what could work better.
We take our work seriously, but we have a lot of fun doing it. And I think that's a pretty important part of who we are.
What's next?
I don't think I'll ever feel like I've learned enough, and that's probably one of my favourite things about this industry. There's always something new to try, a better way to do something, or an idea worth exploring.
I'm incredibly proud of the team we've built and the businesses that have trusted us along the way.
And while the equipment has definitely improved since that first Facebook Marketplace camera, the excitement I have for creating something great is still very much the same.
Thanks for being here.
Taylor Sater
Founder & CEO, Sater
