Amelia Earhart would have turned 117 years old if she were still alive today. By all accounts, the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic was the definition of a rebel. In the 1920s and 30s, when she was at the height of her flight career, Earhart broke through a glass ceiling that was thousands of feet in the air.

Those of us in PR and marketing can learn a thing or two from Lady Lindy. From advocating for what she believed in, showing extreme dedication and causing a stir, Earhart has inspired generations of people to go for the unknown.

Amelia knew when to stand up for something.

During her entire life, Earhart was a fierce advocate for women’s rights. She had to be. As a woman in a traditionally dominated male field, she had to fight for her right to practice what she loved. In her quest for equal rights, Earhart was a member of the National Women’s Party, supporter of the Equal Rights Amendment and was instrumental in starting The Ninety-Nines, a female pilot organization.

The best way to reach your audience? Advocate, stand up and take don’t be afraid to choose a side.

Earhart’s path didn’t start on airplanes zipping across the sky. She was a nurse’s aide during WWI, studied mechanics, learned to play the banjo and studied medical studies at Columbia University. But it was one flight in 1920 that changed her path forever. It was then that she did a complete 360 and chose flight as a not only a career, but a lifestyle.

Just like Earhart’s journey, we must always be rethinking and reevaluating our path. And most importantly, not be afraid to take flight when it calls us.

Causing a scene was kind of her thing. She was a woman of firsts and a pioneer in the public spotlight. She hung out with presidents, went on lecture tours and used her position as associate editor of Cosmopolitan to advocate for aviation. You could call her mysterious disappearance over the Pacific Ocean her final act of making a mark on the public — year’s later, people are still theorizing and speculating about Earhart.

What we strive to do every day in marketing and public relations is inspire others. Inspire them to take action, to talk about an issue or think about something in a different way. Earhart was a master at this. Without the help of television or social media, she inspired a generation to dream beyond what is possible. Today, young people still look to her as a hero, and most importantly, an unapologetic rebel.

So, what was Amelia’s recipe for rebel-hood? By standing up for what she believed in, she reached her core audience and helped earn her rightful place in history; By not playing it safe and doing what she loved, she charted a path that lead to her future success; By causing a scene, she made herself forever memorable; And by inspiring others, she became a hero.

Regular

I’ve been writing a story for five years. And today, I’m finally able to hit “publish.”

In many ways, everything we’ve done over the past five years at Black Sheep has led up to this moment. In other ways, today is only the beginning.

When I started The Black Sheep Agency, I had a single, solitary mission: To be the agency that changes minds. As the new kid on the block, that change manifested in loud, boisterous stunts, unexpected tactics and public displays of affection for the city we are proud to call home.

By working with exciting and loyal clients, collaborating with creative partners and engaging with a dynamic, growing community, we have been able to successfully build a platform that we are proud to stand on. And it’s from that platform today that we announce a pivotal milestone in our mission.

Working with companies who not only strive for profit, but also for purpose, has always been a founding principle of Black Sheep. We’ve always been a community-centric, cause-driven agency. Now, we’re making it official.

The Black Sheep Agency is proud to be the first and only creative agency in Houston to exclusively work with cause-driven initiatives. 

Over the past six months, we’ve transitioned our client roster to serve three specific types of companies: nonprofit organizations, social enterprises and for-profit businesses who strive to enhance social responsibility.

To shock. To awe. To be the agency that changes minds and accelerates impact.

Our revised mission statement officially proclaims our new focus — a focus that clearly defines our effort as a company who believes that “doing business” is no longer enough.

Over the past five years, I have watched this dream of mine grow from a two-person start-up working out of Houston’s finest coffee shops, to a 10-person unstoppable force of change-makers, equally committed to serving our community. I am humbled and honored to work with this team every day as we help our clients accelerate their impact.

As an agency, we’re not only growing up but also growing out. This fall we will move into a 5000 square-foot building that will accommodate our expanding team and house our next labor of love — an accelerator for social enterprises slated to open in January 2015.

While other agencies would be content with our level of growth and success, we continue to expand our boundaries and push our limits. Our success is defined by the impact we help create.

It is our vision to become a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) educator and to change the way Houston companies do business. We’d love to hear from you as your organization thinks of creating a meaningful impact on the community. Give me a shout at aimee@theblacksheepagency.com or 832-971-7725, and I’d be more than happy to share success stories from our growing list of clients who have implemented these programs.

We look forward to sharing more of our upcoming plans with you and keeping you posted on how we are accelerating the impact of those we serve.

Thank you for being a part of this journey, Houston. We can’t wait to see what the next five years has in store for The Black Sheep Agency.

Kicking Ass and Making Change: Five Years as a Black Sheep

The history of Black Sheep over five years.