Ten Lessons From Ten Years of Campfire Collective

On November 6, 2025, Campfire Collective quietly turned 10 years old. There was no ribbon cutting or champagne tower. No big announcement. Just a moment in my living room where I paused long enough to feel both the weight and the wonder of it. Ten years of showing up for clients I love. Ten years of learning how to lead a business while growing through some of the hardest and most beautiful seasons of my life. Ten years of building something rooted in community, creativity, and connection.

As a gift to myself, I bought a new professional camera. It felt like a small ceremony. A recommitment to the craft. A step toward elevating the way we tell stories for clients in 2026 and beyond. After a decade of helping others sharpen their message, it felt right to sharpen my own lens too.

I wanted to mark this milestone by sharing ten lessons that shaped me and shaped Campfire Collective over the past decade. These lessons are the threads that have stayed steady through every season and every change.

Community is the strategy.

I have always believed that communities are strongest when their stories are honored and shared. Over the years I have learned that community is not something you add to a marketing plan. It is the plan. Trust and belonging move people more than tactics ever will. When you center people and place, everything becomes clearer.

Relationships build brands and consistency keeps them alive.

Some of the partnerships we have today began long before Campfire Collective had a name. Consistency has done more for our long term success than any single campaign. Showing up over and over builds the kind of credibility that cannot be rushed.

Creativity requires stillness.

I learned this one the hard way. Motherhood, burnout, and rebuilding my routines taught me that creativity does not happen at full speed. Some of my best ideas have arrived in moments of quiet. A long walk. A slow morning. A pause between meetings. Stillness has become essential to the work.

You cannot pour from an empty campfire.

There were seasons when I tried. The flame always told the truth. Energy matters. Mental health matters. Boundaries matter. Being both a present parent and a present business owner taught me that sustainability is the only way to remain steady for the people who count on me. It is a practice, not a performance.

Your values must do the hiring.

Skill matters, but shared values shape the culture. One of the greatest gifts of this work has been collaborating with people who care about community, creativity, and kindness as much as I do. When the values align, the work feels lighter and the impact feels larger.

Great marketing starts with listening.

Every client has a story beneath the story. A history, a hope, a place they belong. Listening is what reveals it. Our discovery process has evolved again and again, but at its core it is built on one question. What matters to the people you serve?

Your reputation is your most valuable asset.

Across ten years, trust has been the constant. Every media placement, every campaign, every partnership has grown from a foundation of relationship. Reputation shapes the path forward in ways that rarely make headlines but always make a difference.

The work you say no to shapes you as much as the work you say yes to.

This has been one of the hardest and most important lessons. Not every opportunity is the right opportunity. Saying no created space for work that feels meaningful, aligned, and full of possibility.

Success is not measured by size or spotlight.

Notoriety and size do not define success. A business can grow in ways that are wide or in ways that are deep. The most fulfilling work we have done has been rooted in impact, joy, and genuine connection. When the work is aligned with purpose, success already exists.

Resilience and grit created this business. Resilience and grit will carry it forward.

Entrepreneurship is equal parts vision and persistence. Some years stretched me. Others lifted me. Through it all, I kept believing in the purpose behind this agency. Campfire Collective has grown up as I have grown up. I am proud of both.

Looking toward the next ten years

This next chapter feels exciting. The new camera on my desk is more than a tool. It is a promise that we will continue to evolve the way we create, capture, and tell stories. I am dreaming bigger, building stronger systems, and pouring even more intention into the work that shapes communities and helps organizations connect with the people they serve.

And to the clients, partners, and friends who have been part of this campfire since day one or day nine hundred. Thank you. Your trust has been the greatest privilege.

And do not worry. If you know anything about us, it is that we like to celebrate. There will be a party in early 2026, when the holiday rush is behind us and life gets a bit slower.