Join us in wishing our Marketing Intern, Allana Borbon (they/them), a happy birthday! They have been kicking a** and taking names at Ace Studios, from their incredible admin skills to their newfound love for video editing and cinematography. They have been learning a ton and are a fantastic asset to our team.
Look at mini Allana on Halloween… as a pirate!
By Robert Nunez, Content Coordinator
The year is 2018. The University of Nevada, Reno basketball team, has put Northern Nevada on the map by earning a ticket to compete nationally in the March Madness tournament. Out of 16 teams in the South Regional Conference, Nevada is ranked 7th. (68 units in total – split into four regions). Here we go!
The first game against the 10th ranked Texas Longhorns saw Nevada down by 14 points at the half. After a consistent rally throughout the second half, game-tying free throws by Nevada in the last 3 seconds of the game, and back-and-forth action in overtime, Nevada grinds out a victory to move on to the second round. At the end of the game, I feel like I just ran a marathon, thinking, “That’s the most nerve-wracking game of basketball I have ever watched. Surely, the next game will be a little more mellow”. – I could not have been more wrong!
The opponent to beat next was 2nd ranked Cincinnati, which, if the math is math-ing correctly, Cincinnati has a team that is about five times better than the one the Texas Longhorns had. The math immediately did its thing, as Nevada began the game 0-10. Cincinnati scored 10 points before Nevada even scored any at all. For the next 20 minutes of gameplay, my hopes of a “Sweet-Sixteen” Nevada team diminished more and more with every basket that Cincinnati scored. It happened with 11 minutes left and a score of 65-43 (favoring Cinci). Quite possibly the most significant and most exhilarating 10 minutes of any sport I have ever watched. The final score was 75-73 (favoring Nevada), which means The Wolf Pack scored 32 points in the last ten minutes of the game while only allowing Cincinnati to score 8. The 22-point comeback by Nevada was the second-largest comeback in NCAA March Madness history! I will never forget the feeling of seeing my school and people who I often saw on campus shake up the sports world on a national level.
In the Sweet Sixteen, Nevada matched up against Loyola Chicago. The Wolf Pack had just come off two cardiac games against two outstanding teams and were now up against a team that was ranked 11th. If the math always matched, this game should have been won by Nevada, and they should have gone on to the “Elite Eight” for the first time in school history. However, during the March Madness tournament, the math only math’s when the math wants. Nevada lost the game to Loyola Chicago, and their tournament run was over, while Loyola went on to the Semi-Finals and had one of the greatest dark-horse tournament runs ever! (An 11th ranked team rarely makes it that far).
I was bitter, but I was also reminded why sports fans adore this yearly tournament. Ranks are ultimately just a suggestion in March, and you never know the tournament’s outcome. No matter which ranks the team you support gets tagged with; you can count on some crazy s**t during these mad two weeks in March.
By Catherine Acedillo, Marketing Coordinator
From the ones we love most to those who have inspired us throughout history, a month is not long enough to thank women for all their hard work and attributes they have made to our history, culture, and society. According to WomensHistory.org, Women’s History Month originally started as Women’s History Week. In February 1980, the Presidential Proclamation of President Jimmy Carter declared the week of March 8th as the National Women’s History Week – the same day as International Women’s Day.
The NationWomansHistoryAlliance.org – a non-profit organization founded in 1980 committed to educating and recognizing women’s diversity and significant contributions – states that the growing influence of educators and public-school curriculums sparked the idea of having a whole month, rather than just a week to celebrate these significant accomplishments. By 1986, 14 states in the U.S. had declared March as Women’s History Month. Those states included Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York, Oregon, and Alaska. This state-by-state movement ultimately persuaded Congress into declaring National Women’s History Month in March of 1987. Today, we can find tons of events nationwide, ranging anywhere from luncheons and brunches to week-long campaigns to promote the narrative set forth by women. Without women, we wouldn’t have computer programming, solar-powered homes, medical syringes, Wi-Fi, and chocolate chip cookies. At Ace Studios, we would like to highlight our following team members for being the kick-ass creative women they are:
These ladies are constantly raising the bar and showing us as a company how to bring forth a better future for our communities and show the diversity of each of their backgrounds in doing so. Without the persistence and the dedication these gals bring to our team, we would not be where we are today. Online analytics shows that currently, in the U.S., there are approximately 12.3 million women-owned businesses, 40% of the total of U.S. businesses.
These women provide jobs for nearly 10 million people and rank in $1.9 million in revenue as of 2020. We support and give thanks to women in business, inspiring us to flourish with confidence in our capabilities. While we should still celebrate women throughout the other 11 months of the year, March is the month we can commemorate and bring awareness to the sacrifices women have made to make the world a more accepting and inclusive place.
In this era of Zoom meetings and other virtual, remote platforms that allow us to connect during the pandemic, one might reach the conclusion that it would be impossible to have communication problems in your business.
But, when you factor in human nature; that’s where things get complicated.
Each of us comes from a different culture and background. These things make up parts of our personality, our habits, our passions, our convictions and more.
In short: people are complicated, and the same message will not resonate with all of your clients or your team.
With such complex humans working together towards a common goal, things can go south if you haven’t taken the time to set even the most basic standards of office etiquette, communication, and inclusion.
What I mean by inclusion is making sure that your team, or your client, feels that they are actively involved in the conversation and are allowed to weigh in without fear of judgment or retaliation.
At Ace Studios, we’ve started having weekly team meetings in which everyone, even the interns, is brought to the table to contribute their thoughts on new projects coming up.
You wouldn’t believe the great ideas that come out of those meetings and I’m so proud of them.
The least favorite form of communication requires you to make tough decisions and conversations, but if we as leaders don’t communicate with every key stakeholder, how can we expect them to support the company, the clients, and have their whole heart in what you’re trying to achieve as a company.
The truth is: you can’t. With rampant work shortages, it’s time for all business owners and leaders to get creative, invite everyone to the table to work on solutions to move forward together, and if there aren’t enough seats – you build a bigger table.
Yours in Solidarity,
Kurt Thigpen, CEO
Ace Studios
Ace Studios is proud to announce today it has expanded its social impact operations to Georgia, effective immediately. They are now even members of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce to show their commitment to the Peach State.
“It has been a lifelong dream of mine to play a part in Georgia’s economic progress,” says Kurt Thigpen, CEO at Ace Studios “Some may not be aware that I was born and raised in Georgia before moving to Nevada in 2011. It will always be on my mind. This is why our first shop will be in Hazlehurst, GA, my hometown.”
“Our hope with this expansion is to eventually offer employment at our agency to new graduates, as well as to help lift up the rural regions using our marketing skills,” says Camille Scheffler, Administrator and East Coast Representative at Ace Studios. “The future of America runs through small towns and small businesses and we want to be a part of that here in Georgia.”
For more information on the expansion will affect current customers, please reach out at info@acestudios.com.
Ace Studios believes in creating a social impact in the world by uplifting brands and causes that do good for others.
At the most basic level, they are a full-service social impact marketing and design agency.
More than that, they are creative, strategic, thoughtful, dedicated champions of their causes and clients.
From image boosting to problem-solving; from stellar design to award-winning photography and video; from social media to social impact, they stand firmly behind the non-profits, philanthropists, and companies they help lead to be their best selves.
It sometimes feels like the sky is falling, but it’s not. Sometimes, we feel like the world is going to end, but we’re still here. It might feel like some days there is an inability to move in any particular direction, but I promise you… you can. I understand more than anyone that motivation is unfortunately not an infinite resource. I’ve learned that you have to replenish it daily. I’ve had to learn to evolve, endure, and mend my broken pieces. I had to be more kind to myself.
Never forget that when thoughts of failure or trepidation creep in, you aren’t alone. Days never have to be perfect. Perfection only comes at an expense of our mental health.
This February, I challenge you to stay motivated by feeding yourself a daily diet of things that drive you. Question your happiness. What does it look like? What does it mean to you?
-Kurt Thigpen, CEO