Strength Through Adversity

The X-Ray confirmed just how badly injured Sam Farrow was. She had broken six ribs, her collar bone, vertebrae and her coccyx, as well as puncturing her lung and stripping the skin off much of her upper body. After a week in a London trauma unit, she propped herself up in her bed and started answering emails and working on her business.

Sam had been out riding when her friend’s horse bolted after being startled by an industrial tractor. When her own horse reacted by bolting in fear, her foot became stuck in her stirrup and she was dragged along behind the panicked horse. She was lucky to survive.

As well as the physical pain, such a shocking event inevitably caused emotional challenges: “It completely knocked my confidence for several months,” recalls Sam. “I was wracked with self doubt, although I tried to not show it. When you have an accident you are not quite sure why it happened as it wasn’t your fault.

“I was fit and I am an outdoors person, so when that was taken away from me, I felt vulnerable, knowing I could have died. I certainly started to appreciate life and now I question things more, in a good way.”

Despite the pain and doubt, Sam was determined her business would not be affected. She says: “I’m sure the business would have survived as I have a great team, but I never wanted to let my clients down. My brain was still working so I could carry on. I guess I didn’t want any of my clients to perceive there was a problem.

“I did get a lot of help from my friends, which I really appreciate. I was brought up with the attitude that you do the right thing, even when it is difficult. You don’t let people down. I was probably terrified that if I let one thing go, then everything would fall down.”

Being a female entrepreneur and a mother complicated matters further. Sam remembers how tough it was for her family: “My daughters looked for me as I am their mother. They were also traumatised. My family thought I should take time off, which added to my guilt for not doing so. So it was emotionally difficult.

“They understand my commitment to hard work and not letting people down, but also it is important to get the balance right between work and looking after the family. Now I think they are proud of me for not giving up.” Sam’s story is certainly a testament to the importance of resilience and focus in a business. I asked her about her business journey…

FARROW CREATIVE - Q&A

Q: Why did you start your own agency?

A: First and foremost I am am a graphic designer. I got an MA in Graphic Communications and it was what I always wanted to do. I have historically worked for large organisations as their graphic designer and it got to the point where I thought I can do this better on my own and realised I can offer companies the opportunity to grow their businesses.

It is not enough now to be a designer. Designers were often seen as not being very good in liaising with the client - now you have to be all things to all people. Young graduates often expect to get great jobs straight away, but when I started it was a case of spending time to learn the trade. This means I have a good overall understanding and experience of design.

I was taught to draw and I love drawing. Lots of designers don’t have that skill now. If are qualified or have had classic training you have an understanding of typography, which is very important. Without this you may design something that doesn’t quite fit right but you don’t know why.

Q: What makes Farrow Creative different?

A: We do branding and websites. We used to do a lot of logos, now everyone wants their website designed, so the industry has changed.

We want to know what the business plan is, where the business is going, what message the business wants to project going into the future. This means we can create branding that has longevity. We help businesses grow and are very proud that by understanding how a business works, we can help add profit.

The difference is our emphasis on communication. We want to see the text so we can design for the final copy, so we can get a compelling message across. It’s more of a pure form of communication. We will suggest which medium to use depending on the communication that works the best for the client. Sometimes print still works better than digital. All the different mediums have different tones of voice. We work with professional photographers and copy writers to ensure the message and tone of voice is consistent.

It’s about relationships and really good customer service. People use email too much, they should pick up the phone more and engage on a human level. We should be more like the Americans who really nurture and look after their clients. I’ve always had that ethos. I’ve always appreciated the fact that clients choose me. It’s important for young people starting out in work that they are able to do face-to-face meeting or speak to a group of people.

We are small and perfectly formed! We are a boutique agency with five people.

Q: When you started the business back in 2006 you had a young family. How did you find juggling work and family?

A: My daughters were seven and three when I started. I started in my sitting room with my Apple Mac computer. It wasn’t always easy. I remember when I was chatting to a client on the phone (which back then was corded so I couldn’t walk around) and my daughter came in and started crayoning on the walls while I was talking, which was a bit off-putting. It was then I decided I had to get a studio.

My girls have always understood that I have to work but I also love them. It’s easier now – they sometimes even make me a cup of tea when I’m working!

Q: Are there any projects you have been particularly proud of?

A: I am very proud of the work we have done for the business school at Surrey University, but probably I would choose the collaboration with Karren Brady.

I worked on two websites for her - I think she is amazing. She is the most professional person I have ever worked with. She allows you to get on with the job. I asked her lots of questions and she just said she had total trust in me to produce what was right. She keeps her eyes on the prize all the time. It’s been a hard journey for her - she has a family and she worked in the football world, which is very male-dominated. But she has always succeeded.

Q: What do you see in the future for Farrow Creative?

A: Our plan is to continue to look for organic growth and possibly look into new markets. We do a lot with schools and universities. We recently did a rebrand for a girls school which had always used a dark burgundy colour. Amongst other things we changed their branding colour to pink. They weren’t sure at first but after a few days they came back and said they loved it. It can be hard for companies with traditional branding to change, but it can make such a difference.

Any growth has to be right for us. I’m a firm believer that your clients have to qualify for you as much as you qualify for them - you have to get along with each other. You have to have shared values.

I always know which one of my team will work best for each client. We work hard to ensure everyone in the team represents our agency well and I make sure new members work on all aspects of the business and everyone understands each other jobs. Everyone has to be qualified as everyone needs to know their trade. I will always champion my team.

By Ian Trevett