The hearbles market is set to be worth a staggering US$35 billion by 2021 and New York based headphone company, EVEN, is changing the future of sound by providing smart, personalised audio. Supported by Grammy Award Winning record producers, EVEN has created a completely new market segment and a small marketing firm from the bottom of the South Island is helping them shape their future, and the future of audio.

How it happened is quite a story. “I was looking for a new pair of Headphones and happened upon EVEN. They had something different which makes perfect sense when it’s explained to you. But they didn’t deliver to New Zealand” says Neil Kilby, Managing Director of Invercargill based Marketing Agency, Atticus Road. “So I wrote them a humorous email in the hope I could change their mind. The story of the lambs screaming, perils of Ed Sheeran being played too much on the radio and offer of a delivery of fresh fish worked”. Fast forward a few weeks and the tale of the great customer service from EVEN and their humorous reply was doing the rounds on popular professional networking site, LinkedIn. This led to a conversation with Danny Aronson, Co-Founder and CEO of EVEN. Which led to another conversation. Which led to a few days last week, huddled around a table in the Brooklyn headquarters of EVEN, talking brand and marketing strategy.

“EVEN has a unique product” says Neil Kilby. “They have patented EarPrint technology which overcomes the glaring problem of every big brand headphone in the world”. The headphones conduct a 90 second hearing test in each ear, mapping the way an individual hears. It then learns and adjusts the audio delivery so music is adapted to the individual listener, so it sounds as fresh and clear as when you first heard it. “We call it ‘glasses for your ears’ and that’s the perfect reference” says Mr Kilby. “Everyone hears differently, just as we all see differently. Yet all the other headphones on the market simply deliver sound. EVEN headphones personalise the audio to the way you hear. And the result is exceptional”.

EVEN is supported by multiple Grammy Award Winning Record Producers, boasting an Advisory Board that includes Rob Fraboni (well known for his work with the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton and The Beach Boys) and Tony Black (Alicia Keys, Jay-Z, Notorious BIG and Wu Tang Clan). Mick Fleetwood of Fleetwood Mac has said the headphones deliver “the best reproduction of my music I’ve ever heard”.

Atticus Road and EVEN have been working together on pivoting the EVEN brand to focus on an older demographic. EVEN CEO, Danny Aronson says “We reject the idea that everyone’s headphones should play sound just one way. 50 year olds don’t hear like 18 year olds. That’s why we’ve engineered a way to adapt sound to individuals.” As for working with an Invercargill company and Neil Kilby, Danny says “We were introduced to Neil in one of the most colorful emails we’ve ever gotten. And especially after our exchange went viral on LinkedIn, we realized there was a mutual understanding. In this moment when we’re redefining EVEN’s brand identity, Neil’s process, humor, and input have continued in unexpected ways to make our messaging exactly what we’d intended.”

Lastly, Atticus Road and EVEN are progressing talks for Australisian distribution and making the product locally available to New Zealanders.

A company chooses its name for all sorts of reasons. Normally, the name speaks to the product or is related somehow to the industry they are in. So where on earth did Atticus Road come from? Because, let's be honest, it doesn't really make sense does it?

It could have easily been something different. Maybe Neil Kilby Consulting or Kilby Marketing. It would be nice to have something that carries my name but my children will do that. Along wth making sure I need to work, so I can keep them supplied with brightly coloured and (very) loud toys. Oh, and to make sure I never sleep properly. Ever again.

Nope, the name had to have more meaning. It had to stand for something and represent an ideal, an approach to business and an approach to life. Sounds rather grand when put it like that doesn't it?

Like most folk, I've always found pleasure in books, movies and music. However, 2Pac Marketing or Miles Davies Consulting is probably not allowed as a name. Neither would be Withnail Consulting. And I'd probably be laughed at if I called the company Dawsons Creek Consulting (even though DC is the greatest TV series ever made...seriously, it is).

Nope, none of them would do. You see, whilst I'm a fan, they don't have the meaning I was looking for or resonate with who I am and my approach to business.

But what about literature? The character of Atticus Finch in "To Kill a Mockingbird" is one of morality and reason. (Note: for the sake of this story we are pretending "Go Set a Watchman" was never written). Atticus is a man of honesty and integrity. He treats all people the same. He lectures his children against taking advantage of others. He is an expert at "climbing into other people's skin and walking around in it" - he simply understands. He is a good man who believes in doing the right thing. And, importantly, he gives a voice to those that need one.

I'm not Atticus Finch (I'm much shorter for one). But I like to think we share some of the same qualities. I believe businesses should have a purpose and do the right thing. That's right by employees, right by consumers, the environment and the communities you operate in. Your goal is not to make a profit (shhh.....don't tell the accountants) it's to do something right (it's ok accountants - the profits will follow). This means offering the best product or service you can. Just do it right.

If 'Atticus' speaks to purpose, doing it right and providing a voice, then 'Road' speaks to the notion of a journey. And that's what I help companies with...

Atticus Road is about helping companies on their journey to find their 'right' and find their voice.

So...welcome to Atticus Road. We'll help you find your voice.

Some time ago I was enjoying a conversation with a successful entrepreneur when he looked me in the eye and said “Our purpose is not profit. That’s just an outcome of doing something right”. This flew in the face of everything I had ever been taught. And I loved it.

In the intervening years there has been a growing movement, mostly in line with the above statement. It’s a place where social responsibility is as important as shareholder returns. Where, indeed, profit is secondary to a purpose. And I think it’s quite amazing. But how does it work? How do you communicate a purpose and get that purpose to work for you?

Nick Sarillo is the founder of ‘Nick’s Pizza & Pub’, a community focused chain that has scooped numerous awards and is one of the busiest independent pizza companies in the USA. It is very much a purpose driven company and that purpose is rooted in the behaviour of the employees. As Nick explains: “we train our team to fully understand and connect with our purpose and feel how it connects with their personal purpose. Then every job, and every part of the job, refers back to how the task is connected to our purpose. We want them to be the individuals they are and bring the purpose to the guest experience…in a way that feels authentic to them”. For Nick, the result is not only a real experience for his customers but also an enthusiastic and engaged workforce. In an industry where 150% staff turnover is the norm, Nick’s figure is under 25%.

Employees consistently stay ‘on purpose’ and that requires recognizing positive behavior as it happens, backed up by training. For example, new team-members will write an example of an ‘on-purpose’ experience they created for a guest. Purpose is also key to the start of the day; “We pick a value to focus on each day, or we pick the purpose sometimes, then recognize the behaviors that cultivate that value or purpose throughout the day”, states Nick.

One things that can threaten purpose is growth. As companies grow, they often become diluted versions of themselves. In part, this could have something to do with the expanding footprint of the company and increase in locations. But if managed correctly, Nick believes this should not be an issue. Indeed, it might even be possible to open a Nick’s Pizza & Pub in New Zealand, some 13,000 plus KM’s away from the Chicago base. Nick explains: “Instead of the culture of the outside community defining and changing the culture of each location a business opens in, the strong culture of the organization will actually influence the community. So it’s actually the opposite of what people assume will happen”.

So are purpose and profit at odds with each other? No. Is profit bad? Most definitely not. A focus on purpose does not preclude a love of profit. It’s just that profit may be seen as a result of the purpose. You focus on what you are putting in, rather than what you hope to pull out. The power of such an approach to business is immense and no better illustrated than through Nick’s story of how his company was days away from bankruptcy.

When the GFC hit, Nick suddenly found himself with too much debt. Then a construction project on the road outside one of his restaurants took out 50% of the business for 9 months. There was barely enough cash to make the next 4 weeks of payroll. But the purpose Nick and his team had communicated to the local community was about to be recognized in the most spectacular way. Nick went against the advice of the banks and PR people and wrote an honest letter to his guests, accepting the responsibility and fault was his own. He asked for their support and that they please come stop by his place for a pizza.

By this time, Nick’s business was a well established community member. Indeed, 5% of revenue went to support local community events and causes (they do no marketing). The response? The community rallied around, visited, ate pizza and had a good time. The business was saved. And it was saved by the strength of it’s standing in the community, thanks to it’s purpose.

That’s pretty special and I’m not sure businesses without a clear purpose would have the same wonderful result.

And it makes sense doesn’t it? Why would consumers believe in you if it’s clear your focus is to make a profit off them? You’re not showing them anything to get behind. Show them a purpose and a reason for standing with you. Then when you falter and fall, they may just be there to catch you.

Want another slice? Watch Nick's talk at Tedx.

Nick Sarillo is the founder and CEO of Nick’s Pizza & Pub and Nick’s University. Founded in 1995, Nick’s Pizza & Pub is one of the top ten busiest independent pizza companies in per-store sales in the United States. Nick’s Pizza & Pub has margins nearly twice that of the average pizza restaurant. In an industry in which the average annual turnover rate is more than 150 percent, Nick’s Pizza and Pub boasts a less than 25 percent employee turnover rate.

At one point in my life my blood was green. I had E-Mares. And if I would have had time for a girlfriend she would've been an E-Widow. A few old colleagues reading this will know what I’m talking about it. To the rest, I should probably explain myself.

The period in question was when I worked for Enterprise Rent-A-Car. I’d bleed green because that company ran through my veins. The E-Mares refers to the sleep patterns, the presence of work in dreams and the worry of how you’d get through 50 reservations in two hours when you only have 2 cars parked outside the office. The E-Widows? The jilted partners of ERAC employees who had no time for anything other than ESQI scores and talk about daily rates and occupancy.

It was like a cult. The culture of the company was strong and omnipresent. That has its drawbacks (ask the E-Widows) but for the most part, it’s an example of how a common set of customs, beliefs and behavior can motivate and inspire a workforce. And that led to success. It’s not perfect. But it works and works very well.

Never since have I encountered such a strong company culture. And the subject fascinates me. I believe company culture to be generally misunderstood, often disregarded and normally ignored. It is paid lip service by CEO’s and Board Members who are aware of the need to do something about it but can’t see it on a spreadsheet so in their minds it doesn’t really exist. But when done right, nothing can be more powerful. Take Thomas J Walter. Thomas is the CCO of Chicago based Tasty Catering, recently named as a Forbes Best Small Company in America. Thomas is also a revered speaker and co-author of the award-winning book ‘It’s my Company Too: How Entangled Companies move Beyond Employee Engagement for Remarkable Results’. Thomas knows exactly what effect a culture can have on a workplace.

What follows is from our recent conversation. I’m aware this may be a little long for an article but I believe what Thomas is saying is too important to paraphrase or manipulate. Please read and enjoy:

I am not aware of a single company in New Zealand that has a Chief Culture Officer. They may exist, but it is certainly not a recognized position. What is it and what do you do exactly?

About 7 years ago, a 25 year old young lady, who was our marketing person, gave me new business cards. The title listed was Chief Culture Officer. I asked her “what does that mean”. She said that we have our employee created culture statement in place – with Values, Vision, Mission and Purpose – and it was now my job to enforce the culture statement. She said “we all decided, if you enforce the culture, and focus on the behaviors, we will not need a President or CEO. Everyone will know what to do and how to behave.” Or something close to that. Erin has since founded a creative agency that is our sister company www.nuphoriq.com

Later I found out that her idea had scientific support. A basic tenant of Organization Behavior, is Antecedents>Behaviors>Consequences or A>B>C. Our culture statement is our Antecedent. If I focus, as Chief Culture Officer, on our Behavior, the Consequence- or Outcome, should be excellent. Peter Drucker said that the Outcome (or Consequence) of every company is directly related to its Behaviors. He also said that every company has a culture perfectly suited for that organization.

Every organization has a culture. Every relationship has a culture. But are those cultures toxic or are they healthy?

Two young people (24 and 23 years old) led an organizational revolt in 2006. They said that I must change my leadership from command and control to culture driven. That was the beginning of our staff designing our culture statement, without input from my two brother/partners or myself.

My mission is to focus on people and their behaviors. Do they follow our culture? If so, I recognize their efforts, if they do not, I confront them. By being Chief Culture Officer, they know that it is not Tom confronting them, but instead the CCO. Then they focus on the business product and the business model instead of me. Wow, does this approach work well.

Chief Culture Officer is beginning to pick up traction as a title.

How can you tell what is right or wrong about a company culture? Could you tell by walking into my office?

The first sentence answer: is the employee engagement number high? If it is, there is a strong positive culture. If it is not, there is a poor company culture. A company culture aligns values, vision and mission so everyone understands expected behavior. A great company culture has venues for voice which allows people that have an issue about adherence to values to speak. A great company culture has steps in place to confront those who do not follow the agreed upon values, vision and mission.

I believe a positive company culture, or a negative company culture, can be visible in the work place. Study the non-verbal communication indicators. Do people make eye contact? Is their default expression a smile? Do they interact with each other using eye contact? Do they stand upright when they walk? The list is quite extensive.

The body secretes a “love” hormone called oxytocin. In a positive culture setting, the oxytocin seems to linger in the air. You can ”feel it”.

If it is wrong-how do you go about changing a company culture in a company that has long-term employees who may not react well to change?

The young people who led our change, told my brothers/partners and I that we could not participate in the creation of our culture. Tim said “if it is theirs, they will follow it”. He was right

Everyone, except those with severe mental issues, have a natural bent to follow ethical behavior. Understanding that, let those who may not react will, to lead the change. This will allow them to control their destiny.

Suggest you follow Kotter’s Eight Steps of Change. It is a scientifically proven methodology.

Can you measure a cultural effect on profitability?

You can measure employee engagement. A simple tool is the Gallup 12 questions. Employee engagement is grounded in culture. High employee engagement can only be achieved in an organization that has employees following an agreed upon culture.

As our employee engagement increased from the mid-forties to the mid-nineties, our profitability curve followed the same trajectory.

What are the small but significant things that can help develop a culture? Stand-up desks, open plan seating etc. If there is a culture playbook, of tricks, that help – what are they?

The answer to this question would take hours to construct. The following may be the most important.

Edgar Schein, Ph.D. is recognized as the leading authority of how to maintain a strong culture. In short, he states the following is the way to build a culture:

1. Artifacts. Artifacts include any tangible, overt or verbally identifiable elements in an organization. Architecture, furniture, dress code, office jokes, all exemplifies organizational artifacts. Artifacts are the visible elements in a culture and they can be recognized by people not part of the culture.

2. Values. Espoused values are the organization's stated values and rules of behavior. It is how the members represent the organization both to themselves and to others. This is often expressed in official philosophies and public statements of identity. It can sometimes often be a projection for the future, of what the members hope to become. Examples of this would-be employee professionalism, or a "family first" mantra. Trouble may arise if espoused values by leaders are not in line with the general assumptions of the culture.

3. Assumptions. Shared Basic Assumptions are the deeply embedded, taken-for-granted behaviors which is usually unconscious, but constitute the essence of culture. These assumptions are typically so well integrated in the office dynamic that they are hard to recognize from within.

The three levels refer to the degree to which the different cultural phenomena are visible to the observer:

I have spoken at conferences with Dr. Schein. During a break at one conference, I explained to him my disagreements. First must be agreed upon Values. Then Artifacts that support those values. These two will lead to Assumptions, or assumed behaviors. Or:

1. Values 2. Artifacts 3. Assumptions

The values must be posted in common areas. Insert numbers in front of the values. This allows someone to call another person out for not following a value. For example “is this #2?” Our 2nd core value is to “treat all with respect”. If I don’t treat someone with respect, they will ask that question.

Repeat the culture statement before every meeting. Eventually the culture passes the conscious to the sub-conscious to the subliminal and becomes an assumed behavior.

We like open plan offices. We use wireless noise – cancelling headphones when we need to concentrate. This approach removes isolation or segmentation of teams.

No culture will grow to its potential without three elements:

1. Stated culture

2. Hiring and firing based on the culture

3. Authentic leadership that follows the culture without exception

Finally, in case you are curious, the secret to producing 50 cars for rentals when you only have 2 parked outside is...magic. Green magic.

Thomas J Walter is an author, speaker and the Chief Culture Officer of Tasty Catering, a multiple award-winning Chicago based corporate caterer and event planning company and one of the best small companies in America (as awarded by Forbes) and one of the best workplaces (as awarded by the Wall Street Journal).

Your hands are tied. There's the budget. It's not big, not impressive...and likely not enough. To get out of the budget shackle you restrict your design by buying a template. Which is restricting your brand. Restricting your voice.

Designing a digital presence can easily make you feel like you're stuck. Yes, your hands really are tied. There are some awesome digital agencies that can help you. But they come at a price. This is not to say they are not worth it. They are. Every single penny. But maybe you don't have many pennies to spend.

You could use a 'build-your-own' service. There's plenty of them. Some are pretty good too. And the price could be right. Thing is though, you have to paint your digital vision on their canvas. Sure, they provide all the tools. But with tools come rules. With rules comes restrictions. With restrictions comes the dilution of design.

So, let's say your business wants a micro-site or a digital lookbook. What do you do? Kill your budget or kill your creativity? Of course, you'll want to do neither. And we don't blame you. Those choices don't hold much appeal and its why atticus road is partnering with US based, readz.

But they're a 'build-your-own' platform I hear you cry. Yup. They sure are. But they've freed the canvas. They call it the liquid layout. And it's pretty good. Actually, it's very good. You get all the tools you need, even some suggestions to help you out. But that digital canvas remains yours. The rules are removed. You 'paint over the lines' and go your own way. The budget is contained but your creativity is not.

...and it's trusted by folk like Nike and IBM. Now that's some good company to be in.

Want to learn more about how you can develop a micro-site or sell via a shoppable lookbook? Reach out and get in touch.