Why I Love Working at inferno

Brandon Davis, Copywriter

inferno was recently named as a finalist in the Memphis Business Journal’s 2015 Best Places to Work competition. For this blog post, I wanted to take the opportunity to break our normal format and give some first-hand insight into why inferno truly deserves this recognition.

I won’t say I’m unbiased (you’re on the inferno blog, after all), but I will say that my bias is founded in a real love for the place where I work. So, in anticipation of the rankings for the competition, here are the top five reasons why I love what’s happening at inferno:

5) Food
Fast food Fridays. Fruit Tuesdays. Cheese & cracker Thursdays. Soup competitions. Slider cook-offs. Birthday breakfasts. Candy bowls.
There’s always food. And it’s awesome.

4) The office space
If you’ve never visited our office in The Lofts at South Bluffs, you’re missing out. There are no cubicles in sight. Instead, our team shares a creative, collaborative space where a little bit of everyone’s personality shines through. From family pictures to original artwork to an impressive collection of toys (lookin’ at you, Amy), we’ve really made the space into a home.

3) M-town Pride
Memphis is an interesting town to work in advertising. We don’t have the recognition of New York or Chicago, but we still maintain a community of incredibly talented artists and professionals. And outside the industry, the city has this beating heart that transcends negative headlines and uninformed stereotypes. It’s a city that knows how to pick itself up, how to Grit and Grind…and how to love.

One of the best parts of inferno is that the agency is a part of that movement. We’re committed not just to our own success, or to the success of our clients, but to the success of the community. Whether it’s through individual service in our Fuelanthropic initiative or in our nonprofit work for local organizations — inferno’s passion burns (sorry, I had to sneak at least one fire pun in here) red hot for the city of Memphis.

2) The talent
You’re on the inferno website, so all you need to do is click on our Work section to get a sense of how our team pulls our gifts together. But what you don’t see are the hours of hard work Cristina pours into each layout, Trish’s attention to the nuances of her copy, or the genuine relationships Ryan builds with his clients.

Every single member of the inferno team brings something special to the table, even beyond our roles as designers, writers, and account staff. Our work is a reflection of the hard work and raw talent present in our team — and I’m lucky to work with a group of people who challenge me to be a better writer every day.

And speaking of the people…

1) The people
Dan, Tim, and Michael have done something that I don’t really understand, but that I’m incredibly glad I’ve found. They’ve created a culture that produces great work, meets tough deadlines, and handles challenging tasks — all while making every one of us feel valued.

Yes, the people I work with are talented. Yes, they’re invested in their community. But more importantly, they’re invested in each other. We support each other through difficult stretches, we celebrate personal successes, and we’re all happy to call inferno home. I’m lucky to work with a group of people who challenge me to be a better person every day.

Our ranking in the 2015 Memphis Business Journal competition…

…Will be announced on October 30. But really, if you’ve spent any time around inferno, you know that the ranking really doesn’t matter. For me, it’s clear, even before receiving this honor, that inferno is one of the best places to work in Memphis.

In fact, if you’re a client, team member, former employee, nonprofit, or passerby who has ever been influenced by the amazing culture at inferno, you know that inferno is one of the best places in Memphis, period.