Happy National Book Lovers Day. From, The Flock.

Today, The Flock is celebrating National Book Lovers Day.

Condensed

At Black Sheep, activating people around things that matter looks different every day.

Make America Dinner Again

At Black Sheep, activating people around things that matter looks different every day. Sometimes we’re rallying big crowds for an event. Sometimes we’re championing our clients’ causes by counting impressions and reach. Lately, we’re sitting down for dinner with a few strangers in our space to talk politics.

If the idea of inviting a bunch of people you don’t know to dinner and immediately bringing up the last election sounds like a twisted nightmare to you, there are a couple of ladies you should meet.

In 2017, following a heated presidential election (you know the one), two women created Make America Dinner Again (MADA), exploring the idea that dinner and thoughtful conversation could bring people together… again.

You never step away from a challenge, and you approach life with a wild purpose. Your ideas?

NOW OPEN: Fall Marketing Internship

You never step away from a challenge, and you approach life with a wild purpose. Your ideas? Unexpected. Your perspective? Creatively unparalleled. If this sounds like you, you may be a Black Sheep, and we’re ready to meet you.

The Miami Vice AJ1. An MTO handcrafted with white and pink crocodile leather as well as turquoise and black python. Lined with Japanese plonge leather liner.  Inspired by the vibrancy of Miami.

@levis x @jumpman23 IV . I’ll be dropping these somewhere in Paris . You find em you keep em . Stay tuned ✌🏽

We live in a high culture of customization—our diets, hair color, movie recommendations, travel experiences.

Customize this

We’re hiring for an Administrative Concierge/Jack of All Trades/Task Master/Office Mom/General Getter of Things Done. And, hey, you can even help us pick your title.

Are you the match we’re missing?

2 billion impressions is great, changing the future with college bound students is better

First impressions matter, right?  So what happens after 2 BILLION impressions?

First impressions matter, right?  So what happens after 2 BILLION impressions?  We found out with our Michelle Obama’s #CollegeSigningDay partnership this year.

It’s Okay To Talk Derby – Hard Hitting PR Lessons from Houston Roller Derby

If you’re familiar with roller derby from the 70s, you probably remember gigantic wooden-banked tracks, hardcore body slams and over-choreographed rail flips. Today, though, the game is more of a sport than a spectacle. After reemerging as an “old game, new sport” in 2003, contemporary roller derby has made considerable efforts to rebrand itself. And we have to say – these ladies have been on a serious roll.

The Houston Roller Derby Championship Bout is September 21 and we’ll be there, front and center. Sure, there’s always the risk of becoming a landing pad for a projectile derby girl, but who are we to shy away from anything?

Whether you’re wearing skates and taking names or trying to revitalize a PR campaign, we think you should listen up and take a few hard-hitting PR pointers from our own derby gal, intern Katie Thomson – or Betty Watchett. This gal GOES HARD.

This Ain’t Your Mama’s Roller Derby
Just as the game has reemerged into a more youthful, athletic and empowering sport, a good PR campaign should show a little rebellion, too. Textbook methods insist that you stick it to the old techniques and follow history’s classic marketing formulas. DON’T. It’s okay to try new moves by jumping the apex, especially if you can wow your audience AND stick the landing. Do something new and fresh. We’re not suggesting you completely reinvent the wheel, but try getting your “roll” on in a different fashion.

Great Jammers Always Get ‘Lead’
In roller derby, the first jammer (point scorer) to get out of the pack is awarded a special privilege called “lead jammer,” which allows her to stop the jam at any time. If she gets lead, she retains control.

If you get YOUR lead in a PR campaign, you’ll be racking up the points, too. The key to success is breaking out of the pack to get ahead of your competition. Take risks and do things no one else is doing by finding those holes. It may feel scary, but it really gives you the upper hand as a leader in the game.

Play the Star
The objective of roller derby is to block the opposing jammer – who wears a helmet covered with stars – out of bounds, while trying to balance getting your jammer past the other team’s blockers. All the while, you’re dodging hits and trying to keep up with everyone on the track. While it may seem intimidating, sticking to your guns is something every PR pro can get behind. Set your goals from the beginning and stay laser-focused. Do everything you can in your power to block out interfering details or issues. Multitasking and tangential thoughts can slow you down. Always push ahead and you’ll maintain your lead to be the big winner.

Roller derby shows us that you can reinvigorate your PR campaigns with new energy. Taking a step towards a new image might be risky (and some might always latch on to your old brand), but the outcome of a fresh perspective can inspire a new identity and appeal to a completely different market. Roller derby never remarketed itself as a completely new concept — it just promoted itself as a youthful, energized community and became a culture more fans could be a part of. Take some risks, step out in front of the competition and stay focused on what you want to convey.

If you find yourself sitting in the front row at Houston Roller Derby’s big game next Saturday, see the action up close and take some notes on rebranding. Remember, it’s okay to talk derby every once in a while – just prepare to cover that beer if a skater lands in your lap!

It’s Okay To Talk Derby – Hard-Hitting PR Lessons from Houston Roller Derby

Regular

Hung Up on a Rung: Ladders, inference, assumptions and YOU!

If you’re anything like me, your mind moves a mile a minute, and not always in a good way.

If you’re anything like me, your mind moves a mile a minute, and not always in a good way. You know that saying about assumptions? The one about you, and me, and a less pleasant term for a donkey? Yeah. Been there—painful. 

“We’re all going to have big losses in our lives, maybe a job or a career, relationships, love our youth.

The Beautiful Awful

“We’re all going to have big losses in our lives, maybe a job or a career, relationships, love our youth. We’re going to lose our health, people we love. These kinds of losses are out of our control. They’re unpredictable, and they bring us to our knees. And so I say, let them. Fall to your knees. Be humbled. Let go of trying to change it or even wanting it to be different. It just is.”

When you give the right old man an Instagram, he’s going to want to post—a lot.

When You Give an Old Man an Instagram

When you give the right old man an Instagram, he’s going to want to post—a lot. And when he wants to post, he’s going to need content. And when he needs content, a masterpiece emerges and the universal cuteness meter is blown to smithereens.

Locally based Brazilian graphic designer Renata Senna had a vision for our chalk wall as soon as we contacted her. Merging feminism with gorgeous illustrations and graphics, Senna envisioned a mighty image of Supergirl combined with a strong statement. Between us gals (And guys. And everyone.), this is one of our favorite Blank Slate pieces. Ever. It’s simple but packs a powerful message: The future is female.

Blank Slate — To Femininity And Beyond!

Locally based Brazilian graphic designer Renata Senna had a vision for our chalk wall as soon as we contacted her.

To Femininity and Beyond!

Wholesome Humor and Weird Twitter’s Jonny Sun

Internet culture is alive and real and moving and sometimes it scares me.

Internet culture is alive and real and moving and sometimes it scares me. But if I’m honest, I spend most of the time that I’m breathing on Twitter. I’ll never apologize. It’s part of me now. I sit down, fish my slightly-broken iPhone out of my pocket and get lost in the depths of Weird Twitter, basking in the never-ending bad memes that somehow leave a gross taste in my mouth and refresh me simultaneously.

Why an Out of Office Retreat is Good For Camaraderie

He doesn’t need an introduction, but we’re going to give him one anyway: The Convoy Group’s Mark Austin is the man to talk to when you want to understand the current state of the Houston music scene and how important Record Store Day is to independent record stores.

Record Store Day: Q&A with Mark Austin

Record Store Day: The Remix

Pardon Our [Old] French, But Charity is a Four-Letter Word

The word charity conjures up Dickensian ideas of people struggling. Small street urchins in newsboy caps or little red-headed orphans singing their heart out. It’s not our favorite word. Not because the sentiment isn’t spot on—it is. The idea of charity is based on an Old French word, charité, meaning “benevolence for the poor.” It’s a beautiful thought: To be charitable is to be kind. To be kind is to care for your neighbors. And to care for your neighbors? There’s no more Houstonian trait than that. But the word “charity” itself comes with a lot of baggage. Like TSA, we’re here to open up that luggage, unpack it and repack it with a deeper meaning.

If you aren’t already taking a sabbatical from the airline-based atrocities making their way across the internet, never fear.

#NuggsForCarter: The Art Of The Meal

If you aren’t already taking a sabbatical from the airline-based atrocities making their way across the internet, never fear. Once again, we’ve been blessed with a worthy cause: nuggets.

Pepsi, Listen to the New Generation. Yours truly, Black Sheep.

We live in an incredibly raw time. Emotions are high, and there are a lot of social causes and movements catching people’s attention. Because of that, many brands are trying to figure out ways to participate. While some, like REI, thrive when it comes to speaking about issues like feminism, others are struggling to find that line between marketing and meaning.

When Life Gives You Lemonade

So, Grammy Awards. While there was a long list of inspirational moments, two stuck out the most to me. For those of you who watched last night, let this serve as a chance to re-experience two big moments. And for those of you who haven’t, check it out because they gave me a new perspective on the work we do every day.

If you self-identify as a member of “Weird Twitter,” or even have a sense of what it is, you’re probably not too fond of the description—yet it’s probably the most realistic explanation of the phenomena.

An Aliebn Confuesed Abot Humamn Lamguage

This year we resolve to be feverishly focused on activating people around things that matter.

2017: Finding the internet’s backbone.

This year we resolve to be feverishly focused on activating people around things that matter. More on that later, but today we want to talk about how the internet landscape needs to be different in 2017—starting with social media and how free we let speech be.

Finally feeds are becoming less inundated with Millennial-focused strategy articles trying to pin down a generation taking up 20 percent of the population.

Gen Z: The Change You Wish to See

Finally feeds are becoming less inundated with Millennial-focused strategy articles trying to pin down a generation taking up 20 percent of the population. News flash—it can’t be done that easily—and frankly, if you’re still trying to figure out Millennials, you’ve got another thing coming: Gen Z is here, and like the younger sibling they are, they’re watching.

CareAll enabled our communities to make this season a memorable one for the kids and teens of Boys & Girls Harbor, and we’ve finally had a moment to stop and reflect on giving and our own families this holiday season.

Black Sheep Gift Guide

CareAll enabled our communities to make this season a memorable one for the kids and teens of Boys & Girls Harbor, and we’ve finally had a moment to stop and reflect on giving and our own families this holiday season.

Black Sheep Quarterly Jams List

Compressed

Creatures of HABIT: A Black Sheep Experiment (Part II)

This blog post is a part of a series—an experiment of sorts. You see, I’m reading a book about forming better habits, and I invited the entire agency to participate.

This blog post is a part of aseries—an experiment of sorts. You see, I’m reading a book about forming better habits, and I invited the entire agency to participate. I also invited YOU to play along—and it’s not too late. It’s never too late.This is the second post of the series. Read the first one here.

“WOKE UP AND FELT THE VIBE.” —Kanye West

GIF US YOUR BEST SHOT: A Challenge To Be The Next Black Sheep

So, you think you want to be a Black Sheep? Well, we can’t say that we blame you.

So, you think you want to be a Black Sheep? Well, we can’t say that we blame you. This is a pretty great place to work. We work hard, we play hard and we’ve built a culture that’s like no other you’ll find.

Built on mud and created from gumption, heart and a can-do spirit, Houston was born 180 years ago TODAY.

Happy Birthday to HOU: H-Town Turns 180!

Built on mud and created from gumption, heart and a can-do spirit, Houston was born 180 years ago TODAY. (Not that it looks a day over 179…) Think about that: one hundred and eighty years. It seems like such a long, long time, but actually it’s a pretty short interval when you think about what we’ve accomplished as a city. 

Our National Park Service has a birthday today, and it’s a BIG ONE.

NPS: You Make 100 Look Good!

Our National Park Service has a birthday today, and it’s a BIG ONE. 

I’ll Snap To That: International Beer Day

Tomorrow is a day for merrymaking; a day to carouse, celebrate and conquer.

Tomorrow is a day for merrymaking; a day to carouse, celebrate and conquer. Tomorrow is International Beer Day. In honor of this crucial and clearly cherished holiday, we’re throwing a little something together for our friends.

The change we can make with our own two hands.

In year one, we were bold. Maybe because we didn’t know any better, but maybe because to “be the change” you have to be unafraid of it. We burst onto the scene, even staging a mock protest at TEDxHouston.

In year two, the economy sucked and the creative community in Houston pulled together at our monthly Shindigs. Collaboration took on a new meaning.

In year three, we got a real office, because we’re better together. The Space Shuttle Endeavor also got a new home, after 19 years in space.

In year four, we were hired by Houston’s Mayor. Our love of this city increased, which we hardly thought possible. The Pope joined Twitter, which helped change the conversation around brands and social media.

In year five, we began setting aside time to celebrate “tiny victories,” because focusing on the positive gets us through, and focusing on it together makes us stronger. Some guy on Kickstarter also had a tiny victory, when his desire to make potato salad raised over $55K. 

In year six, we got the White House as a client and built the “Better Make Room” campaign for Michelle Obama. Our world became wider, and we started to see bigger possibilities, for ourselves and for our commitment to purpose.

In year seven, we earned a B Corp certification, because we wanted to blaze a path for what a brand and creative agency could accomplish. As a B Corp, we commit to improving the environment, the community, our product and even the experience employees have working at Black Sheep. It’s a never-ending growth opportunity.

In year eight, it was one step forward and two steps back, because caring is hard, but Houston is resilient. Harvey hit us where it hurt, but we jumped in head-first with our Impact Hub (partnering with good friend Carla Valencia) and hosted a world-class Super Bowl. It also didn’t hurt that the ‘Stros brought home a World Series Championship.

In year nine, we were Houston’s #1 place to work, according to the Houston Business Journal, and our rebellious hearts were invigorated when Parkland students and activists came together to disrupt the culture around school shootings. We’re big believers in disruption.

In year 10, we’re celebrating a decade. 

If you’re counting with us, you’ve got all 10 fingers up, which means you’re ready to do any number of things: Applaud, celebrate, lift someone else up. Share what you have or what you know. Build something wonderful. Activate others around something you believe in.

With our two hands, we can connect to our neighbors and move mountains with them. We can celebrate with our hands in the air—but mostly we can start putting in the work that makes The Difference, or the start of a Difference, which is all we really need.

Raise a hand if you’re with us. If you’re ready to impact your community. And if your hand happens to be holding champagne, cheers to the change we can make in 10 more years.

The Black Sheep Agency Manifesto

10 years of caring. 10 years of business. 10 years of asking hard questions and doing meaningful work that helps build stronger communities with nonprofits and civic organizations that 100% give a damn. High five (x2). 

We are Black Sheep, a cause-driven creative and brand strategy agency that works with impactful companies and organizations to activate communities around things that matter, and we are investing in our continued growth by hiring a Chief of Staff to support the Founder and CEO. 

We're all in and want you to have all the details. Learn more here:

As Our Chief of Staff, you will play a critical role in enabling communication, collaboration and strategy execution across the agency. This position is the right hand to the CEO. You should be capable of holding leaders accountable for business goals, artfully articulating our mission and vision, and be a sharp thinker who can solve business and personal issues. You will serve as a critical thought partner, advisor and administrative assistant to the CEO and will help to build and maintain key agency relationships. In addition, you will assist the CEO with personal tasks, allowing her to stay focused on the most critical tasks to move the agency forward. In this role, you will be centrally positioned to learn about and influence all aspects of a woman-run, independent and innovative creative agency. 

What does that mean for your day-to-day? 

Providing advanced, detailed administrative support for the CEO, including managing day-to-day schedule, confirming meetings and making decisions about calendar bandwidth 

Managing inbound phone and email, screening/evaluating, prioritizing and keeping CEO informed of all matters requiring attention 

Composing various correspondence, including staff and client communications 

Independently researching issues to provide recommendations for decision-making purposes 

Coordinating travel and trip planning, including reservations 

Attending events and meetings to represent the CEO when the CEO is unable to attend 

Identifying speaking, editorial and other visibility opportunities for the CEO and pitching or corresponding to secure these opportunities 

Understanding the greater mission of the agency, the agency’s annual goals and the vision of the CEO in order to advance the agency in partnership with the CEO 

Attending new business meetings with the CEO and administratively support the new business process 

Maintaining agency database and keep track of details to make database highly effective 

Taking care of personal household errands as necessary, scheduling personal appointments and other tasks necessary 

Why is this role important for Black Sheep's work? 

You are empowering the leader of this organization to have the clarity and space to lead and develop vision for the future of the company so that together, you can push the agency to its fullest potential. When the CEO can be present and attending to the greatest company priorities, the company and all of its employees are at their best. 

Advanced Administrative Support: Strategically manage the CEO’s time, managing her complex calendar, evaluating opportunities and determining how they fit with key priorities. To ensure the most is made of every moment of the day, you will be responsible for meeting preparation, support and follow-up and also reviewing upcoming meetings to ensure the CEO is well prepared. 

Writing and Communications: Prepare and review internal and external communications, drafting written materials, reports, proposals, emails, letters, decks, speeches and/or presentations when necessary. You must be a perfectionist when it comes to proofreading and uphold a high standard for written communication. 

Team Workflow and CEO Involvement: Monitor information and agency project flow, working with all team members to create a smooth flow of information. Facilitate effective decision-making throughout the organization, maximizing the CEO’s involvement in a project and knowing when the CEO is needed for a critical decision. 

Relationship Building & Executive Presence: Know the importance of every encounter with the agency and the unlimited power of relationships in our community and industry. You will represent the CEO and the agency in ways that will require extreme professionalism and social grace, as well as outgoing and fearless confidence. 

Entrepreneurial Action: Be independent and thorough approaching everything with a “figure-it-out” mentality to ease the CEO’s daily responsibilities and fast-track forward movement on agency initiatives and other tasks. 

Extreme Organization: Track details and multitask with an obsessive attention to detail, making sure no opportunity is missed and you are anticipating the needs of the CEO, the team and our clients, always operating 10 steps ahead of others. 

While it’s hard to define the exact experience necessary, we are hoping to find someone that meets the requirements below—or someone who can prove to us that the experiences they’ve had beat what we have outlined. 

5+ years of relevant professional experience (we are background agnostic and excited by candidates with unique and different work histories) 

Problem-solving and project management skills, including the ability to work and deliver projects independently, proactively and under pressure 

Impeccable organization; you are a highly detail-oriented person and someone who gets a real sense of satisfaction from producing polished work and managing smooth and orderly processes. 

You can practice discretion and maintain confidentiality as needed. 

Strong, concise, creative writing skills 

Strong organizational skills and attention to detail 

Advanced communication skills, including both written (documents and presentations) 
and interpersonal communication skills 

Confidence and poise to handle difficult communication challenges and attend high 
profile events and meetings 

Experience in financial analysis and basic modeling (preferred but not required) 



Yes, we’re a gathering of rebels. We’ve come together to change minds and accelerate impact for organizations and businesses that are leading communities toward a more equitable future. In our field of strategy, marketing and creative ideas, we know the playing field isn’t fair, and getting a dream job is easier for some than others. 

We believe our ecosystem is strengthened through perspective and collaboration, and that can only happen when mentorship, leadership and career opportunities are open to all. We’re looking for go-getters and figure-it-outers— people who think beyond the ordinary list of awards and internships and tell the story of how they’ve transformed their professional life through personal initiative and creativity. 

We don’t believe talent and expertise should look the same—ever. Tell us how you’ll join us in sparking an empowered and brilliant future for our communities. Be the rebel that you are. We want to meet you.

Apply by emailing info@theblacksheepagency.com with a cover letter addressing why this role is right for you and include your resume or link out to your LinkedIn profile (preferred). 

Know someone that's a perfect fit for our flock? Share this job listing out!

Now #hiring! @ShearCreativity is seeking a detail-obsessed Chief of Staff to provide high-level executive support to keep our agency growing. Apply here: http://bit.ly/bsachief

New role for a visionary Chief of Staff at The Black Sheep Agency

Now hiring at Black Sheep in Houston for Chief of Staff

We are growing and looking for a fiercely organized, exceptionally communicative master of both tiny details and the big picture. Is this YOU?

The Black Sheep blog is turning up the volume on community engagement, social media strategy, Houston happenings and what it means to lead a purpose-driven life.

The Black Sheep Agency | Social impact and nonprofit blog

We like to type as much as we like to listen.

We're not shy.

We're not shy.

The Change You Can Make with 10

The Change You Can Make with 10

We are hiring: Chief of Staff

We are hiring: Chief of Staff

Happy National Book Lovers Day. From, The Flock.

Make America Dinner Again

NOW OPEN: Fall Marketing Internship

Customize this

Are you the match we’re missing?

2 billion impressions is great, changing the future with college bound students is better

It’s Okay To Talk Derby – Hard-Hitting PR Lessons from Houston Roller Derby

Hung Up on a Rung: Ladders, inference, assumptions and YOU!

The Beautiful Awful

When You Give an Old Man an Instagram

To Femininity and Beyond!

Wholesome Humor and Weird Twitter’s Jonny Sun

Why an Out of Office Retreat is Good For Camaraderie

Record Store Day: Q&A with Mark Austin

Record Store Day: The Remix

Pardon Our [Old] French, But Charity is a Four-Letter Word

#NuggsForCarter: The Art Of The Meal

Pepsi, Listen to the New Generation. Yours truly, Black Sheep.

When Life Gives You Lemonade

An Aliebn Confuesed Abot Humamn Lamguage

2017: Finding the internet’s backbone.

Gen Z: The Change You Wish to See

Black Sheep Gift Guide

Black Sheep Quarterly Jams List

Creatures of HABIT: A Black Sheep Experiment (Part II)

Black Sheep Quarterly Jams List

GIF US YOUR BEST SHOT: A Challenge To Be The Next Black Sheep

Happy Birthday to HOU: H-Town Turns 180!

NPS: You Make 100 Look Good!

I’ll Snap To That: International Beer Day