On Monday mornings, I enjoy my elevator ride up to the Powerhouse office space with my co-workers: a brightly-tattooed music lover, a trendy dressed fashion blogger, a Star Wars T-shirt-wearing gamer and a fitness-focused mother of three. It’s the perfect reminder of how the Powerhouse culture is unique.

When we launched back in February, I was asked time and time again to describe the culture at the new brand-building agency.  At first, I explained that we are encouraged to dress casually (sweatshirts are welcome); we can crack open a beer with no judgment (in afternoon meetings, of course); no one has an actual job title (make one up if a situation calls for it) and we can “work from Mars,” if that’s where we produce our best work.

This description is accurate, but it’s not how I would explain our agency culture if asked today. Now I clearly understand that our leaders established this empowering framework to attract the right passionate people who can create a successful and thriving culture. While the concept of tapping into employees’ diverse interests isn’t a new one, it’s certainly inspiring and refreshing to experience firsthand.

In a recent Fast Company article, John Landgraf, president and general manager of FX Networks, says, “when I say we need a smarter organization, I mean we need multiple, different kinds of brains, of intelligence, on topics, rather than just specialists.” I couldn’t agree more with Landgraf as I look around and notice how well we’re all able to apply our passion areas to our day-to-day work and to the company’s development. A perfect example is shared in Abigail’s recent post, “A Handshake Still Means Something,” where she connects her passion for her family’s meat business to her Experiential Marketing perspective.

We’ve only been an agency for a few short months, but it’s exciting to witness how my co-workers and I— with our “different kinds of brains” — have found a culturally relevant fit at Powerhouse.