Roger West Creative & Code is celebrating its 15th anniversary in 2022! To mark the occasion, we’re looking back at some of the key moments that helped define the company over the years.
How Roger West Was Born
Before becoming a multi award-winning, full service digital marketing agency, Roger West Creative & Code began in 2007 as a simple startup. Founder and CEO Michael Westafer had grown tired of seeing things done just “OK” and decided to try his hand at entrepreneurship by building a business that made clients look and feel good. Another goal of building up the company was to be able to control quality and ensure the team not only had expertise, but also shared core values.
Westafer had a strong background in graphic design and IT from his time working in the marketing industry, which he combined with his leadership, business acumen, and driven work ethic to build the agency from the ground up. For the first couple of years, most of the responsibilities fell back on Westafer and a select few, who took on all the sales, design, writing, and technological aspects of the business.
Following the first $1 million
After the agency made its first million dollars in 2015, Roger West hit a speed bump when its biggest client decided to take its marketing in-house. That loss changed the trajectory of the agency, prompting Westafer to buckle down and hammer in on growing operations, sales, and client services.
With revenue back on the rise, Westafer wanted to pass the torch to new, trusted team members with expertise in graphic design, programming, paid media, and more. “Identifying talented designers was easy,” he recalls. “Finding the ones with the right personality, attitude, and values was not.”
After several years of trial and error, Roger West’s roots became more defined, and the list of clients and team members began growing quicker than ever before.
“And the Award Goes To…”
With the right talent in place, the agency started to scale production and gain recognition for outstanding work. For three years in a row, Roger West was named to the Tampa Bay Business Journal’s Fast 50 list. After first making the list in 2019, the agency jumped up 31 spots in 2020 before hitting the number 3 spot in 2021. It also made back-to-back appearances on the Inc. 500/5000 lists for rapid growth during the same period.
“Roger West has seen double digit growth for 10 out of the 15 years in business. There really isn’t a secret to our growth plan,” Westafer says. “It’s based on the fundamentals of great customer service, which means solving the client’s pain points.”
Building a strong workplace culture also helped put Roger West in a position to deliver great results for clients. The agency has made four consecutive appearances on the Tampa Bay Business Journal’s Best Places to Work list, finishing 11th in 2019, 12th in 2020, 11th in 2021, and 3rd in 2022. Inc. magazine also recognized Roger West’s exceptional culture by placing the company on its Best Workplaces list for 2021 and 2022. The commitment to creating a strong, passionate workplace paid off in 2021, which saw the creative marketing team bring home seven Communicator Awards and four w3 Awards.
The combination of sustained growth, stellar culture, and client success also earned Roger West additional recognition from the local business community in the Tampa area. In 2021 and 2022, the agency was among the finalists for the Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce’s Small Business of the Year Award.
Expanding the Office
In 2019, Roger West moved into a new building, providing the team with a designated space to meet and collaborate with clients (and deck the walls with our signature orange hue). The move allowed the agency to blossom and become more productive than ever. Within just three short years, the Roger West family had filled up every inch of office space with 25 team members. That led the agency to purchase a second building on the same property, which will allow the team to grow even more, and continue to make clients look and feel good.
What the Heck is EOS?
There’s got to be a method to the madness! As Roger West grew bigger and better, it became important maintain clarity and transparency so that operations would continue running smoothly. The implementation of the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) in the beginning of 2022 proved to be a helpful tool in keeping the Roger West workflow efficient and employees happy. EOS acts as a framework to outline what to focus on, how to get there, and who is accountable for specific tasks. It also drives productive meetings and keeps team members in the know as they all work towards Roger West’s ambitious future goals.
A Humble, Driven Team
The agency has come a long way since its (not so) humble beginnings in 2007, but one thing that hasn’t changed is the refusal to churn out work that’s just “OK.” After fifteen successful years, Roger West’s talented team of marketing professionals continues to help companies generate leads, crush their goals, and increase brand awareness. The driven, humble team of designers, developers, writers, and marketing experts has internalized the agency’s founding commitment to delivering high quality work that delivers results and makes clients look and feel good.
If you’re ready to work with an agency that does things a little differently and isn’t afraid to take calculated risks that reap huge rewards, let’s talk.
Roger West Creative & Code is a full-service digital marketing agency that helps companies build brands, generate leads, and keep customers inspired and engaged. The agency provides a dynamic environment for marketing pros to innovate and team up with clients to drive traffic to vibrant places and send messages that pack a punch.
Leave a Reply