Location: Glastonbury
Staff: 25
Duration: 10 years
Key Players: The entire ZAG team
Key Clients: LAZ Parking, Arizona Department of Transportation, Open Solutions, Inc., MetroHartford Alliance, Conning & Co., HealthTrax, Consumers Credit Union
How was the agency born?
I left corporate America in 2002 to become a freelance developer because I wanted a sense of fulfillment in my life that was missing. I was a one-man shop and then brought on contract developers in 2005. In 2007, I worked with a very talented friend of mine who really helped me develop process and a foundation for future growth. That is when we made the switch from a group of contractors to bringing in the first full-time employees. As the company grew, I realized I couldn’t continue to develop websites while also running the business; I hired additional talented people in 2010 so I could focus on growing the business.
Why do clients hire you and not another agency?
Because we care, we are honest, we are highly responsive and we deliver. We own our mistakes and we learn from them and share the good and the bad with the client, taking responsibility and truly developing relationships that are long-lasting. Every client is a reference for us. When a company that’s considering hiring us hears the type of reference our clients provide, it’s extremely valuable.
What makes your process unique?
Plain and simple, it’s our people. Don’t be fooled — all agencies have a similar process. It’s the people that make it unique. When you hire the best people, you get the best results.
Why Connecticut?
I was born and raised here. I want to stay close to family. And because I still believe the Patriots are coming, even with their new stadium in Foxborough. Plus, where else could you get taxed so much?
Describe your ideal client.
It’s a client that knows what they want or knows what they don’t know and puts faith and trust in our abilities to work together. And it’s a client that understands digital is one piece of a comprehensive business strategy for their company that encompasses all of the vital components…marketing, SEO, user experience, et al. All of this makes for a highly collaborative engagement with the client.
Describe your ideal employee/team member.
That’s someone who checks their ego at the door and brings an assertive personality ready to solve challenging problems and do good work. The person is creative in a variety of ways, takes pride in their work and commits to melding with the culture we’ve created here.
How do you “give back”?
From a client’s perspective, we do pro bono web development work for non-profit organizations. From an employee standpoint, we engage in a lot of extra-curricular team-building activities that often involve Sam Adams (the beer, not the Founding Father… unless we’re reading the Declaration of Independence to celebrate the Fourth of July).
Who are you favorite partners/vendors?
Without question, it has been Sitefinity (made by Telerik), which is an enterprise-level content management system that we have built hundreds of websites on. They have been highly supportive of us and a major factor in our growth.
Where would you like the agency to be in 5 years?
The business plan is to grow appropriately and maintain a sustainable business model that allows everyone to lead a family-friendly, flexible lifestyle and provide for the future. We want a scalable company that continues to do great work and provide excellent service.
What is unique about the culture of the agency? The physical space?
Hands down, it’s the people. I’d like to think I’m skilled at bringing together the right mix of people and personalities, but that’s just my ego. It’s truly the individuals who have agreed to join ZAG Interactive. I have to say we have a group of the most talented professionals that I have known, with great senses of humor, and there’s a feeling of familiarity and connection that goes beyond the actual number of years that we’ve known each other collectively. Honestly, I didn’t know it was possible to work with such an amazing group of people. As for the space, well, we are again outgrowing the space… need more, but that’s a good problem to have.
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