Ten years ago, when Hila and i planted the seeds of 33 Sticks, we made a promise. This promise wasn't to ourselves, or investors, or even to the fast-paced analytics marketplace. It was a promise to the world - we would construct a company that consistently delivered incredibly positive experiences to our customers.

Embracing sustainable analytics practices is a critical step in ensuring long-term success for your organization and a healthier planet. By demanding ethical practices from technology vendors, hiring committed experts, and partnering with responsible agencies, businesses can create a sustainable analytics ecosystem that fosters growth, efficiency, and innovation. It's time to join the movement and make a lasting impact on our world.

If you are buying services from an agency, are you aware of the business model they are using?

Most agencies make use of a model called, the leverage model, this model often results in highly negative client experiences, lower quality deliverables, and adverse effects on the mental health of consultants.

For years, many companies have had negative experiences with agencies. This dissatisfaction can be attributed to a variety of factors, including misaligned billing models, prioritizing growth over client outcomes, and viewing clients as transactional relationships. As the agency landscape changes, it's time for agencies to adapt and embrace a more client-centric approach.

Investing in your employees' well-being and professional development is a win-win situation for both the employees and the organization. It can lead to improved productivity, job satisfaction, and company culture, while also helping you attract and retain top talent and gain a competitive advantage in the market.

Vendor kickbacks refer to the practice of vendors paying money or offering other incentives, to agencies, in exchange for favorable recommendations or increased business. While this practice may seem like a win-win for both the vendor and the agency, it ultimately leads to harm for the 3rd participant in this relationship — THE CUSTOMER!

The “thud factor” is a long held practice of consulting firms and agencies in which the value of their engagement is calculated by the client based on the loudness of the final deliverable, contained in an over-sized 3-ring binder, landing on a dusty, outdated conference room table.

Burnout is a serious concern (or should be) for every business. According to the American Psychological Association in their 2021 Work and Well-being Survey of 1,501 U.S. adult workers, 79% of employees reported having had experienced work-related stress in the month before the survey. The survey reported that nearly 3 in 5 employees reported negative impacts of work-related stress that resulted in lack of interest, motivation, or energy.

Over the last 9+ years building 33 Sticks, one thing has become very clear, most people have had more than one negative experience working with an agency. Typically, these bad experiences are caused by one or more of the following common consulting agency tactics…

When we started 33 Sticks, we did so with a promise that not only would we reject the billable hour model but we would become fierce enemies of the billable hour. The model, while long used in the consulting industry, is a broken model that leads to poor results for clients and burned out employees who hate their jobs.

This week, we celebrated 9 years in business at 33 Sticks and as we have been thinking back through the experience of building a brand from the ground up, we have been filled with emotions thinking about the brands and people who have helped get us to where we are today. So today’s article is a bit of a thank you to those companies who helped get our company off the ground.