By FP1 Strategies
At FP1 Strategies, we pride ourselves in identifying and developing talent. We have the best team in Republican politics because we invest in our people. This year, five young team members received promotions. We have 10 talented people who started at FP1 right out of college and are still advancing their careers with us. Since the 2022 election cycle, only one person has left our firm. Our low attrition rate is essential in maintaining our winning culture and building institutional memory across our business functions. How do we empower our people to thrive and grow?
Here are just a few of the professional development initiatives that FP1 has launched in recent years.
Employee Survey
We do a firm wide survey every year to better understand how our team members feel about our business and their jobs. It’s anonymous so people are empowered to answer candidly. This year, 100% of our senior leadership team said they see themselves being at our business in the future, and nearly 80% of our full team answered the same way. Our head of HR, Megan Rouhier, is very proud of this stat.
Production Pros Blog Series
We use our blog on fp1.com to showcase the individual contributions of our team. Every employee has received a blog post that included a lightning round Q&A. This series, which was previewed with our five Managing Partners before going live, was a big hit in the office and allowed everyone at FP1 to learn more about their colleagues.
Shine University
FP1 does most of our political post-production work at Shine Creative, the top motion graphics shop in Washington, D.C. This year, our Creative Director, Trent Wisecup, launched a new training program called “Shine University” where every member of our team sits in on editing sessions. We want our creative process to be collaborative, fresh and innovative. Every member of our team has something to contribute, and we wanted to ensure they all have a baseline understanding of how we make our award-winning advertising. Shine University has been especially helpful to the production coordinators who make the trains run during our political shoots. It has empowered them to better envision a spot before we shoot it, while professionalizing our entire shoot process, from pre-interviews with testimonials to location setups and filming b-roll.
CliftonStrengths
The first step in empowering our team to get the most out of their talents is understanding how they see the world and their inherent strengths and weaknesses. We have partnered with Gallup to use their CliftonStrengths set of HR tools to help our team members focus on strengthening their personality traits that will make them the most successful in their careers.
Weekly Staff Lunches
We deeply value the contributions of our team members and want to keep them happy and productive. One of the most popular things we do at FP1 is our weekly lunch program. Never underestimate the power of good food.
Off-Site Events
Bonding as a team is important to building a strong culture. At FP1, we have fun together. To celebrate winning the Reed Award for Creative Agency of the Year, we took a team picture that now hangs in our office, and we did a pizza and movie night featuring the classic political film, “The Candidate,” starring Robert Redford. We also marked our successful awards season with Creative Agency of the Year T-shirts and hats that our team members wear proudly.
Here are some employee testimonial quotes from three rising stars at FP1:
“Working at FP1 has been an incredible experience,” said Senior Director Mattie Beckis. “In just four years, my hard work has been recognized with four promotions. Each day, I get to apply my managerial and organizational skills, while also exploring my creative side through scriptwriting, directing voice talents and producing ads. FP1 is a place that rewards initiative and inspiration, and I’ve had the chance to gain exposure to many areas of the business — all while working alongside a truly awesome team.”
“I spend most of my time managing logistics and making sure our shoots run smoothly,” said FP1 Director Gretchen Kepley. “Understanding the post-production process is essential, so after expressing my interest in writing and producing ads during my mid-year review, I’ve been able to sit in on editing sessions at Shine. Seeing how our spots come together has helped me better anticipate what our editors need, allowing me to streamline shoots and make more informed decisions on set. When I’m not on the road, I enjoy writing for our blog and highlighting the exciting work we’re doing at FP1.”
“Like Gretchen, I’m a road warrior at FP1,” said Director Alex Foster. “My primary responsibility is to produce shoots for our clients across the country, while also ensuring the trains run on time with advertising operations at our headquarters. I have a desire to write and produce ads and have been given the opportunity to do so. I’m grateful for my recent promotion, and I know FP1 is investing in my career advancement. That means a lot to me.”
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