![Kevin and Lauren Deal working together on the couch in their home studio](https://louderthanten.imgix.net/articles/j5-hero2.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=louderthanten.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=881&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=82&w=1568&s=f1ee4abca61d334f4777ad8d4aff78ba 1568w, https://louderthanten.imgix.net/articles/j5-hero2.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=louderthanten.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1763&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=61&w=3136&s=7131a0788aa013e0f940f2a6b54e2ab2 3136w, https://louderthanten.imgix.net/articles/j5-hero2.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=louderthanten.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=2645&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=41&w=4704&s=6590d19d04c566f77bfd67631ac76cb1 4704w, https://louderthanten.imgix.net/articles/j5-hero2.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=louderthanten.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=575&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=82&w=1024&s=7a1531bf2b61e4f4d7374c113ecb23f8 1024w, https://louderthanten.imgix.net/articles/j5-hero2.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=louderthanten.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1151&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=61&w=2048&s=a01f47488e838fe6f9ed7c301fe14fde 2048w, https://louderthanten.imgix.net/articles/j5-hero2.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=louderthanten.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1727&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=41&w=3072&s=cc8e6bc168ddf3fb7dac4578fae065e9 3072w, https://louderthanten.imgix.net/articles/j5-hero2.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=louderthanten.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=430&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=60&w=766&s=5b66c7b33006fd39d3adf95c2537e644 766w, https://louderthanten.imgix.net/articles/j5-hero2.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=louderthanten.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=861&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=45&w=1532&s=8f317cdcbfd59e6e245e0047f32b531c 1532w, https://louderthanten.imgix.net/articles/j5-hero2.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=louderthanten.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1292&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=30&w=2298&s=507afdd17fec3fc5808de0c6798ee5a1 2298w, https://louderthanten.imgix.net/articles/j5-hero2.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=louderthanten.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=251&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=60&w=448&s=6ff49bc9cc17f86b581f12a026a97b7c 448w, https://louderthanten.imgix.net/articles/j5-hero2.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=louderthanten.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=503&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=45&w=896&s=4e6296079e70be6e047b6d636673e1f6 896w, https://louderthanten.imgix.net/articles/j5-hero2.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=louderthanten.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=755&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=30&w=1344&s=eda1e1d21e76e7048ac6b47d5edb4795 1344w)
Meet July Five Design
A brand new Black-owned digital agency flourishing at stellar PM practices
Lauren Deal is a project manager and co-founder of July Five Design, an ecommerce agency out of Philadelphia. She spoke to Louder Than Ten about completing the Digital Project Management Foundations course and how it helped her set up efficient processes, as well as the importance of creating opportunities for underserved communities, and the beauty of a supportive online community that sees people for the humans that they are—even in a remote, digital world.
![The July Five website](https://louderthanten.imgix.net/articles/j5-siteb.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=louderthanten.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=882&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=82&w=1568&s=c1d94df9f076d5c4a2372731831e7e5d 1568w, https://louderthanten.imgix.net/articles/j5-siteb.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=louderthanten.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1764&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=61&w=3136&s=ec266531dfa5f80bac8d115d70585929 3136w, https://louderthanten.imgix.net/articles/j5-siteb.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=louderthanten.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=2646&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=41&w=4704&s=7fbcb3dd739cdad3be163e32654af765 4704w, https://louderthanten.imgix.net/articles/j5-siteb.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=louderthanten.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=576&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=82&w=1024&s=5c3419a5f7a579dc809eeb52ad0d7356 1024w, https://louderthanten.imgix.net/articles/j5-siteb.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=louderthanten.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1152&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=61&w=2048&s=f9d41623f128fe264a16150e3d27ccc1 2048w, https://louderthanten.imgix.net/articles/j5-siteb.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=louderthanten.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1728&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=41&w=3072&s=a127275d3508cad3bee53679219a2815 3072w, https://louderthanten.imgix.net/articles/j5-siteb.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=louderthanten.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=430&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=60&w=766&s=9bf767b82b4e0868db58864fd4cc9f29 766w, https://louderthanten.imgix.net/articles/j5-siteb.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=louderthanten.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=861&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=45&w=1532&s=d317227be1e462671a17275360a3e65f 1532w, https://louderthanten.imgix.net/articles/j5-siteb.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=louderthanten.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1292&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=30&w=2298&s=893cf585ca6db605de54d0c723903972 2298w, https://louderthanten.imgix.net/articles/j5-siteb.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=louderthanten.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=252&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=60&w=448&s=d1c70ab1dae6c69143f7693c6dbb8509 448w, https://louderthanten.imgix.net/articles/j5-siteb.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=louderthanten.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=504&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=45&w=896&s=ffca2b30477fc918bfe769cd1aa9b59f 896w, https://louderthanten.imgix.net/articles/j5-siteb.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=louderthanten.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=756&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=30&w=1344&s=eea79f1a4aef5a7ada90c2644f9328c2 1344w)
Organization
July Five Design
Based in
Philadelphia, PA
Website
julyfivedesign.com
Program
Digital Project Management Foundations (cohort LTT-020)
By the numbers
$40k increased revenue in 6 months
2× increased project value
$250K project size collaborated on
Also…
- Increased client satisfaction
- Able to transition to full-time business within 6 months
- Now offering project management as a service to large agency clients
LT10 gave me better practices that actually make a difference for clients. It also helped give me more confidence to stand on when deciding how a process is going.
Tell me a little bit about your agency—who are you, what do you do, and who does what?
My husband, Kevin Deal, and I started an agency. We called it “July Five” because it was kind of a physical manifestation of our relationship. I don’t know, that sounds weird! [laughs] But, it’s like two people becoming one in business, but then also in marriage. Our wedding anniversary is July 5th, so that’s why we chose the name July Five.
I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit. That’s just how my family is. Whenever I see a problem that needs to be fixed, I prefer to fix it rather than to talk about it. It’s like, if doors aren’t opening, let’s make our own doors and our own lane for ourselves so that nobody can really dictate to us what we can and cannot do.
We wanted to have an agency that felt intentional. We don’t not hire people of other races or anything like that, we’re just very intentional about seeking out Black designers and Black developers and marketers and copywriters so that they have opportunities that they wouldn’t necessarily have had before. So it wasn’t like we don’t want other people, but it was also like we want to help underrepresented groups through this company.
When we were putting this all together, it was right before the pandemic. I was in art school at the time, and the agency was supposed to be a combination of interior design and web—like the digital and physical spaces meeting together. And when COVID happened, I also realized “Hey, I want to be able to do this from anywhere and not have to be in an actual physical location to do work.” Because that just opens you up more. So we were like, okay, maybe the interior design thing isn’t the way to go.
So we pivoted very early into mainly web. My husband had heard about an opportunity with Louder Than Ten’s digital project management training and I was like, “Oh yeah, that’s something I want to do!” So I did the three-month program.
The Digital PM Foundations program.
Yup.
Okay, cool.
Abby Fretz was my instructor. It was a small cohort which I really liked because at the end, everybody kind of pretty much knew everybody. And it was really hands-on, and you could ask any question.
I used some of the things that I was learning to start processes for July Five, and to understand how to set up projects from the beginning. And I think one of the things that happens is a lot of agencies start with just designers, and they usually don’t have project managers. Project managers probably for most start-up agencies don’t come into play until much later because it’s not [obviously] a money-making role.
There were so many templates, and resources, and links [shared in the course]. I remember one night I was probably up for five hours just going through all the lessons and bookmarking all the websites that they had linked to and adding and saving all of the templates that they had created. And I was just like, “This is gold!”
We struck gold, it felt like. I know it’s also for people doing project management in-house, but I think it was even more helpful for the freelancer who wanted to do it, or the agency who wanted to do it because there were just a lot of processes and structures already put in place and all you had to do was adapt them to what you wanted. And it was very adaptable so it wasn’t like they were saying “oh you have to do it this way all the time.” It was like, “How can you use this and implement it in your work and what you’re doing and tweak it?”
![A portrait of Lauren Deal](https://louderthanten.imgix.net/avatars/IMG_5287.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=louderthanten.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1568&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=82&w=1568&s=292cb7af559bafd2930362d0a31a83b3 1568w, https://louderthanten.imgix.net/avatars/IMG_5287.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=louderthanten.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=3136&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=61&w=3136&s=bd57eb5ca098017058338dec15032541 3136w, https://louderthanten.imgix.net/avatars/IMG_5287.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=louderthanten.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=4704&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=41&w=4704&s=fa6bc73add093368a83ab2b3a3b32074 4704w, https://louderthanten.imgix.net/avatars/IMG_5287.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=louderthanten.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1024&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=82&w=1024&s=0f3eb0fee5778bb79ab2e6bcb0059f13 1024w, https://louderthanten.imgix.net/avatars/IMG_5287.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=louderthanten.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=2048&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=61&w=2048&s=853a86a2ffc6ed7d0e90078a80422d81 2048w, https://louderthanten.imgix.net/avatars/IMG_5287.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=louderthanten.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=3072&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=41&w=3072&s=13041f25db1ac01f678be0de31c0812e 3072w, https://louderthanten.imgix.net/avatars/IMG_5287.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=louderthanten.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=766&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=60&w=766&s=7d1f757cee13c02578ba28294c6aeb31 766w, https://louderthanten.imgix.net/avatars/IMG_5287.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=louderthanten.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1532&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=45&w=1532&s=8796dd864f3307881acb94ea1b5bdf56 1532w, https://louderthanten.imgix.net/avatars/IMG_5287.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=louderthanten.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=2298&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=30&w=2298&s=02ca5d166fdd56e05d4b205765f84220 2298w, https://louderthanten.imgix.net/avatars/IMG_5287.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=louderthanten.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=448&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=60&w=448&s=7cb558acc9c903ec6838dd3d07ad432c 448w, https://louderthanten.imgix.net/avatars/IMG_5287.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=louderthanten.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=896&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=45&w=896&s=36d2c01213a8e2fedca813e1b7282380 896w, https://louderthanten.imgix.net/avatars/IMG_5287.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=louderthanten.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1344&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=30&w=1344&s=608be29e0d4abb3c95cd36faced415d3 1344w)
Lauren
Deal
Co-Founder, Interior Design & Operations
at July Five
I know it’s also for people doing project management in-house, but I think it was even more helpful for the freelancer who wanted to do it, or the agency who wanted to do it because there were just a lot of processes and structures already put in place and all you had to do was adapt them to what you wanted.
I’m happy that you say that. It’s good to know you found it helpful.
Yeah!
As I was nearing completion for the course, everything kind of came to a head. We were in the midst of quarantine. We were all still very new to it. New to everybody being virtual and all those things.
And then George Floyd happened, and I think that people got more hyper-aware of wanting to be more about diversity and inclusion and all of those things. Which opened a lot of doors I’m grateful for. It’s always kind of bittersweet though because it shouldn’t have had to take that to do it. But we’re here now.
For a lot of people, it was the first time that they noticed. But it was definitely not the first time that it has happened. At that point, I guess the world was noticing. I think—and this is a sidebar—but every other case of police killing Black people, people always made another reason for why it was justified. I guess for this case there was a harder play on its justification. So maybe people started to notice more.
Even though they tried to justify it, still.
Right. Exactly. But anyway, because people were noticing, my husband was connected with a design system agency. They wanted to have a conversation, and do a brain trust about being Black in tech.
Through those conversations, we talked about creating more opportunities for Black people and how Black people usually have a lot of knowledge but not a lot of experience. And it’s like well, yeah, that’s because we have to have five times the knowledge for you to even give us the experience that you would give to somebody else. So I was like, I have to have a Masters in Business Administration for people to even get me the opportunities that are entry-level. Where somebody else doesn’t because that’s just not required of them.
It has allowed me to transition into freelancing. I met with Abby, because you can have one-on-ones with your instructor. And I told her that I wanted to go freelance, and asked her what she thought. And she told me that she thought that within six to eight months I would be able to do freelance full-time. And it’s always hard because it’s like: I have an agency, some work is freelance, some work is client work, it’s very hodgepodge, but I kind of like it that way.
![](https://louderthanten.imgix.net/articles/BrandingSession5.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=louderthanten.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=2352&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=82&w=1568&s=e62a6cd836d7b044cdc8f16e81752dbc 1568w, https://louderthanten.imgix.net/articles/BrandingSession5.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=louderthanten.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=4704&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=61&w=3136&s=33e33bfda585cdde0c12d6486dfe0747 3136w, https://louderthanten.imgix.net/articles/BrandingSession5.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=louderthanten.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=7056&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=41&w=4704&s=85fdea4c25ad9dc6a331e54f11f563f2 4704w, https://louderthanten.imgix.net/articles/BrandingSession5.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=louderthanten.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1536&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=82&w=1024&s=84ed954c7e103b93c0956e04a35c3da5 1024w, https://louderthanten.imgix.net/articles/BrandingSession5.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=louderthanten.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=3072&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=61&w=2048&s=632c64f15d746d8cb8e780728035b767 2048w, https://louderthanten.imgix.net/articles/BrandingSession5.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=louderthanten.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=4608&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=41&w=3072&s=6f042822cc5b8243111d1b621dc566a9 3072w, https://louderthanten.imgix.net/articles/BrandingSession5.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=louderthanten.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1149&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=60&w=766&s=49205b6cd00b5f20f740505f2d8b3b31 766w, https://louderthanten.imgix.net/articles/BrandingSession5.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=louderthanten.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=2298&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=45&w=1532&s=1a9ac59fcdd4879758a06d2a7384ff87 1532w, https://louderthanten.imgix.net/articles/BrandingSession5.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=louderthanten.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=3447&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=30&w=2298&s=82d28a58d2a1052282c339410fc11c2b 2298w, https://louderthanten.imgix.net/articles/BrandingSession5.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=louderthanten.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=672&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=60&w=448&s=6d9d5a9fe6386e4da59cfabb60047930 448w, https://louderthanten.imgix.net/articles/BrandingSession5.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=louderthanten.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1344&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=45&w=896&s=9cf541b6c5801a5d10a25467696787e6 896w, https://louderthanten.imgix.net/articles/BrandingSession5.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=louderthanten.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=2016&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=30&w=1344&s=cf3efc540eca1eb5d66bf0f53d4b35df 1344w)
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![](https://louderthanten.imgix.net/articles/BrandingSession19b.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=louderthanten.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1045&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=82&w=1568&s=6363bad1a9047d62ed1ca2725ca9c32c 1568w, https://louderthanten.imgix.net/articles/BrandingSession19b.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=louderthanten.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=2091&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=61&w=3136&s=65f504fea66317c17210fe2ede068c42 3136w, https://louderthanten.imgix.net/articles/BrandingSession19b.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=louderthanten.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=3137&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=41&w=4704&s=6221e0e74781a15d0433ea03bc60d863 4704w, https://louderthanten.imgix.net/articles/BrandingSession19b.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=louderthanten.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=683&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=82&w=1024&s=4fb2c8dd83c065cd42a33b203043794a 1024w, https://louderthanten.imgix.net/articles/BrandingSession19b.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=louderthanten.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1366&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=61&w=2048&s=bb7bb443e9c679354776ae7e7a8f77f1 2048w, https://louderthanten.imgix.net/articles/BrandingSession19b.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=louderthanten.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=2049&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=41&w=3072&s=8b999117662d7ec9038a2fdc73b7c610 3072w, https://louderthanten.imgix.net/articles/BrandingSession19b.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=louderthanten.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=510&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=60&w=766&s=a85601e0f23d4d2875bd86d2198205cf 766w, https://louderthanten.imgix.net/articles/BrandingSession19b.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=louderthanten.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1021&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=45&w=1532&s=9037bdf70229300f0193618f3b0178bb 1532w, https://louderthanten.imgix.net/articles/BrandingSession19b.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=louderthanten.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1532&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=30&w=2298&s=1e6bb66610b0748d32bbcdd0a803fd08 2298w, https://louderthanten.imgix.net/articles/BrandingSession19b.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=louderthanten.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=298&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=60&w=448&s=69b99caa370a8b3a9392a9f8f23f01af 448w, https://louderthanten.imgix.net/articles/BrandingSession19b.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=louderthanten.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=597&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=45&w=896&s=753be9cce41d2205e64a72687bc57e54 896w, https://louderthanten.imgix.net/articles/BrandingSession19b.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=louderthanten.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=896&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=30&w=1344&s=b571f941072b08cb235d76c793d85402 1344w)
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Anytime you need anything you can go to the community and ask a question or get a resource or have somebody jump on a call with you. I don’t know how Louder Than Ten did it but they have created the ultimate Slack community.
What would you say is the main thing that you learned about yourself or your team at July Five during the span of the Foundations course?
That digital project management, although it is a branch of project management, is very different from traditional project management. There’s a lot of nuance. There’s technical project managers, and there’s people who are certified by PMP project managers, and I feel like being a digital PM is different from all of that. You can apply things, but it’s not a one-for-one application. Because there’s this whole idea of web and tech culture that you have to learn that comes with it that I didn’t necessarily know much about until I started it.
Did you find that the course from LT10 did a good job of introducing those concepts that are unique to the digital world?
Yeah, it was good to have the in-class project that we were working on together. There’s so much information shared like the bookshelf, or tools, and so it helps you to start to get acclimated to all these things that are out there and what it can be. Louder Than Ten also doesn’t have the tech bro culture!
We’re on the same wavelength cause my next question was going to be: you’re a member of the LT10 alumni community, do you find this is a helpful space for you?
I think it really is. For one, I get to sit in on AMAs (Ask Me Anythings), which I think is good especially as I’m learning more about tech and the web world. I get to hear what different people do. There are still careers out there that I don’t know exist that I get to now know it’s a thing that exists. I think that’s always helpful to me because another one of my passions is to let people in underrepresented communities know that things are out there because a lot of us don’t. It’s not afforded to us to know.
For only $10 a month, you couldn’t ask for more. Anytime you need anything you can go to the community and ask a question or get a resource or have somebody jump on a call with you. I don’t know how Louder Than Ten did it but they have created the ultimate Slack community. Not that I’m a part of so many—I’m probably only a part of like five—but this has been the most supportive. And we don’t all work together, so I think that makes a difference too because everyone comes from different places and has different ideas working on different things.
If I had a company and I was wondering whether or not to take the apprenticeship, what would you tell me?
I actually had this conversation with Alex Vasquez. He’s already in the program. I was talking it up so much to him that he was like, “I already paid for this! You don’t have to convince me!” [laughs] And I’m like, “I’m not trying to!”
I was like, you’ll learn all of this stuff in the course you’ll be able to talk about this, you’ll be able to talk about that. You know, it goes into pricing, it goes into establishing teams, and it goes into communicating with clients, and it goes into all of those things and it’s so vast and I’m like, they have an even longer program.
Is there anything else you wanted to add before we go?
One of the cool things that happened is I found out that Abby and I only live five blocks away from each other! So we ended up meeting up and having after work drinks and food. Everyone is genuine. I feel like I have a friendship with Abby, I feel like I could talk to her about stuff work-related or outside of work. So it’s not like it’s just putting on for trying to have a community. It’s really genuine people making genuine connections and wanting to help one another out.
That’s so hard to find!
Yeah, they’ve opened my eyes to so much. When Rachel and Travis were talking about making Louder Than Ten into a coop, and I’m researching what is a coop and how does it work? They’re really about people. I don’t know if you find too many people this day and age that are really about people. So that is something that keeps me around. I don’t feel like a commodity, I feel like a valued community member in a community that values people.
What are you doing now that you couldn’t do before?
Before LT10, I knew I could manage a project. I had done it many times before, but there is a difference between just managing a project and doing a good job and doing a better job. LT10 gave me better practices that actually make a difference for clients. It also helped give me more confidence to stand on when deciding how a process is going. Especially in the sales process, sometimes you accept whatever is presented to you as a PM because that is the norm. Through this process, I realized how to create new norms that influence the success of a project.
What are you most excited about or looking forward to doing this year as you grow?
I am most excited to have better sales to PM transitions in my work. I like to think of projects like a relay team. If the handoff of the baton isn’t near perfect it can impact the race drastically. Not that your team isn’t better than the others—but if the handoffs aren’t good then you can’t get the best results. And of course, I love the opportunity to be able to work on more and more projects that I enjoy working on.