Today, May 23, 2018, Kalix Marketing turns six years old.
I don’t use the word “anniversary.”
To me, an anniversary signifies two people coming together to form something greater, a wonderful thing, certainly. Yes, the Kalix model – pooling the considerable experience of top-level marketing and creative experts for our educational clients’ marketing endeavors – is all about collective force for a greater good. And, yes, the traditional gift for the sixth anniversary is candy, which I love.
But I prefer the idea of a birthday. It’s a celebration of a beginning, of putting down roots, of honoring Kalix’s founding vision.
Servant leadership is the pillar upon which I built Kalix. We exist to serve our educational clients. Our goal is to bring outstanding value to each business relationship. We do so by offering a wide range of marketing services from research and strategy to creative and digital marketing. Check out our complete list.
We also serve by never forgetting that it’s not about us. It’s all about the client. Our job is to help our clients better navigate the complex marketing landscape as they work strategically to engage and enroll prospective students and families. Our clients’ goal is to attract great students to educate future leaders who will serve the broader community. It’s a goal we share.
I’ve learned many important lesson these past six years. Two of them are guiding principles that I use daily to help lead and grow Kalix. The first is about respect. I live by the saying “treat others as you would like to be treated.” Everyone has a right to be respected, and our job is being excellent role models of this approach.
The second lesson is about integrity and our approach to running a business. At Kalix, we have a responsibility to be honest with our clients, to give the challenging answers that can push an organization to the next level. Just as birthdays recognize the change in a person from year to year, we help educational organizations embrace changes in the marketplace, in their messaging and in how they message (looking at you, Facebook). It is not easy work, but it is deeply rewarding.
To the Kalix team of current or recent tuition-paying independent school parents and independent school professionals, thank you for sharing in my founding vision for authentic, honest leadership. Happy Birthday, Ruth, Donna, Gerri, Sarah, Anne, Susan and Kirk. Learn more about our team here.
To all who made the past six years a wonderful success, I thank you.
Jonathan Oleisky is President of Kalix Marketing.
