About TGW Studio
What is TGW Studio?
TGW Studio is an LGBTQ+/non-binary/women-owned and -operated social impact marketing firm. From the 4DW announcement on the company blog: "Founded in 2012 by Lisa Kribs, TGW Studio is an LGBTQ+/non-binary/women-owned and -operated social impact marketing firm that partners with forward-thinking brands to tell their stories. We're a full-service marketing firm proudly creating and communicating purposeful experiences for businesses and organizations across sectors and society."
From the about page: "TGW Studio is a purpose-driven LGBTQ+ & women-owned marketing agency and creative studio based in New York. Est. 2012… Say what you mean. Mean what you say." The studio is a division of This Good World Network, LLC, and is certified as a Minority- and Women-Owned Business Enterprise (MWBE) and by the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC).
Where will I work?
TGW Studio operates from 210 South Avenue, Suite 130, Rochester, NY 14604. The studio publicly acknowledges that its office "is located on land sacred to the Onöndowa'ga:', or Seneca Nation, one of six nations in the Haudenosaunee Confederation," and notes that the company website "is powered by wind energy."
What is the TGW Studio team like?
A small, values-driven team led by President & Founder Lisa Kribs. From the about page: "We're a close group of human beings—strategists, creatives, writers, brand managers, and craftspeople. We show up each day to harness our collective expertise and diverse perspectives to build meaningful and impactful relationships with and for our partners."
The studio's ethos, verbatim: "We are activists for this planet and humanity and believe this work is time-sensitive. Our values and mission are central to who we are. We believe good people find good people, and we are committed to cultivating shared values and instilling cultural change in our partners." Risk-taking is described as second nature: "Our willingness to take risks is second nature, and we're almost always questioning the status quo."
Work-Life Balance
TGW moved to a permanent four-day working week in May 2020 — announced on the company blog on June 17, 2020: "We're so excited to share the news that TGW has officially moved to a permanent 4-day workweek. In fact, we've been at it for about a month now. How's it going? Really great."
The reasoning, in Lisa's words: "Our team members will be more productive. We'll be more creative. We'll be happier. We'll be healthier–mentally and physically. It's also not just a change for the benefit of ourselves. We'll have more time to focus on things that benefit our communities (more time for serving others, donating time/energy, hitting the streets, driving a family member to an appointment, cleaning up a trail, making some cookies for the neighbors…)."
On the philosophy: "'Busy for the sake of being busy' doesn't mean better. Really great work is really great work regardless of the amount of time it took to complete… If someone is out there trying to sell you on something because of how much they work or how late they're staying in the office to get it done, like that's a badge of honor, we think there's a good chance you should look the other way." On trust: "We trust our team members immensely. We now know each of them through and through. They're good people who will do good things."
Perks and Benefits
- Permanent 4-day workweek since June 2020 — every Friday off, "really great work in condensed time"
- Trust-based culture — no badge-of-honor hours, no busy-for-busy's-sake
- Friday-off community engagement — team uses extra day for serving others, family time, creative pursuits
- Diverse team perspectives — strategists, creatives, writers, brand managers, and craftspeople collaborate on social-impact campaigns
- MWBE / NGLCC Certified workplace — Minority- and Women-Owned Business Enterprise + LGBT Chamber of Commerce certified
- Wind-powered office — sustainability commitments built into operations