We talk a lot about vision here at Pulling Power—about collectively working toward the same goals, having targets that are not just based on revenue but rather on culture, work-life impact, quality of life, and more. Many of these are not easy to define or measure, so finding tangible representations of these goals is important.
From the beginning, one of our biggest goals has been to have our own home. We started in a dusty garage as a scrappy team, and so naturally, one way to see us meaningfully prioritizing our goals was to see it manifest in our own Pulling Power home base—not a garage, not a rented office or a co-working space, no matter how fancy it may be. We wanted something we could create, own, and walk into with a sense of pride every day, and so the dream of having our own agency HQ began.
We had no idea of the uphill struggle we were in for and realized along the way why most companies don't take this route. But it was our collective goal, and we were determined. As we grew from strength to strength and started making a name for ourselves as an agency, the vision became clearer and clearer. Before long, we had floor plans, then renders, and then we purchased a property and started working with an architect.
We saved up what we needed—all while operating an agency out of a triple garage (not an exaggeration)—until the build finally began. It took a while to get those final touches in place, but by mid-2024, we were finally there, and it was time to celebrate an important milestone.
The HQ is so much more than a building; it is home, it is dedication and commitment made visible. It is proof to us that we can do anything we set our minds to.
The evening was incredible, with staff, clients, partners, and family attending, many of whom had never seen our workspace before. We had folks fly in from around the country and some all the way from the US to attend our little but special celebration.
The food was to die for, and Emily’s baked desserts were just as popular. By 7 p.m., the space was bustling with excited energy and glowing comments. I can't tell you the impact hearing those makes on a team that has worked to create the space receiving the compliments
Being the agency we are and considering we work in the games space, we thought it would be fun to make 3D character cards of our team that attendees could trade to get a full set on the night. The idea here was to incentivize people who had never met to talk and interact with each other. That was a huge success! But we couldn’t stop there—of course, we had to turn it into a full-fledged working resource management card game for everyone who attended to take home.
After many quirky photos, card trading, sneak peeks of our soon-to-be-launched website, visits to the open bar, and bites of delectable food and dessert, it was time for speeches. These were filled with love, gratitude, and recognition. I won’t say too much here as we have a full video of the evening coming out soon, but it was truly special to share this moment with each other
There are too many people to thank here before this becomes an essay, but I do want to make a few special mentions:
- To my Pulling Power team: we chose a harder road than most, and it has paid off. I am so proud of every single one of us and so excited for the future.
- To Caelli: who joined us in August and took the bull by the horns planning this whole thing. We all know you were instrumental in making sure this was one of the most meaningful nights in this company’s life.
- To Emily: who put in hours in the kitchen to make gorgeous branded desserts that we almost fought over—they were so good!
- To Dale and Toni: always ready to help at a moment’s notice, whether we needed to raid your garden for flowers or hang pictures and mount TVs on the wall.
- To Jonathan and Neil from Milestone Projects: for working with me on the build and making our vision a reality.
- To Jon Ritter: who has been a friend, an invaluable introducer, and mentor. You traveled across the world to join us for the launch, and the team and I will never forget that. You can't imagine how much your visit meant to us.
- To Jacques, Riah and the Vanartist team: for being incredible partners on this journey and for capturing such a special night. All the photos in this post were from their team - we are beyond grateful.
And to everyone who has worked with, supported, challenged, and inspired us along the way—you are a part of the Pulling Power story, and we can’t wait to write the next chapter.
— Kyle Puller, Director, Pulling Power Media