Oh, How Far We Have Come

I guess it’s typical at this time of the year, when only a handful of days remain before the new year begins, for businesses to look back over the last 12 months to evaluate their accomplishments and progress. We at Rhythm Interactive fall into this pattern as we too review the past year to understand what worked and what didn’t. This year however, we’re going to extend the look backward to include the last 10 years to share just how far we’ve come as a company.

2001
Rhythm Interactive was called Rhythm Net Design Group. Our offices were located in Tustin (we had just moved from San Dimas) in a quaint, Spanish-style home, that was in an area rezoned for commercial office use on Yorba Street. We had two employees along with Craig and I, which equated to a total staff of four. The services that we offered at that time were mainly focused on static websites, print design, CD replication services and hosting services.

2002
With the relocation to Orange County, Rhythm Net Design Group had to work hard to establish a business network in the OC. We attended Chamber of Commerce meetings, LeTip meetings and were involved with various associations such as the American Marketing Association. Overall, the move to OC was positive as we began to win client account work from local businesses. We were still providing the same basic services, but had also introduced limited email services.

2003
This year brought with it challenges as both of our employees decided to return to school, leaving just Craig and I to man the ship and keep her afloat. Luckily, we made what would prove to be one of our most valuable hires as we added a very talented designer named Hannes to the team. It was also in this year that Craig and I began to develop a higher level of thinking around strategy, design and technology as the three primary components of client solutions. We also hired a consultant to help us work through rebranding exercises which would carry us into the next evolution of our company.

2004
This was a very busy year for Rhythm as a metamorphous of sorts was to take place. In the beginning of the year we hired Daniela, who initially answered phones and provided much needed filing and bookkeeping services. She also proved to be a key hire as she helped to organize the office and keep it that way. By the end of the year we had relocated to Aliso Viejo and incorporated, changing the company name to Rhythm Interactive, Inc. We developed a new website which featured our three pillar approach to developing interactive solutions. We hired three other staff members which included an application developer and our total staff count was at seven. The services that we offered now included: dynamically generated websites supported by content management systems, Search Engine Optimization, Rich Internet Applications, Email marketing and hosting services.

2005 - 2007
We were very busy continuing to evolve into a full-service interactive marketing agency.  Our revenues were increasing each year and so was our staff. It was also during this time we hired a dedicated Director of Strategy and a talented Account Director.

2008
Despite the economy faltering, we had our best year to date as we doubled in size reaching an employee count of 14 staff members.

2009
We purchased our own building. What a feat this was! The credit crunch was in full force and banks were difficult to deal with. Despite these challenges, we persevered and finally were able to obtain financing. We purchased a Bacchus building on Irvine Center Drive, hired an architect and a builder, and created a new home for Rhythm Interactive. This was a high point for Craig and I as this was a major achievement. However, 2009 also brought a major low point as the economy finally caught up with us. Several of our clients had lost money, laid off staff and in turn had cancelled service contracts with Rhythm. We went from having our best year (2008) to experiencing our most financially challenging year. We struggled to pay bills and our new monthly mortgage, but we made it through the dark times without having to layoff a single employee. What made it even more meaningful, was that all our employees stayed with us. No one panicked and jumped ship.

2010
Like the phoenix rising from the flames, Rhythm rebounded. We scored several new major accounts and formed a key referral relationship with a well established branding agency. The results were impressive as we reached the same gross revenues that we billed in 2008 - Rhythm was right back on track!

2011
What a year - Our best year yet! In 2011 we nearly doubled again, growing from 14 employees to 22. Our ability to provide high-level account services, systems integration, mobile optimization, app development and social media strategy and management had enabled Rhythm to attract larger companies that looked to Rhythm to help them achieve their desired business goals.

All in all, it has been a wild ride. One of many ups and downs, but nevertheless exciting and even more so, rewarding. Here’s to continuing to enjoy the ride.

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