Pelham Patch feature: The Secret of Our Success

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September 30, 2011

Click to read on Patch.

Sherry and Fred Bruck, co-founders of Harquin Creative Group, have the entrepreneurial bug and have enjoyed controlling their own destinies in Pelham since 1992.

“Our company has evolved over the years, always driven to avoid the comfortable in an effort to find an advantage for our clients in the new and unexpected, relative to media and marketing strategies,” Sherry Bruck said.

“If a brand isn’t realizing its full potential, we figure out how it fits into people’s lives,” Sherry Bruck said. “That’s what makes communication effective,” she said.

Clients include Monroe College, Girl Scouts Heart of the Hudson, WestchesterGov, New Rochelle Downtown BID and Big Brothers Big Sisters to name a few.

“My experience has been shaped by the good fortune of having been and currently associated with amazing thinkers and talented doers,” Fred Bruck said. “Our goals are always centered on bringing value and measurable outcomes to clients; finding and building brands who aren’t afraid to have an attitude.”

What do you find most rewarding about your work/career?
It’s always challenging, and I’m always learning. We take time to interview our clients’ target audiences—some markets have more than one audience – and spend time talking to them and finding out what’s important to them. We create a brand look and feel and website usable for target audience, and this is gratifying, especially that people are now beginning to understand how important this is.

How did/do you balance your career with personal life?
You make time and put your children and family first. We purposely located the business close to home so if we needed to be at school we were there within minutes. Our children are older now, yet we were always available to them and often times did additional work after they were asleep.

If you could change one career decision you’ve made, what would it be and why?
Sherry: I love outdoors in all seasons; maybe I’d be a landscape designer where I could be outside more.

Fred: As much as I tell myself (yes, I do talk to myself now and again J), “no regrets,” I often think that I should have followed a path leading to becoming a sports psychologist. Personal development in the area of athletic performance, relative to the mental, complimenting physical performance has intrigued me for many years.

What is your definition of success? Why?
The definition of success is individual, and it’s not always financial. It’s important to have meaningful relationships with your family and in business knowing you’ve conducted yourself with integrity. I look to golf and was recently in a two-day tournament; golf teaches you to never give up, and that’s a big part of success in all areas of your life.

Name three things you feel someone needs to be successful?  OK, four since this is a team effort.
Constantly embrace whatever comes down the pike; you have to have a mindset to not be afraid and to learn every day. And never give up!

What suggestions would you have for someone considering a career in marketing?
Think about what the target audience wants and what the need is or you’ll spend money without getting results. The client wants measurable results; it’s not like former days when the client ran a TV commercial and waited for Neilsen ratings. Now with SEO (search engine optimization) – where you use certain search terms – webstats on your site, and even with Facebook—you can see results almost immediately and then make adjustments. Strategy is important now, since everything is hyper local. Creating good content and knowing your audience is important. It’s a time of empowerment for those who create quality content.

 
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