All Culture (4) Blogs

Employee Spotlight: VI Motion Group Editor Beau Leland, #FarmLife

VI’er Beau Leland and his wife Stefanie, self-proclaimed as “crazy” have started harvesting their first crop at their new organic farm in Choctaw.

 

The Twenty, their 20-acre spread in the southeastern OKC suburb is in its infancy, but the tomatoes are ripe and plentiful and now on sale in VI’s kitchen in downtown Oklahoma City.

There are several varieties, all organic, and for three-bucks a pound, “them ‘maters are damn good and damn good for you.”

So how does VI’s motion editor end up as the 2016 version of Green Acres? Turns out it was a combination of some bad luck, a dream and a serious leap of faith.

Three days before closing on a new home, the deal fell apart leaving the Lelands homeless. The couple had always talked about starting a farm and building a straw bale home on the property, so instead of jumping back into the housing market, they took the plunge and bought 20 acres 25-minutes east of Oklahoma City.

They’ve been prepping the land ever since and are living in their Airstream trailer on the property until a home can be built.

It seems Stefanie is a master gardener, and with a background in film/tv production is transitioning into running the organic farming venture full time, working the occasional film/tv gig to help fund the dream.

The dream goes like this. The Twenty will implement completely organic practices using permaculture techniques. This approach to farming features more of a “food forest” method where crops are planted cooperatively and in harmony with the natural flow and geography of the land, rather than mowing everything down and planting acres of the same crop. They plan to plant to their hearts content, but will emphasize various heirloom varieties of fruits and vegetables. The Twenty is also home to bees and chickens with goats, sheep and hopefully a dairy cow to come.

In addition to growing for themselves and their VI family, they will grow for farmers’ markets, restaurants and community supported agriculture (CSA) memberships in which people would subscribe to the farm in exchange for baskets of farm goods every couple of weeks. The farm will also be open to the community in an effort to educate the public about small scale farming.

🎼 Green Acres, uh, (The Twenty) are there! 🎼

Posted Sep 22, 2016

Employee Spotlight: VI Associate Creative Director Aaron Cahill

He’s an award-winning designer at VI. He’s an acclaimed artist outside of VI. And he, Aaron Cahill, has comingled his passions to soon become an award-winning patron for his work on next month’s Plaza District Festival.

Posted Aug 31, 2016

The Culture and Tradition Lives on for VI's Friday Work Environment

Back in the 1960s, advertising agencies in New York began noticing a dip in employee productivity on Fridays during the summer months when the hot summer sun caused people to shift into weekend mode before the workweek was over.

Posted Aug 18, 2016

VI is VI

Hopefully you read this headline several different ways. That was intentional. In the past we have, mistakenly, been called “6” Marketing and Branding due to “V and I” being misinterpreted for the Roman numeral “6”. Lately that seems strangely apropos. VI Marketing and Branding was recently recognized as the “6th best workplace in Oklahoma” for small businesses.

Posted Dec 12, 2014

VI Marketing and Branding Builds Out Its Marketing Team

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Posted Nov 3, 2014

What Exactly is Apple Hoping to Accomplish?

Apple’s new releases Tuesday just added to the running commentary in my head about how far technology will go to make us comfortable sharing even our most intimate information. At VI, it’s an important consideration, since we are a firm determined to test boundaries.

Posted Sep 12, 2014

VI Play's Host at First Friday Kansas City

To celebrate the booming growth in the Kansas City Crossroads District, VI's Kansas City office partnered with the Rieger Hotel Grill & Exchange, the 1914 Main Street Apartments, that will be starting construction this month, and the Band Robe to host an outdoor First Friday concert on Friday, September 5.

Posted Sep 6, 2014

Does Your Brand Have Character?

I want to talk about you, your brand, and what we have all come to expect from the two. You’re either in for a pat or the back, or a slap in the face; I don’t know which. But first, we need to talk about Kevin Durant (because it’s playoff time) and a dead Greek guy (because his beard was probably amazing). We’ll get to you, I promise. Stick around.

Posted May 12, 2014

And now deep thoughts, from our new intern.

We have been graced with another bright new intern on the account service level, Brady Bowers - taken under the wing of the great Alison Abbott.

Posted Jul 5, 2012

The Legend of Gary - Episode One

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIUCqu3IIzo

Posted Feb 6, 2012

If You're Going to do Something, Do it Right!

My dad used to tell me quite often that if I was going to do something, to do it right. I must admit that the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree and I seem to have adopted this same philosophy- not that it’s always good to have a perfectionist mindset. In fact, there are times when it prevents progress. 

Posted Mar 9, 2009