Photos by Amy Gee
Meet Joe Cecere, the president and chief creative officer at Little & Company—one of the 18 values-driven businesses that have come together in support of Pollen’s mission to invest in human connection. Together, they challenge Pollenites to raise $20,000 by Give to the Max Day on November 15, which they will match dollar for dollar.
Match the Hive and donate today.
All About Little & Company
Little uses the power of design to uncover brand stories. They specialize in brand strategy, identity and naming, communications campaigns, employee engagement and experience design, and do so from a strong bedrock of core values: Courageous, Inspiring, Hungry and Joy of Life.
“These values drive us to kick ass for our clients every day,” says Joe Cecere, president and chief creative officer.
Little’s key to success? Working together.
Let’s hear from Joe
Pollen: What is the story we need to be telling about our region?
Joe: Minneapolis has always been a hub for creativity and design. We need to continue to broadcast this to the whole world and attract the next generation of talent to our amazing city.
Pollen: What are the core values of your business? What’s the story behind how you arrived at those values?
Joe: Courageous, Inspiring, Hungry and Joy of Life are our core values. We revised these corporate values last year. Through workshops with our own team, we uncovered that these pivotal characteristics were what made employees at Little so uniquely “Little.”
And indeed, we live these values every single day—in how we talk to each other, how we think about our work and our client relationships, how we measure ourselves and how we hire.
Pollen: What kinds of businesses do you want to see more of in this community?
Joe: We couldn’t be more excited for the continued growth of the creative class here in Minnesota. Entrepreneurs, social impact organizations, next-generation technology leaders and so many more. They are building the future for our state, and we can’t wait to help them design their stories.
Pollen: How do you think storytelling can build empathy across difference?
Joe: Thoughtfully-told stories are the most effective way of putting yourself in another’s shoes. As humans, we are hardwired to connect emotionally with stories, to learn through stories and to remember stories.
Stories with deep impact can open eyes and open hearts.
Pollen: Why do you value being part of the Pollen community?
Joe: As designers, we know that diverse perspectives lead to better design solutions, which is why we are such huge fans of Pollen. We are deeply inspired by your voices, ideas and stories.
Join Joe: DONATE TO MATCH THE HIVE TODAY
Find Little and give them an online hug for supporting Pollen.
Twitter: @littleandco
Instagram: @littleandco
Facebook: @littleco