The Zimmerman Agency Olympic Gymnast Leaps from Balance Beam to Board Room

Aug. 15, 2008 - PRLog -- It is not often a leading business executive attributes her success to her disdain of the four letter F*** word and her belief that "I" indeed is more important than the popular corporate "teamwork" rallying call. The Zimmerman Agency – Tallahassee-based advertising, public relations and interactive firm – touts a company president with a pedigree as an Olympic athlete and draws from the lessons learned in training as a litmus test in managing and growing her business (www.zimmerman.com).

From the balance beam to the boardroom, Carrie Englert Zimmerman, Olympic gymnast and partner in the largest public relations firm in Florida and third largest nationwide in hospitality -- The Zimmerman Agency -- admits to her unconventional, practically disruptive, business model.

"First, the unacceptable F-word is the word, FINE," says Zimmerman. “Not one athlete in the world trains relentlessly to do "fine." Why should a businessperson believe "fine" leads to anything other than failure? If a client presentation is "fine" or a client thinks a creative concept is "fine," and the agency employee thinks this response is "fine," then looking for a new job is a wise career move."

Instead of ceo, president or co-founder imprinted on Zimmerman's business cards, her title reads, Awesomeologist. According to many of her 150 employees, it is intimidating, yet energizing, to know producing the WOW factor is a responsibility of theirs everyday.

"Carrie was the first American gymnast to ever score a perfect "10," says Andy Jorishie, vice president of branding at The Zimmerman Agency. "Every day we each push for that perfect 10 in our disciplines within the agency. It is a daunting task, and truthfully the bar tends to always stay a bit out of reach, but I certainly never leave the office without being proud of my work. Her WOW philosophy creates a culture within the company to challenge ourselves everyday."

Another contradictory approach to the normal business mantra is Zimmerman's idea that "I" is far more important than the concept of "we." Zimmerman developed a five level list of "I"s for which individuals have personal responsibility.

"The rah rah team rally of corporate America has encouraged an acceptable laziness in the workplace," adds Zimmerman. "Individual accountability scares so many people that companies have created "teamwork" as the solution to pick up for the slackers. An individual's commitment must drive the purpose of the team."

Zimmerman's "I" platform encourages every individual employee to be -- intense, intelligent, inspired, intuitive and impassioned -- on their own. The Zimmerman Agency does have motivating programs such as: 'Computer for Z-Kids,' employees are provided home computers for their children; 'Creative in the Courtyard,' an all employee opportunity to showcase exceptional client work; and free daily boot camp workouts at Titus Training Center. A four-acre Z-Campus with green space and gardens also encourages an enticing environment and enhanced culture.

Zimmerman states, "It is simple. The company is an incubator for people who are smart thinking with a tenacious spirit. It derives from the heart of the employee and the agency has a role to nurture it, not beg for it."

Whether people believe Zimmerman's thoughts on business to be unconventional or simply original, it works. She and her business partner/husband, Curtis, have built The Zimmerman Agency to be an advertising, public relations and interactive firm which bills in excess of $165 million annually.

Is working in an environment driven by the passion and determination of an Olympian for everyone?

Probably not.

For additional information, contact Curtis or Carrie Zimmerman at curtis@zimmerman.com, carrie@zimmerman.com, (850) 668-2222 or www.zimmerman.com.

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The Zimmerman Agency is a Tallahassee-based advertising, public relations and interactive firm. The agency is the largest public relations firm in Florida and third largest nationwide in hospitality.