Lauren Payne-McLeod joins Fight or Flight North America as Head of Strategy and Creative

Well, it turns out that if you spend four years running around like your hair is slightly on fire, someone eventually hands you a trophy for it.

Four years ago, Fight or Flight North America was essentially an ambitious PowerPoint presentation and a dream. We didn’t exist. Last night, however, we found ourselves at the PRWeek Awards, where they kindly named us Outstanding Boutique Agency.

We were also shortlisted for Agency of the Year, which we’re told is quite a big deal, though we’re trying to keep our heads small enough to fit through the office door on Monday.

A Bit of Perspective

To be perfectly honest, the last few years have been a bit of a blur of caffeine, transatlantic Zooms, and the occasional minor existential crisis. Winning this isn't really about us being "disruptors" or whatever the current buzzword is—it’s mostly just a testament to having a team that is remarkably good at what they do.

How We Got Here (Without Tripping)

We’d love to say it was a seamless, dignified climb to the top, but it was more of a spirited scramble. A few things we’ve learned along the way:

• The "Flight" part is optional: We mostly chose to stay and fight.
• "Boutique" is a lovely word: It basically means we’re small enough to know everyone’s coffee order but loud enough to cause a bit of a stir.
• The Team is everything: It’s a cliché because it’s true. We are lucky enough to work with people who make the hard days feel like a bit of a lark.

We’re all rather proud that ninety of us pulling in the same direction has led to being named 'Outstanding.' It’s a lovely bit of validation for the team, though we’re mostly just pleased the trophy looks so at home in the office. Now, back to it before we get too comfortable.

What’s Next?

We’ve told everyone we’re "just getting started," which sounds incredibly exhausting when you actually stop to think about it, but also quite exciting. We’ll probably celebrate with a sensible drink, a bit of a sit-down, and then get back to trying not to ruin our winning streak.

A massive thank you to everyone who has supported us, hired us, or even just tolerated us since we landed on these shores. We promise not to let the "Outstanding" bit go to our collective heads.