As an intern at this bustling company, I sat down with Eric Fowles, founder and CEO of VOLTAGE Advertising + Design, to learn about his experience as an entrepreneur and what it was like starting his own business.

The beginning of Voltage

Eric came up with the idea to create his own business after his previous company split ways. While he had other job offers, Eric received numerous phone calls from former clients asking him to stay in business with them. Bolstered by client feedback, he decided to give starting his own business a shot!

Why the name Voltage?

When I asked Eric how he came up with the name “Voltage” for a digital agency, he said, “I wanted to start a company, but I didn’t want it to be named after me. I wanted it to be bigger than that.” Eric wanted a name that could be used to depict creativity, energy, and digital designs. He felt that the name “Voltage” was the perfect blend of all these things.

Biggest challenge to overcome

According to Eric, the biggest challenge of being an entrepreneur is having the drive to persevere. Entrepreneurs face countless challenges, some more daunting than others, but they must find a way to deal with these obstacles and keep thriving.

Eric shared a story of a difficulty he faced in Voltage’s early days: “I remember having to go and knock on some of our client’s doors at night because they were nearly three months late with payments, and we had expenses to pay.” Since then, Eric has learned better business processes.

The growth of Voltage and the industry

Good content and good storytelling is what Eric considers to be the real growth driver for Voltage and the industry. He believes creativity will always be in demand, but what makes a company successful is the way they deliver creative content. The delivery of content is always changing, so it’s important to be up to speed with the latest trends and technologies.

Voltage vs. other advertising and design agencies

Eric believes Voltage’s mission to be Force for Good sets the company apart from other agencies. When he started Voltage, Eric wanted to create an environment full of people who uphold standards of integrity and respect. Those are the people he wanted to work with, and ultimately those are the kinds of people that clients want to partner with.

The future of Voltage

Eric’s #1 goal is to see Voltage continue growing and developing. Voltage is currently in the process of building a more permanent headquarters in Louisville, Colo. as well as opening a new office in Salt Lake City, Utah. The long-term vision potentially includes offices in Boston and Portland, Eric said.

“I want to build something that will continue to grow once I’m gone. Something that will continue doing what it does and being known for doing great things. That’s the vision.”