Stories of Culture in Practice is a series where we explore how organisations build culture where the work actually happens – in meetings, feedback conversations, hiring decisions, and the moments that don’t make it into slide decks.
Culture is easy to talk about when things are running smoothly. It’s much harder to protect when businesses grow, pressure rises, and decisions get messier. Yet the strongest teams tend to have one thing in common: they’re intentional about how culture shows up day to day. Not as slogans or statements – as behaviours, choices, and conversations.
We’re starting with Kate Higham, UK Managing Director at Born Social, the creative agency known for a culture that’s clear, human, and deliberately maintained.
At Born Social, values aren’t inspirational posters on a wall. They’re a living part of what makes the agency tick – forming the foundation of every project, decision, and conversation.
“Our values aren’t just about who we are – they’re about how we show up every single day. They guide how we solve problems, how we treat each other, and how we make a positive impact.” – Kate Higham, UK Managing Director, Born Social
For Born Social, values are personal. They’re not slogans designed to look good on a pitch deck. They’re realistic, restrictive, and real. Everyone lives by them because they’re tools for action and decision-making, not just ideas to aspire to.
Here’s what that looks like across Born Social’s five core values.
See Challenge as Opportunity
Challenges aren’t something to avoid – they’re calls to action. Instead of asking ‘Why can’t we do this?’, the team asks ‘What could this be instead?’ That mindset keeps creativity alive under constraints.
During interviews, candidates are asked whether they see themselves as pessimists or optimists. The goal isn’t to screen people out – it’s to understand how they approach problems. Many describe themselves as ‘optimistic realists’, which reflects exactly the energy this value is built on.
Say It Simply
Simplicity grabs attention. Honesty and clarity cut through the noise – with clients and within the team.
Transparency starts from day one: job roles include clear salary details to avoid hidden expectations. If someone is leaving the business, the news is shared openly, even when it feels uncomfortable, because honesty builds trust. Complex client strategies are stripped of jargon so clients genuinely understand the process and results.
Do What We Say
Trust is built through follow-through. As a certified B Corp, Born Social doesn’t make claims it can’t back up. With clients, measurable KPIs and achievable outcomes come first – no hyperbole, only integrity. Internally, leaders communicate changes early and reset expectations to maintain reliability across teams.
Make Each Other Better
Growth at Born Social isn’t just personal – it’s collective. Feedback is seen as a tool to help everyone improve. Team members are encouraged to support each other and celebrate wins. High expectations exist to inspire, not intimidate, with mentoring, skill-sharing, and collaborative learning making the whole greater than the sum of its parts.
Consciously Contribute
This value pushes the agency to think beyond itself. From sustainability commitments to ethical practices, every move is intentional. The team reflects regularly on how their work aligns with this value – to ensure meaningful impact, not box-ticking.
What it adds up to
At Born Social, values have substance. They’re not ideals – they’re actions embedded into everything the team does. Small touches make the culture tangible: every value has its own emoji in Slack, a daily reminder that the team doesn’t just talk about values. They live them.
“These values may challenge us, but they’re also what define us. They’re what make our work meaningful, and they’re why we’re proud to be Born Social.” – Kate
Have a culture story to share? We’d love to hear from you. Drop us a line at hello@happyhq.co.uk.
At HappyHQ, we help agencies and in-house teams build strong cultures and the leaders and teams who sustain them. Find out more about how we work at happyhq.co.uk/what-we-do, or say hello at hello@happyhq.co.uk