We started with one simple rule: listen first, create second. It sounds simple, but it changed everything about how we work.

When Hayden, Corey, and Perry first built Yellowspark, they could have gone the traditional route. Pitch ideas, sell solutions, move on to the next client. But that's not who they are. They believed that real creative work starts with understanding—not just what a client wants, but why they want it. What keeps them up at night. What their people actually need.

So we built the studio around listening. Every project starts with questions, not answers. We sit with clients and dig into their story. We ask about their struggles, their wins, their vision for what comes next. We take notes. We listen more than we talk. And only after we truly understand do we start creating.

This approach has shaped everything. It's why our photography feels authentic—because we understand the story before we frame the shot. It's why our designs resonate—because we know what message needs to land. It's why our videos move people—because we've listened to what matters most.

Listening also changed how we work internally. We listen to each other. We challenge ideas respectfully. We celebrate wins together and learn from mistakes without blame. We listen to our community in Fort Collins and beyond. We pay attention to what's working, what's not, and where the creative energy is strongest.

The result is a studio that feels different. Clients tell us it's the first time a creative team actually heard them. Collaborators say we're easy to work with because we're genuinely interested in their perspective. Our team stays because they feel valued and heard every single day.

Listening isn't passive. It's active, intentional, and sometimes uncomfortable. It means sitting with silence. It means asking follow-up questions when the easy answer would be to move forward. It means being willing to change direction if the listening reveals something better.

But that's the work. That's what separates studios that just make things from studios that make things that matter. We listen first. We create second. And everything we build is stronger because of it.