Earlier this year, I started freelancing for d.trio — an award-winning marketing agency based in Minneapolis. I love the fact that d.trio is small and nimble, yet still wrangles big-league clients, like the Target Corporation, Wells Fargo and the American Red Cross.

I recently wrote a guest-post for the agency’s blog, and d.trio co-founder Megan Devine offered to reciprocate with an interview piece. If you’re interested in marketing, copywriting, freelancing (or all of the above) you might wanna stick around to hear Ms. Devine’s seasoned perspectives.

About ten years ago, you founded d.trio with two of your colleagues. What made you guys decide to set out on your own, instead of continuing your careers within a more established agency?

We loved what we were doing but we honestly thought we could do it better and be more client focused without the barriers that the agency management put up. We were already making the big client decisions for the agency. We wanted to see where our ideas, passion and unique business model would take us.

What were some of the biggest challenges during d.trio’s first year of business? How did you push through them?

The biggest challenges were building a business structure in the midst of doing business. We had great relationships from being in the industry for years, but we needed to secure enough credit to cover the large projects we landed and be able to do “business as usual” seamlessly without the clients feeling that we were a brand new business (even though they did know, obviously). We were fortunate to have relationships in the banking industry for a line of credit and also received credit from our vendors based on our previous relationships. We supported each other, hired freelancers to fill in the gaps and focused on customer service. We also didn’t skimp on technology, hired a great attorney and got good advice from other entrepreneurs who had been through it.

d.trio has a fairly small staff, but you hire freelancers for specific projects. What qualities does the “ideal freelancer” possess?

We look at the talent, experience (portfolio) and the freelancers work process (collaborator or independent, structured or loose, etc.). They need to be personable and able to work quickly – to understand the scope of a project and work within the tight timelines we traditionally have. Being able to understand strategy and how copy and creative need to come together to make an idea stronger is important. Having worked within an agency at some point is a plus and it’s important that our design freelancers are able to organize and collect creative files and deliver them to the client or printer error-free.

Your agency is expanding its services — especially in the social media realm. Do you think traditional / offline marketing campaigns (like direct mail packets) are still powerful, or is social media reigning supreme?

I believe that offline married with online is the ideal combination, though I know that’s not the sexy answer. Traditional/offline marketing campaigns drive people to online channels, and give people options which is always good in marketing. Social is a beautiful medium for getting real with your brand, connecting with customers and getting direct feedback – that’s what marketing is all about. There are industries where this is a natural – like retail – where you can tell your story and strengthen your brand through customer engagement with your products. Customers will tell you what they like and what they don’t like so you can improve your brand experience. Not every company will have that ideal situation, but even in B to B there are great social opportunities through using multiple social channels. Recent studies show that companies are using three channels (online and offline) to make buying decisions. Social media is an important part of changing marketing as we know it – until the next big thing arrives.

What advice would you give to someone who’s interested in a career in marketing?

First of all, be sure you love what you do. Marketing is a volatile career. You need to have a mix of skills to be successful as well as tough skin. Get to know the different marketing channels and how they all work together. If you’re a graphic artist or copy writer, make sure your skills are up to par and take continuing education courses to keep up. You need to be able to work in the digital space and also understand traditional channels and how to design or write for the different areas. Be open to new things and be able to look at things from the end-customer’s perspective – your job is to make the marketing relevant, interesting and understood. It’s a big job.

Where do you go for a shot of inspiration when your creative juices are running dry?

For a run if I don’t have much time. Otherwise, the mountains, a lake, the ocean – anywhere there’s an expanse that makes me feel the calming power of nature. You need to get out of the minutia of the daily job and look up and out to renew your creativity. I also love to get out and be social or make myself physically tired through sports. There’s no more restorative sleep like the sleep you get when physically exhausted.

How do you feel about Vegemite?

I’ve never tried it but I would! You have to be open to new things in this ever-changing world.

Follow d.trio on Twitter @dtrio, and follow Megan at @megand3.