And please remember to donate to the cause. Today is your last day!

A huge thanks to everyone who has supported our Movember team so far! See you next year!

This article is copyright © 2012 

The Crew

Steve Badowski

Adam Katzenback

Will Hutson

Tony Briceno

Nick Perold

Dan Sullivan

Bob Whitney

See you at the end of the month!

This article is copyright © 2012 

Carrot Creative is participating in the month-long-moustache-growing-charity-event to help raise money for the fight against prostate cancer. Below are the before and after shots of our fine gentlemen. And please don’t forget to donate to the cause… you’ll be helping to save lives!

Adam Katzenback, Mr. Red Beard

Nick Perold, Mr. Moustache Gone and Soon to be Back Again

Bob Whitney, Mr. Had a Beard For Six Years and Just Shaved It For the First Time

Steve Badowski, Mr. Clean Shaven Until Today

Tony Briceno, Mr. Sometimes Scruff Turned Soon to be Moustache

Dan Sullivan, Mr. Sully Bear Goes Beardless

Will Hutson, Mr. Really Nice Beard and Apache Sweater

David Radparvar, Mr. Holstee Crew Moustache Rep

Please help us raise money for this amazing charity… and be sure to follow the blog for occasional “Here’s What the Moustache Crew Looks Like” check-ins!

This article is copyright © 2012 

Photo by Jeff Pannone

I had the neatly-trimmed Wall Street Journal article mentioning Carrot hanging up in my cubicle as incentive to find a job that mattered more to me. I’m now sitting in the Carrot office writing my first post wishing I’d been here years ago…

I’ve known about the company since they were mere baby carrots sprouting off Whitney Avenue in Hamden, CT (I went to Quinnipiac with co-founders Mike & Bobby and cast my ballot for Mike during his bid for city council). Whether through word of mouth, various articles in the press, events like Digital DUMBO, or my eventual insatiable curiosity (read: stalking), I’ve always managed to catch wind of Carrot’s seemingly unstoppable success.

It wasn’t until I actually met some of the Carrot crew at a Digital DUMBO event that I quickly realized there was something different going on here. I knew these guys kicked ass at what they did, but when they spoke about their work it had a tone of excitement and pride I wasn’t used to while being a lonely cog in a corporation. They had a passion for what they did and it showed. What they did mattered to them.

I’m thrilled to now be a part of Carrot’s talented design team, bringing 7 years of web design experience throughout several NYC agencies, coupled with a slight obsession for mobile design. When I’m not Photoshoppin’ at 45 Main Street, you’ll likely catch a glimpse of me biking along the streets of Brooklyn, discovering new watering holes and recording my journeys through a 35mm.

This article is copyright © 2012 

Photo by James Nord

I knew from the first day I walked into the Carrot offices that I wanted to be part of the team. So just what was it that had me so convinced? Well it wasn’t Jonas, as adorable as he is, jumping up and slobbering all over me. That was just an added bonus. The reason I knew Carrot was the right place for me was that it was comfortable… that it fit well. I walked in past that famous orange couch and sat down for my interview, often distracted by the perfect view of the Brooklyn Bridge.

As I sat there chatting away with Mike, Bobby, and Chris, something became absurdly clear to me — these guys care about their company. And I don’t just mean the profitability of their business and how many high-end clients they could secure. They cared about their employees and how the group fit together. Sure, they wanted to bring on talented people who had great experiences at other companies but a lot of it came down to fit. Carrot hires some of the most talented people in the business, and I had a chance to work with them. I wanted to be inspired by my bosses, to be driven to work harder and create more compelling projects because of my coworkers, and I wanted to be in a great environment.

So here I am, happily wearing my (figurative) Carrot jumpsuit and psyched (do people still say that word?) to be part of the team. Hey Carrots… I hope you’re wearing your stretchy pants because I’m about to bring all sorts of baked goods up in here. You may as well buy some milk in preparation, we’re all about to gain the “Alexis just joined the company 15”.

This article is copyright © 2012 

I should not be allowed to do this.

Interns are pixel pushers. Coconut water fetchers. Sweaty, nervous, life-sized stress balls. They search 2 weeks to find the stock image the Creative Director wants for his nephew’s book report. You know, the one of the grandpa in a space suit hugging a cactus. In 900 dpi resolution.

Interns don’t get to introduce themselves on the company blog their first week at the office. Especially not if they’re an art director (I blacked out twice just trying to open WordPress).

Don’t get me wrong—as an Ad School student, I’ve come to expect incredibly unique agency experiences. While working as an intern at Saatchi & Saatchi in Moscow, I made best friends with Russian customs officers after I was denied 8 times trying to leave the country (it doesn’t help having everything stolen), wore a gas mask at the office when the city was covered in Chernobyl forest fire smoke, and drank vodka that left my chest hair looking like a steel wool brillo pad.

While interning at Ogilvy in Brazil, I got lost at a 3 day music festival not knowing a lick of Portuguese. I got the opportunity to smell Ronaldo’s armpits from my office desk. I ate enough steak sandwiches on the beach to make a Longhorn Steakhouse chef consider veganism.

But now, I have different kinds of expectations at Carrot Creative. Expectations to work my tail off for something that I believe in, to learn from some of the smartest people I have ever met, and to actually contribute at the most innovative and exciting digital agency on the planet.

Today is my fifth day on the job. I was just ordered to graffiti Carrot Creative logos on every rooftop in Brooklyn. Life couldn’t be better.

This article is copyright © 2012 

1. Attend more tech events/meetups
2. Blog it out more
3. Try to figure out how to get work done while I’m sleeping
4. Build a padded room office for Mike Germano to run around in

Mike Germano

1. Start NYC Digital District
2. Spend even more of my life working
3. Drink more

Chris Petescia

1. Get out for more events, tweetups, meetups
2. Catch 2-3 live shows /month
3. Create a solid hub/stream of personal webs
4. Put off planning of 2010 wedding until 2011

Katy Kelley

1. Learn the lyrics to Blackalicious’s “Alphabet Aerobics”
2. Greet at least three new followers on Twitter daily
3. Set aside time to write better and more engaging content on the Carrot Blog
4. Narrow it down to only one Chipotle burrito a month (this is a very lofty goal)

Kyle MacDonald

1. Practice my Ruby 5x a week
2. Attend more tech meetups
3. Attend more concerts
4. Go to the doctor when I need to
5. Not light a match

Steve Badowski

1. Become a Javascript Wizard
2. Finish my portfolio website
3. Hike part of the Appalachian trail

Maury Postal

1. Travel more
2. Learn to cook (edible food)
3. Publish a book
4. Meet Phil Collins

Jeff Brunelle

1. Rule the office in NBA Jam
2. Replicate my mom’s strawberry jello salad (best thing on earth) and eat healthy everyday
3. Learn Yoga and Tai Chi
4. Wear more flannel

Kaitlin Villanova

1. Keep it fun & healthy
2. Continue to learn about the elements of design to make my job as liaison between client and Carrot designers more efficient.
3. Eat a cinnabon with Colin and Lebron James
4. A.B.C.

Antonelli Briceno

1. Learn to write and contribute the blog with tech updates
2. Finish one of my personal/portfolio sites
3. Finish one of my Flash/iPhone games
4. Find a movie buff to see all the new movies with

Jacob Cass

1. Make a new year’s resolution.
2. Adhere to the resolution.
3. Complete new year’s resolution.
4. S***, now what?

Colin Murphy

1. Have a cinnabon with Lebron James
2. Loose the gut (which may or may not be directly related to eating Mama Badowski’s cookies)
3. Become a better designer (Kyle, Chris, Steve, Tony and Jacob I’m always down for a lesson)
4. Earn a permanent spot on the Carrot team

I’m sure by now you are either laughing or asking for that three minutes of your life back that you spent reading this. Anyways, now to the serious stuff. It’s been extremely rewarding to work with all of these talented people and to watch them help Carrot grow over the past five years. It’s going to be a great year and we look forward to sharing with you all of the exciting work that we have lined up for 2010!

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As a graduate of Rochester Institute of Technology with degrees in Graphic Design and Marketing, I bring to Carrot the diverse background required to elevate every brand in our portfolio to superstar status. Stay tuned to this space in the coming weeks for some exciting developments in Carrot’s new strategic branding platform.

This article is copyright © 2012 

After our meeting, we headed to a great lunch in Soho and enjoyed a little afternoon sunlight.  (I’m sure Mike will be recording his thoughts on lunch via his newest social media outlet, yelp.)

Anyway, we’re eagerly anticipating the release of some new stuff from the Onion and we’ll be sure to throw some links up once it’s live.

This article is copyright © 2012 

On that note, we’d like to share a few of our favorite products and some of our daily green reads!

Products
Klean Kanteen (via AMZ): We rock the 27oz loop caps ourselves. More info on why these are a much better alternative to plastics @ Klean Kanteen

Wegmans ReUsable Shopping bag: Most food stores now sell these for a dollar or two- they offer a great alternative to non-biodegradable, one-use plastic bags, and function beyond groceries. If you ever catch me on my way into the Carrot HQ, chances are you’ll notice me ladden with them carry everything from my lunch to books and whatever else I can overburden myself with that day.

USBCELL AA Rechargable Batteries (via AMZ): A great option for rechargeable batteries, these conveniently charge via USB port! On sale this morning at AMZ’s Goldbox too!

Solar Panel Backpack (via AMZ) & SolarRolls power alternative: While pricey up front, these undoubtedly pay for themselves in sheer convenience and energy reduction, over time. These are on my personal wishlist for my birthday… in case any fiancés or family are reading this!

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General Green News:
Tree Hugger
Gristmill
Eco Friend
Green Daily
Lazy Environmentalist

Green Tech/Industry News:
The Green Geek
Ecotality Life
Gas 2.0

Green Shopping/living:
Etsy: A great way to support artists and find unique gifts, without industrial production and labor or fair trade concerns!
The Green Loop: A centralized resource for green products and companies
Ecolect: Their tag says it all… “[a] Community for Sustainable Design”

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Anyway, we have many more to share for anyone interested, and please feel free to leave a comment with your own favorite green links!

This article is copyright © 2012