10 years, countless moments

I’ve always been someone who looks ahead. But ten years is worth stopping for, and when I did, what I saw most clearly wasn’t the work. It was the people.

My second daughter was born in 2016, and so was OUTSTAND. I’ve always loved that they arrived together. Both have kept me on my toes, and both have grown up faster than I ever expected.

OUTSTAND was never built on a grand plan. It grew organically, one client at a time, and behind every one of them was someone’s decision to trust us. To our clients: thank you for that trust, and for taking us with you as you’ve grown.

OUTSTAND is also the story of a team. There are people who have been here since the very first day, and people who joined along the way and made this place what it is. We’ve celebrated each other’s milestones, waited for good news together, and stood by each other through loss. Some have moved on to new chapters, and it still makes my day when they drop by.

Not every year was easy. When the world paused, we had to rethink the way we worked. The quiet gave us room to reflect, and we came out of it stronger and surer of who we are.

None of this would have happened without the wider circle around us. The journalists and media who give our stories a home. The creators and influencers we dream up ideas with. The photographers, production teams and suppliers who somehow always say yes to impossible deadlines. And my family, who have shared me with OUTSTAND far more than they ever signed up for.

For me, OUTSTAND has always been about people, and about doing right by them. It’s also about how we work: honest, obsessed with detail, brave enough to try what hasn’t been done before, and convinced that things are worth doing beautifully. We build brands for the long run, not for the next headline. None of that has changed in ten years, and none of it will.

Ten years. Countless moments. So many of them shared with you, and I can’t wait for the ones still to come.

With gratitude,

Maria Papathanasiou Arones
Founder, OUTSTAND