Happy Birthday, Zensations! – On our anniversary, we interviewed the management team

The digital agency Zensations has been around for 8 years already. A lot has happened during this time: starting in the Sektor 5 co-working space, the agency is now self-sufficient, and its employees have been in their own office in Vienna's 4th district for 4 years. There have been highs and challenges. We have grown (through them), developed, and changed. On the occasion of the agency's birthday, two people who experienced everything firsthand are speaking today. The team had some questions for the two managing directors, Sabrina and Wolfgang, who willingly shared some insights.

How did you come up with the name Zensations? Is there an origin story?

Sabrina: Zen stands for the deliberation, calm, and prudence required when acting based on know-how and approaching things strategically. We advise honestly, directly, and without much hocus-pocus, but with tact and years of experience. Sensations then arose from the ambition not to create boring, off-the-shelf concepts, but to develop best practices in a fast-paced market, to go the extra mile, and to achieve something special.

Wolfgang, how did you come to Zensations, or were you there from the very beginning?

Wolfgang: It was a spontaneous decision. When I joined, Zensations had already existed for about a year. Originally, I came from the event and hotel industry, and then I joined with a focus on digital marketing and management. My focus has since shifted to technical project management and accessibility.

What motivated you to prioritise accessibility and make inclusion a core theme?

Sabrina: We have been involved with accessibility since 2013, when we implemented the first project for the Austrian Association for the Blind and Partially Sighted. We deliberately placed a focus on it at a time when the 'fancy factor' of projects was often clearly prioritised at the expense of UX. Everyone absolutely had to show what was possible. That was fun, but it often missed the goal; we wanted to create a new benchmark. At the time, accessibility was understood as an expensive add-on for a very small target group. Today, 90 percent of our projects are implemented with accessibility in mind.

Wolfgang: After we realised that accessibility further supports our demands for quality and performance, it was clear to us that this should be established as a fundamental principle of the agency.

What was the best moment in the office?

Sabrina: When an idea is implemented, collaboratively conceived, and something new is created, those are great moments for the team. We spend a lot of time together, so it requires a lot of empathy to build a team that understands each other professionally and personally, motivates each other, and brings out the best in themselves and others. When these demands are harmonised and realised, those are moments you like to look back on.

What was the worst?

Sabrina: Fortunately, no moment has been so bad that it lingered for long. If something is not right, you must not waste time and must quickly take care of change. When you have to part ways with valuable and cherished employees – Claudia, Philipp, or Sebastian can feel addressed now – because they are pursuing new paths, those moments do stay in memory, and sometimes tears flow at goodbye.

Wolfgang: There are few truly bad moments, rather annoying ones. If the chemistry with clients isn't right, agreements aren't kept, or the team dynamics are off, it becomes difficult. However, you also learn that every problem can be solved, and that makes you more relaxed.

How do you manage work and private life? Are they separated? Is that even possible?

Sabrina: A separation between professional and private life is not possible, but not really necessary either. Other couples also talk about their jobs in the evening, perhaps even more intensely than we do. Our tasks and activities differ fundamentally, which was important to us. Anyone who only starts living after work has a fundamental problem when self-employed.

Wolfgang: Working together as a couple certainly presents certain challenges, especially at management level. However, when our son is present, our full attention is on him, because in our opinion, prioritising work over private life in these moments is the wrong approach. You need time for family. And thanks to our self-employment, we are certainly much more flexible in this regard than others might be.

What are the biggest challenges – what do you have to do to stay on the ball and relevant for so long?

Sabrina: Regularly stepping out of your comfort zone and considering which new topics you want to dedicate yourself to, while still maintaining focus. Not every trend is relevant from an entrepreneurial perspective; this requires foresight and an understanding of the craft.

Which stumbling blocks would you have gladly avoided, and which were important for the company's development (or your personal development)?

Wolfgang: Every stumbling block was important for further development. Especially at the beginning, you are tempted by supposed follow-up orders, impressive references, and promises. However, you quickly learn the value of your own performance.

What are the worst management mistakes?

Sabrina: Acting like the boss, prioritising your own needs over those of your employees, and assuming that everything revolves around you. As a manager, it is my job to provide my team with everything they need to be motivated to perform at their best, to be a service provider for employees in a certain sense. I aspire to live up to this, even if I certainly don't always succeed. However, often just regularly reminding yourself of this is enough.

Wolfgang: You also have to learn to let go and trust. If you start to control and change every tiny detail, you create a work atmosphere that prevents independent thinking and actively discourages it. Then you have to do everything yourself and then complain about it. But there's a reason they say, 'A fish rots from the head down.'

Has there ever been a project that caused you sleepless nights?

Wolfgang: No pain, no gain. Literally, in the beginning – back in Sektor 5 – we sat together for nights, working on an implementation until the early hours of the morning and often all the next day. Beer and pizza included, and when the Go-Live happened, we secretly felt like heroes.

What advice would you give someone who wants to start a new digital agency today?

Sabrina: The same thing I would tell any entrepreneur: Stay true to yourself, know your worth, and only accept projects if you can stand behind them and they offer added value.