Welcome to the Bureau of Digital

We are thrilled to have you with us and want to thank you personally for your support. 🙌

What we do for a living is challenging and often downright hard. But when we do it together it’s that much easier. That’s why the Bureau exists. To provide support and guidance in the ever-changing landscape of digital services. To build a community of people each at different parts of their professional and personal journeys. To help one another avoid the pitfalls we’ve made and celebrate our successes together.

So let’s see how we do this!

The Bureau started in 2012 when 20 webshop owners got together to share the good, bad and ugly parts of running their companies. We quickly realized that none of us went to school for business. We were writers, musicians, and artists whose passion to create, and a bit of dumb luck, had somehow put us in charge. But with many of us having just met, we needed something to open the doors to a safe space where we could acknowledge our worries and deficiencies as leaders.

The first thing we did on the first day of the first gathering was take the Bureau Oath. And we still take it today before every opportunity to get real and share how things are really going. 

“I promise not to divulge anything someone shares over the course of our time together that a reasonable person would consider sensitive or confidential.”

When you join the Bureau it’s understood that you will keep things you learn private. Only discussing it within the group that was part of the conversation. This is the foundation of the Bureau. We can speak our truths without fear of reprisal or judgment. 

CODE OF CONDUCT

The Bureau Community is made up of people with many different experiences, backgrounds, and points of view. This is why our connections are so valuable and our community is so unique. Treating one another with dignity and respect is of the utmost importance. Please review our Code of Conduct which applies to all Bureau interactions regardless of where they take place. Bureau Code of Conduct.

BUREAU AMBASSADORS

BUREAU MEMBER SLACK

The conversations in the Bureau Slack channels are one of the most valuable parts of being a member. When you look at this spreadsheet of all the channels, you’ll see it’s a mix of public and private conversations. The public channels are where our experiences intersect, like Health and Wellness or Process. The private channels are more about our roles at work where we need to share with people who do what we do. Plus there are spots that are just fun like the Pets of the Bureau and the Commons channels.

Be sure and use the Collaboration channel when you need some support on a project, or if you’ve got some downtime and are looking to partner. The Job Board is also a popular channel for finding talented folks to join your team.

And if you’ve got something awesome you’ve done, let everyone know in the Shameless Self-Promotion channel. 

Every few months we archive channels that have gone quiet and open some new ones. If you have any ideas for what should be added next just let us know!

BUREAU CLUBS

Relatively new, Bureau Clubs are your opportunity to join or start an affinity group within the Bureau, and with our help. It could be work-related like the Biz Dev Accountability Group or more focused on real conversations and a lot of fun like the Bad Bitches Wine Night.

If you have an idea for a club, let me know. We’ll share it in Slack and see what kind of excitement it kicks up. 

EVENTS

Events? Yeah, we got them. Every size, shape, and format you can imagine. That’s because we all learn in different ways. These descriptions will hopefully help you find the ones that work best for you.

Bureau Sessions: These monthly events are online small group discussions with your peers. The conversation is whatever you want to share over the course of your hour together.

Workshops: These 2 hour online events focus on a common challenge the community is facing. For example, you’ll see topics like Improving Sales, Account Management or Hiring and Onboarding. Attendance is usually kept to 24 attendees.

Camps: The event type that started it all. Bureau Camps are 2-3 day events either online or in-person. You’ll be with 25-30 of your peers diving deep into discussions on topics selected by you and your other attendees.

Summits: Summits are larger events with hundreds of attendees getting together both online and in-person to improve how they work, their culture, and their environment. 

RESOURCE LIBRARY

For years, the Bureau community has been sharing tools, resources, articles, videos and more. And during all that time we’ve been capturing the ones people have loved and putting them into the Member Resource Library. From timely categories like Covid-19 resources to evergreen content like the top business books and primary research, the Resource Library is a great resource in itself. 

MEMBER DIRECTORY

We’ve just launched the beta version of our first official directory. If you’ve filled out Your Bureau Survey then you’re in there! Either way, take a look and get to know your fellow members. 👋

INSIGHTS

Be sure and sign up for the Bureau Newsletter and subscribe to the Bureau Briefing podcast. It’s the best way to keep up with all of the conversations, insights, and new ideas digital shops are sharing. And if you want to be a part of the action, send us your outline for a blog post and if it’s selected we’ll make sure it gets out to thousands of digital professionals in the Bureauverse. 

bureau store

There’s no better way to support the Bureau than by wearing some sweet shield swag. All of the proceeds from the Bureau Store go to support our Beyond Diversity Fund. More than a scholarship or financial aid, we use the fund to invest in BIPOC tech communities and events. By supporting many of the great non-white segments of the web industry we can start to truly change the makeup of the Bureau community.

Need help? Send us a note. We’re here to help.

Thank You to Our Wonderful Partners: