A Tampa social media agency that introduced a four-day workweek has reported a roughly 160% increase in revenue over three years, while staff departures have fallen and its workforce has expanded.
Brick Media founder and chief executive Jake Kurtz began a 90-day trial in January 2023, giving employees Fridays off without reducing their pay. The arrangement became permanent three months later.
Company figures show revenue rose by 73% in 2023, 39% in 2024 and a further 8% in 2025. Kurtz said the shorter week was not solely responsible for the growth, but believed it had helped the business retain experienced staff and operate more efficiently.
How the four-day workweek operates at Brick Media
Employees work nine-hour days from Monday to Thursday, with paid lunch breaks included. The resulting 36-hour week is four hours shorter than a conventional 40-hour schedule, while staff remain full-time and eligible for benefits.
Most employees work from home, with just one of their four working days requiring a visit to the office. Although social media work can sometimes extend beyond the normal week, Kurtz said clients had generally accepted the arrangement because shoots, meetings and other tasks could be organised in advance.
Staff may occasionally deal with minor matters on a Friday or at the weekend. Kurtz described these as “five minutes here and there”, while more substantial emergencies occurred roughly once or twice a quarter, he said.
When additional work is required, non-exempt employees qualify for overtime if they exceed 40 hours in a week. Brick also uses freelance contractors when necessary. Kurtz said the guiding principle was not to overload employees.
The company served 56 clients during 2022, before the change, compared with 85 in the first half of 2026 alone. Social media managers usually look after six or seven clients, with seven regarded as the upper limit.
Rather than increase workloads beyond that point, Brick hires more staff. Kurtz said this had contributed to the company’s expansion, although profit margins had remained broadly unchanged since 2022 because payroll had risen alongside turnover.
Retention becomes part of Brick Media’s growth strategy
Brick recorded six voluntary departures in 2022. That number fell to two in both 2023 and 2024, rose to three in 2025, and stood at zero so far in 2026, according to figures provided by the company.
Its workforce has grown from 15 employees at the end of 2022 to 25. Kurtz said longer-serving colleagues were often able to resolve issues quickly because they understood one another and the business well.
“If I can keep people here longer, and they like their job, and they’re communicating with similar people all the time, it just makes the business a lot more efficient,” he said.
He also linked staff stability with winning new work. Of 20 leads received by Brick in October, 16 came through referrals, according to Kurtz.
Asked whether the company could have achieved similar results with a five-day office routine and regular overtime, he said: “No, I really don’t… I think people would leave Brick Media for like a $5,000 raise.” He added that some employees had received better offers but chosen to remain.
“People have a hard time leaving the four-day schedule once they experience it, because they start to realize that life is way more than just the salary,” Kurtz said.
Employees say the shorter week has improved efficiency
Andrea Echeverry, Brick’s director of client experience, joined the company before the schedule changed. She said the four-day workweek had not reduced the amount of work, but had encouraged staff to use their time more effectively.
“I think we have just found more ways to be more efficient with our time,” she said.
Echeverry, who works full-time while raising a child with her full-time working husband, uses Fridays for family time and personal errands. She said she preferred fitting the workload into four longer days.
“We’re sort of like redefining work-life balance,” she said.
Kurtz does not suggest that every business should automatically give employees Fridays off. Instead, he advises company leaders to consider what would make people want to join and remain with their organisation.
“I just think that there’s a happy middle ground where you can still have a really good life and a really good business,” he said. “And if you can also extend that to your employees, then it’s not only a feel-good thing for the culture; it’s actually a business advantage that your competitors won’t have.”
