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 | Meredith Maines

Things I Can't Live Without:
Will Powley, Mad*Pow

Will Powley, founder of Mad*Pow, keeps a playground ball and a beer cooler close at hand to keep work fun

Richard Schultz

 

Will Powley's dad set a standard for cool offices. "My pops was an executive at a big record label in Manhattan, and when I would visit him, it was like going to a carnival," Powley says. It's an atmosphere he has tried to re-create at his multimedia design firm, Mad*Pow (No. 483 on the Inc. 500). At the end of a long day, Powley's two dozen employees can open a cold beer and listen to streaming radio filtered through the office.

FRANKLIN 4-SQUARE PLAYGROUND BALL

"It's kind of like my stress ball -- I am always bouncing it around, spinning it, throwing it against the wall. In meetings, it's a proverbial conch shell; if you're holding it, you get to talk."
COST: $8

OPTI-RITE 1 DRY ERASE WALL COVERING

"We cover all our creative spaces with this. It's cheap compared to whiteboards and pretty much permanent until peeled off the wall."
COST: $150 per roll

COOPER COOLER

"In 60 seconds, a warm beer is ice cold. Nothing beats this, especially when you just won a new client and need a couple beers to celebrate."
COST: $64.95

ADVENT AW-820 WIRELESS STEREO SPEAKER SYSTEM

"We often move these speakers around the office. We listen to KEXP streaming radio out of Seattle, a great not-for-profit radio station. We love it, donate to it, and can't keep going unless it's cranked all day long."
COST: $110

WHAT I COVET: CONTROL4 TABLE TOP TOUCH SCREEN, 7-INCH MODEL

"I'd love this touchscreen remote control, which can run everything in your house, including your lights and security system. It's like having your whole house wired to a computer."
COST: $1,500

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