Si Root was already leading a successful advertising agency when he decided to set up The Hideout, which has just undergone its first rebrand.

Since launching in 2012, the company has taken on more than 200 clients, of which 75% are based in London, and employs 14 people.

It has vindicated Mr Root’s decision to break away from his former business partners, Matt and Claire Hobbs, having set up Maidstone-agency Tangerine with them back in 2001.

“I always had a passion for design,” he said.

“The people I was working with thought the internet was a fad and that is why I went out on my own.”

He runs his new company alongside fellow directors Sarah Bull, John Vingoe and Amanda Brown – his ex-wife – all of whom he has known at least a decade.

The business is situated in a two-floor converted barn in Ulcombe, a village nestled behind Leeds Castle.

He brings along Mr Vingoe and Ms Bull for the chat, sitting in the boardroom with views of the Kent countryside.

“I’m in awe of what the guys have done,” he said.

“It is not about me. I’m not the face of it. I’m lucky enough to put the money up but it is a big team effort.

“Passion has driven this company to where it is today.”

Morale is particularly high after the company went through its first rebrand last month, designed to reflect its work in print and other media and dispel any preconceptions it is a digital-only company.

Creative director Mr Vingoe said: “We love print work, branding, logos. We can do all sorts of design.”

Ms Bull added: “We are a small team with a family ethos and ambitions to grow the business. That is part of the rebrand.

“We want to bring on board a number of clients and grow the team but without losing the feel we have got.

“Gone are the days where people come to us for a website.

“Now we are coming up with a strategy for them and working with them on the budget they have available.

“We have the skills to do that because we have designers and content developers. We can put a plan together and run it for them on a retainer basis if that is something they require. That is a shift in the industry.”

When talking about his firm’s success, Mr Root enthuses about the attitude of his staff, who he said willingly work long-hours alongside him.

“When I go out to sell the company, what comes across is that passion,” he said.

“Everyone is excited about what they tell clients.”

Mr Vingae said: “It is cliche but we consider ourselves a family. Everyone gets on with each other and works together closely. To produce your best work you have got to look forward to doing it every day.”

Many of the firms the agency works with have been clients since before the company actually existed.

Ms Bull said: “Although it was a start-up it wasn’t, because a lot of clients stuck with us from the other business.

“Many have been with us for a decade.”

Mr Root said: “The proof is in the results for our clients. They would not carry on working with us if we weren’t delivering results for them.”

What is good about having an office in the Kent countryside?

“Our office environment helps with our creativity," said Mr Root. "People think that to be successful you have to be in the city but actually we are proving that wrong. The vast majority of our clients are London based but the days when you needed an office in the city are gone. People enjoy coming to where we work in the countryside. They like to see something different and get a breath of fresh air.”

What impact has the rebrand had on the business?

“The whole rebrand has come in now and there is this vibe that everyone is on the same teamsheet. I forget where we have come from. I have these wonderful people around me to drive it through. You could never do it on your own. The business has grown because everyone wants it to grow and do well.”

What do you look for when you are hiring a new designer or developer?

“As the team grows it is not important what’s on your CV or what A-grades you got. It’s actually really important we can work together. We work, live and breath work every day. That is the nature of the business and we enjoy it. It is only when you speak to someone after seeing some of the project work they’ve done that you get a feeling for the person and how they work.”

What motivate you and your staff?

“I’m not a materialistic person. I am not driven by sales. Yes, you need that, but it is the passion which drives me. That is how we work. My colleagues go above and beyond normal employees. They live it and breath it. You can’t buy that.”

CV - Si Root

Born: 4/12/1965 in Beckenham

School: Tunbridge Wells Grammar School

Live: Charing

Family: Two daughters (he was married to business partner Amanda Brown)

First job: Paper round seven days a week

First wage: £2.75 a week

Salary now: Undisclosed

Car: Mini Clubman Estate

Book: “I don’t read books but one of my favourites is the 100 Best Album Covers.”

Film: Blade Runner

Music: “It is my big passion. I love the early 1990s. I’m an indie kid at heart.”

Gadget: Go Pro

Last holiday: Alton Towers

Charity: Macmillan Cancer Support

Typical day

Si Root starts work anytime from 4am to 6am.

He comes in with the “positive attitude to work through emails and sort through the problems from the previous day”.

His days can be taken up preparing proposals and presentations or with meetings in London all day.

Ideally he leaves work at 5.30pm but he can have cause to leave very late, depending on what client’s work they have at hand.

He said: “Everyone is like that. There is no nine to five here. If you need to go a bit early you just go but when we have something big on, everyone is happy to stay here – until midnight if need be."