When our growth announcement hit the airwaves, we received a multitude of congratulations from our clients, friends and partners. Everyone was just as excited as we were to share the news of our new services, our new team, and our NYC office. And of course, everyone wanted to hear more about why we’re expanding to the east coast.
Why Now? Why NYC?
Mike: When 2020 events happened it was an accelerator for how companies thought about digital. People were more open to a remote delivery of services and it expanded the market that we could serve. Our go-to-market strategy shifted to a more national level. People brought different needs (primarily D2C and B2C vs B2B SassS) than we saw in the Midwest, and that provided the opportunity to show our expertise in those markets and seek talent in those geographies as well. It just so happened that two of the talented members from the Innovatemap team had New York in mind. That location was consistent with our market research that suggested the exciting tech scene in New York was one that had a ton of opportunity for us.
Why location and not remote?
Mike: I’m a big believer in relationships. We have a relationship-based business and I think that helps with trust and interactions. While we deliver a majority of our services remotely, the in-person touch will not go away. As a strategy we aren’t investing in a fully-remote distributed workforce, we are investing in geographical chapters. New York being the first chapter of our agency outside of our headquarters here in Indianapolis. Our NY team members know and are excited about the opportunity to be ambassadors for Innovatemap to the East Coast. This means continuing some of the client experience things that we do really well here in the Midwest like hosting clients, delivering gifts, and becoming involved in the community which is a core value for us.
As far as physical office space, I believe the office is a place of culture rather than a place of working. I like team members to have teammates and a place to go in addition to home to be able to be productive and learn.
What are you most excited about for the trip?
Mike: I’m most excited to experience the origin of Innovatemap in NY. This first trip planned will be internal orientation. I’m excited to pioneer on behalf of the company things like which airport to fly into, which hotel to stay at, and which food to eat! I’m also excited to spend a day in the office with the New York team and take them to dinner and do some team building. That’s the goal of the first trip. The next one, a few weeks later will be more business-minded, having appointments set to meet people in the community and potential partners.
We also took some time to talk to our NYC teammates Meghan Pfeifer and Diana Jeong Ro about their adventure so far.
What sparked your move to New York?
Diana: I grew up near NYC, and after the pandemic hit I became super homesick. Being close to family, friends, and a city that I grew up near really drew me in.
What is one professional thing you want the city to teach you?
Meghan: An online presence gives us a head-start, but I’m excited to figure out how to build a network and reputation (both for myself and for Innovatemap) from scratch. I’ve spent most of my time at Innovatemap helping our clients figure out how to shape perceptions and scale their own brands, and it’ll be a fun challenge and change of pace to turn that strategy inward
What do you love about the new office?
Diana: I love getting to work with Meghan in person and hopefully others as we build our team! Our logo on the door is probably my favorite part of the office, it just really solidifies our place in this city and the fact that we’re here to stay.
Favorite Food Spot?
Meghan: The Tyger in Chinatown. They’ve had a great (read: warm) outdoor seating setup all winter, and the best Nasi Goreng I’ve had outside of Indonesia.
Your three favorite things within walking distance of the office
Meghan: Kenn’s Broome Street Bar, [solidcore], and the Hudson River with a Statue of Liberty view.
We’re incredibly excited about growing our roots in NYC. Contact us and we’ll show you around!
