We’ve all heard the phrase “treat others how you want to be treated.” And while it’s mostly self-explanatory, what does it mean for a business to embody and activate?
In the early days of Innovatemap, CEO and Founder Mike Reynolds threw out a phrase that struck a chord and has become ingrained in who we are as a company, who we hire and how we live out our mission and values.
That phrase is simple — be good to the town.
The meaning behind “be good to the town” sits at a unique intersection of both life and business philosophies. Mike established Innovatemap as a company that exists to help others. At our core, we help leaders achieve the product visions they believe in.
But helping others means more than delivering premium work, executing deadlines and helping companies reach business goals. It means being a good partner, and treating people with respect, kindness and compassion.
“Being good to the town is not self-serving,” Mike said. “You’re good to the town because it’s the right thing to do, and you do it without expecting anything in return.”
Nine years later, Mike never imagined that a simple phrase would become an essential element of our business strategy.
While we encourage founders and product leaders to hone in on a specific persona, our approach to being good to the town is broad. For us, it’s caring about everything and everyone around you. And most people would agree, it’s good to care.
Being good to the town means giving back to our communities.
With offices in both Indianapolis and New York City, we invest in the communities in which we live, work and play.
Investing goes beyond providing financial support. Anyone can write a check, but the return on our investment is far greater when we give back by “digging in.”
This summer, our team partnered with the Broad Ripple Village Association to beautify the neighborhood surrounding our HQ. We spent an afternoon digging weeds, removing rocks, laying mulch and painting utility boxes. Each month, we dedicate time to removing litter from nearby streets and sidewalks. The Indiana summer heat is no joke, and it’s hard work. But seeing the results of our efforts on our daily walks into the office makes every sore muscle worth it.
In New York, our team gives back by volunteering at events. Ashley King connects with people to make them feel welcome as soon as they enter the door. And in a city like New York, that’s something only Hoosier Hospitality can provide.
As a service provider, it is our business to help people. But it’s more than a business. It’s who we are as a company and who we are as individuals.
“We do our best work when we are unapologetically ourselves,” Ashley said. “For Innovatemap, that means being kind and good to the people around us.”
When we partner with founders and product leaders, the support doesn’t end when the engagement does. We become your biggest fans and continue to cheer for you throughout your journey. When the founders we work with succeed our entire community wins. And when our communities are winning, the ecosystem thrives.
With this flywheel in motion, we’re doing our part to build better products for the world.
“There’s so much truth in ‘it takes a village.’ Being good to the town means actively participating in your village to lift and support others in a variety of ways,” explained Tina Hafer. “Whether it’s being a friendly face or cleaning up our streets, we support our village by showing up.”
Being good to the town is more than an initiative.
Being good to the town is not a quarterly event. It’s not something that happens during a designated time frame. It’s something we live out daily, regardless of the opportunity.
We’ll rally together around being good to the town because it’s the right thing to do. And if that means cool t-shirts and tote bags sporting our “Be Good” mascot, then we’ll take that too.
Ultimately, we strive to be good and do good to inspire others: whether it’s picking up one piece of trash that leads to someone picking up another piece of trash, or buying coffee for a founder to offer a safe space and listening ear so they can offer the same support to another founder.
“Good things happen when you’re good to people,” said Lacey Lavies. “We’re good to the communities we know and love because they’ve always been good to us. Being good is simply the right thing to do.”
Our ask of you? Be good to the town today. No matter how big, no matter how small — show someone or something you care.
If you’d like to partner with Innovatemap to give back to the community, reach out to Chelsea Douglass, our Community Team Leader.
