Hewlko News - Five Key Insights From Our First Quarter As Roadmap Agency Inc.
It has been three months since we launched Roadmap Agency Inc., merging teams and processes has been a challenge but each month gets better. I thought about many topics for this newsletter, but settled on highlighting some of the key insights that have helped to make each month better than the last.
Getting a business coach
I’ve often wondered what business coaches do, they come with promises of confidence and results that are often intangible. We started working with a coach months before we officially launched the company. Receiving coaching is challenging because you have to take a hard look at yourself. It has required a lot more self-exploration than I had expected. But it has opened the lines of communication within our partnership team, given us usable tools and fostered a supportive atmosphere between us.
The fear of too many meetings
One of my fears was with more team members we would have longer meetings and in January they started out that way. One of the best things to come out of highlighting this was that we pivoted immediately, shortened the main agenda and introduced shorter breakout sessions for teams where required. The partnership team has two meetings per week and each meeting has specific items to discuss. It has been helpful to reserve this time because it ensures we don't get distracted as things pop up over the week.
Working 24/7 and hustle culture
We were working long hours to launch the company and with the team being across three time zones - it can be easy to slip into working more to accommodate. We were conscious of fostering an 'always on-call' type of culture. We make an effort to keep our working hours with staff from 9-5 pm, this can mean holding off on sending that Slack message or setting timers on emails so that people get communications during work time. It will never be perfect and sometimes I enjoy working an evening or weekend, but it should be a choice not a must.
My favourite thing #1
The best thing about starting Roadmap has been the expanded service capabilities and synergies we can now offer our customers. In the initial years of Hewlko Creative Direction + Design the work was project-based and the relationship with the client typically had an end date. With Roadmap, we integrate research with sales and marketing plans that are tied into business goals. This creates long-term relationships with people and allows us to see the impact of the work on their business.
Refining our target audience
I’ve created and updated my audience personas every year, it should never be one and done. How we digest information and use technology are always evolving so a continual understanding of your customer is important and you can achieve this through a feedback loop. We have two mechanisms in place, one is a survey and the other is a customer council. The survey goes out at key points in a project and our first customer council was held on March 18. The customer council provided us with valuable insights that we can put into action in the next quarter.
Jade Wong, Design Supervisor at Critical Mass
The first Q&A of 2021 was with my dear friend Jade Wong! When I was thinking of the past year, one word that came to mind was resilience. And it was the resilience that was cultivated over the past years lows that I found most inspirational. I reflected on the resilience Jade cultivated after losing her job last year and how she created a disciplined process that led her to her current role at Critical Mass. It is an inspirational story that also provides actionable suggestions and tips that anyone could take today to help get unstuck.
Shayne and Julie Serediuk, Partners at Roadmap
February's Q&A was with my partners and power duo Shayne Serediuk and Julie Serediuk! They are all heart. Heart with a strong work ethic with a caring mentality that makes both coworkers and clients feel like they are part of the family. I'm so grateful to be part of the Roadmap Agency Inc. family, proud of these two and all they've accomplished and excited about what the future holds. Learn more about Shayne and Julie and how they've successfully worked together over the past 15 years.
Maria Davina Gracia Galura, Artist and Founder at Calgary Party 50
Bringing happiness to others, brings happiness to us. This is the headline for Maria Divina Gracia Galura brand story. Maria is the artist and founder of Calgary Party 50 and she was the winner of a marketing giveaway we were a part of late last year. We worked with Maria to create a set of brand foundational language and fell in love with her drive and warmth, so we wanted to share a little more of Maria with you in a Q&A!
Customer Council: Yay or Nay?
The customer experience should be something every company strives to perfect and a customer council is a great way to get valuable insight into what is and isn’t working for your clients. Roadmap has formed our own customer council and in this blog our President, Steve explains exactly what this is and why you should have one.
Successes and lessons from our first month
Our President, Steve takes you through the successes and lessons from our first month of joining Graphic Intuitions and Hewlko Creative Direction + Design. It’s not all rainbows and butterflies!
Why sales and marketing need to work together
The finger pointing between these two departments has been going on for as long as I’ve been a working professional. It's one of the many reasons why my partners and I created Roadmap Agency Inc. where sales and marketing efforts align to reach shared goals! Check out our newsletter to learn more about why and how we do it.
The cabin build we started in March 2020 is still a work in progress! Cary obsessively works on projects most weekends, from milling custom window sills, to designing a custom steel backing for the fireplace it is all starting to come together. Bathroom tiling is complete, cabinets are being made, exterior siding, fixtures and deck boards are ordered. Lots of install projects to coordinate over the next couple months and then we need to order furniture. We are aiming to be mostly complete in June! We couldn’t have done it without the help of many friends that are professionals in their fields, from an interior designer to our architectural designer and Cary’s brother and father who are electricians and have helped with projects along the way!
The next few months are going to be busy, so stay tuned to our Instagram account if you want to watch the progress as it unfolds!
Be kind and stay safe!
- Hewlko Creative Direction + Design