I – along with Jesse Ciccone, a Managing Director here at Matter – have had the luxury of spending the week in the Pacific Northwest with Kent Hollenbeck and Josh Rein, two of the dynamite professionals who joined Matter earlier this summer when we acquired The Hollenbeck Group, based in Portland, Oregon. In addition to getting together to cover timely topics such as recruiting, cross-agency happenings, and marketing the local office, we met with a number of marquee companies in the region – including a key client based locally. As my week out west comes to an end, here are some related thoughts going through my head:
1. My enthusiasm for extending our physical presence out West is even greater than it was when we made the decision to do so many months ago. I like everything about it – the team we have in place, the opportunity to leverage the greater assets here at Matter to do more for some existing clients, and, naturally, the opportunity we have to work with our local team to introduce Matter to some exciting brands. I’m pumped, can you tell?
2. While it’s likely that I traveled on one of the worst weeks for activities beyond work – start of school and about 100 activities related to my kids – I was reminded that I love getting out of the office and shaking hands. I like meeting new people and hearing what they have to say. I continue to believe that so much good comes from doing business in person, and I was reminded of that fact this past week while meeting great people.
3. I’m generalizing (in a big way!) but the Portland and Seattle-based tech and consumer communications professionals that I met are absolutely tremendous. They are smart and savvy, but also personable and exceptionally nice to be around. I was thrilled to meet those who I did, and I’m excited about spending more time with similar folks from these communities.
4. I hadn’t been in this area of the country for some time and I was reminded this week that the Pacific Northwest is beautiful. (Like, knock your socks off gorgeous.) The culture of our agency has always been a priority, as has the environment our valued team members work within. And, as expected, the office in Portland and the city itself nicely compliments the vibe of our existing offices. I’m thrilled about that and so happy for anyone who has the opportunity to work from that office regularly.
5. I didn’t bring a blue blazer on this trip, and I didn’t need one. I was encouraged to wear a button-down shirt and a pair of jeans, and that guidance couldn’t have been any better! J
If your business is located in Portland, Seattle or San Francisco (or anywhere in between), I’d be honored to grab a coffee or beer with you on my next trip to the Pacific Northwest. Drop me a line.
Matter Spotlight – Kent Hollenbeck from Matter Communications on Vimeo.