If you’re reading this, you’re seeing the newest change at Echo firsthand. Just before the rush of the holiday season, we launched a brand new website! Our updated site, with its branded design and practical functionality, feels like a new toy – but its launch brings much more meaning to our team.
We’re a different company today than when our old site was launched.
Echo has grown, evolved, and changed dramatically since its inception, and much of that change has happened in the past year. We’re firm believers in intentional change, and as we looked in the mirror we felt it was time to showcase who we are now. And let us tell you, we like what we see.
Growth in All Directions
When we say Echo has grown, we’re not waxing poetic; in the past year alone, our team has tripled in size. What an adventure the last year has been!
As of this moment, we are a team of 11 full time employees, spread across five states. To accommodate the growth of our team, we’ve experimented with new tools and innovated tailored solutions to fit our own needs.
For example, as our team grew we quickly realized that we had more meetings than ever, and that the extra meetings were interrupting our team’s workflow. We needed a solution that reduced our meetings, but still allowed us to communicate. The result? The CRAID log! Our CRAID log system builds off of the popular RAID project management framework allowing the whole team to have transparency and accountability for projects. With our CRAID log in place, our team is more connected to day to day operations and the big picture of our work.
As if using CRAID for our team wasn’t enough, we’ve found so much success with this system that we’re recommending it to clients. Our CRAID log solution is now one of the top strategies we guide clients to adopt, and it was born out of solving for our internal needs.
Adding new team members also means that our company-wide skill set has expanded dramatically. When you visit our team page, you’ll see that each member of our staff has a “persona”; a self-appointed title that captures not their role, but the way they view and embody their work.
We haven’t just hired consultants and specialists; we’ve welcomed passionate problem solvers, trusted guides, formula maestros, and solutioneers to our ranks. As our company evolves, we’re working every day to embrace our team’s individual passions and aptitudes. We’ve already seen how this strength-based leadership approach allows us to think outside the box and better serve our clients. And we’re excited to see how our collective skills lead to innovation in the years to come.
Why It Matters
On their own, each of the highlights above is something to celebrate. Tripling the team in one year? Amazing! Innovating new solutions? Score! Leading with authenticity and playing to our strengths? Yes, please!
But all of these accomplishments – with the capstone being our new website launch – are indications of a much bigger and more profound truth.
Over the past three years, we’ve done more than grow; we’ve evolved. And we needed to adapt.
Many of our clients can relate to this feeling. Every time we begin working with one of our fantastic clients, we hear familiar pain points. Things like…
Our company has grown and we need a better way to manage our work
We have tried and true processes, but our current systems aren’t cutting it anymore. We need bigger, better tools to support our team.
We know exactly how to do what we do – but wow, our system is complex! We’re using too much energy using our systems. We need to streamline.
We know what it’s like to run into these challenges, because we’ve been there. We’re tinkering with our own changing business every day. And if there’s one thing we believe in business, it’s that the best way to be successful is to address change with honesty and an open mind to new solutions.
We didn’t start this process with a website. We’ve been working behind the scenes on our own processes to support our growing team. So in some ways, our website launch felt like a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Welcome to Echo, 2.0! We’re excited to use all that we’ve learned to build high performing solutions for years to come.
The Road Ahead
While a lot has changed for us in the past few years, there are a few key elements of our business that remain consistent.
We’re woman-owned: Molly Yanus, our founder and CEO, embodies the “lead by example” approach. We prioritize women’s professional development and put equity into practice on a daily basis.
We’re tech agnostic: Technology is a tool, and we know how to use the best software available to help our clients. Interested in Smartsheet, Power BI, and Clickup? We’ll teach you to put these tools to work.
We foster self-sufficiency: We’ll work with you to build a tailor-made solution for your team, teach you how to use it, and then support you as you learn to manage the solution on your own.
As for what’s next, we’re excited to continue sharing how we’re leading with authenticity and shaking up the project management world. Keep an eye on our blog and YouTube page in the new year for some fresh content on our favorite tools, tips, and lessons learned. And as we continue to evolve, we’ll be showing up on a few platforms that we’ve never had before (hello, TikTok)! We’re feeling invigorated by our new website, and how it showcases who we are as a company today. If you’re interested in learning more about our work, head over to our approach page to see what we do.
And if you're looking to grow more and struggle less in 2023, give us a shout.
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