There are 174 miles, seven right-hand turns and three to the left between the Seattle and Portland Frause offices. A small distance when considering the exceptional collaboration that exists between the two offices. Because I am currently the only intern, the Portland office has received short shrift from the intern blog. A negligence that is at last being given attention via a Q&A with Krista Hildebrand, the Managing Director of Frause Portland.
1. What sorts of expertise do you (and your staff) have that is localized to the Portland office?
Matt Smedley, the Portland Account Supervisor and Social Media Practice Lead, and I both have areas of expertise, but they are not localized to just Portland. Matt’s deep knowledge of social media benefits the entire Frause team and our clients, whether they are in Portland or Seattle.
When I started at Frause almost five years ago, I brought more than six years of experience in economic development communications. This experience has grown into one of Frause’s knowledge centers, which now has several members both in Portland and Seattle.
Elana Silverman, the Portland Assistant Account Executive, brings the ability to successfully pitch just about any story to the media and has lent this skill to landing stories for clients in Oregon and Washington.
2. What is it like to collaborate with the Seattle office through mostly technological means?
Technology certainly helps us stay in touch on a regular basis, especially for our daily morning huddles when we actually “join” the Seattle office through Google+. It is a far cry from trying to sort out what is going on, and who is saying what, over a conference call, which is what we did for the last three years. GoToMeeting is another tool we have that allows us to see presentations real-time, making us feel like we’re in the same room.
However, there is no replacement for personal contact and interacting with the team on a one-on-one basis. So, I try to get to Seattle regularly. Matt is a frequent visitor as well, especially when he lends his social media expertise to client meetings and new business presentations. We love when the Seattle folks come work out of our office and lend their expertise to our clients. Matt, Elana and I always feel very connected and rarely out of the loop.
3. What do you most enjoy about your job?
It sounds corny, but I love working with my clients. I am blessed to work with smart people who understand the value of strategic communications and consider Frause an important part of their marketing teams.
4. What sort of growth and development do you predict for the Portland office?
I wish I had a crystal ball, but with the economy still struggling, it’s hard to predict. We were fortunate to weather the past three years and, in spite of the poor economy, brought on some significant long-term clients. I would hope to do the same in the next year or so.
5. Are the walls of the Portland office also bright green like they are in Seattle?
Yes, of course. Our office is just a mini-Seattle!
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