Letter from the Team
The end of spring and the beginning of summer have been full of growth, innovation, and change for our team. As you might have seen on our social channels — or in the pages of this month’s issue — Catalyst took home a handful of new award wins, including a first for social media content. Several industry leaders have joined us for episodes of the Good Mood Marketing™ and Lone Star podcasts to share their insights (as well as a laugh or two). We spent our Fridays in May discussing mental health awareness and imposter syndrome in the workplace. We then crossed the country from Huntington Beach, California, to Atlanta, Georgia, to meet with partners and experience both the AIM and NAA Apartmentalize conferences. Our team celebrated a long-awaited brand reveal as Shelters to Shutters became Entryway. And shortly after, we gathered in Austin for one of our yearly all-staff meetings and welcomed a new Director of Digital Strategy, Ben Koester, to the team.
It’s truly been a great first half of the year, and we’re so excited to carry this momentum into the next two quarters. However, as an agency, we also recognize the importance of slowing down and taking time to enjoy life with those we love — including initiatives such as mental health hours and parental leave. Though Christy McFerren, President of Catalyst, typically authors this column, she is taking time this summer to enjoy leave with her husband, Dan, and their new son, Leo. We’re wishing them a great summer together (and plenty of quality time on the water)!
Voicing Values
Finding Mojo On The Mountaintop
By Melissa Cornine, Vice President of Client Strategy
Skiing isn’t just a winter sport that offers adrenaline and physical activity; it holds incredible value beyond its recreational appeal. It has the power to provide a much-needed mental reset within the demands of your day-to-day life. As someone who dedicates one hour a day during ski season to recharge, I can personally attest to the profound impact skiing has on work-life balance and overall well-being.
The fast-paced nature of skiing demands my full attention, allowing me to temporarily disconnect from emails, deadlines, and responsibilities. It serves as a much-needed mental escape. When I hit the slopes, the stresses of the day gradually dissolve, enabling me to embrace Mojo, one of Catalyst’s core values. Mojo fuels passion, motivation, and personal fulfillment. By incorporating this value into our agency, we celebrate and encourage these daily resets and work-life balance.
As a newcomer to skiing, I initially had doubts about conquering this sport when I moved to Colorado in 2020. However, an experienced skier shared with me that learning how to ski offers a complete immersion in the present moment. These words quickly became a reality for me. I noticed that as I hit the slopes, my focus sharpened, and my worries faded. When I return to work after a quick ski session, I find myself more focused, creative, and capable of tackling tasks with a heightened sense of my Mojo’s presence.
Incorporating skiing into my daily routine became a foundation of achieving work-life balance and unlocking a Catalyst value I had the least familiarity with. The mental reset serves as a reminder that taking time for yourself, engaging in activities that bring joy and fulfillment, and embracing your Mojo are crucial for maintaining overall well-being and professional success.
If you’re seeking a way to enhance your work-life balance, unleash your Mojo. Find a daily mental reset, and consider incorporating an activity into your routine. Dedicate just one hour a day where you do something you love. Whether it’s riding a bike, taking a walk, or reading a few chapters of a book, find a way to experience the transformative power it can have on your professional life. Embrace the challenges, sense of freedom, connection, and the amplification of your Mojo that the activity of choice offers.
By embracing the transformative power of activities such as skiing, you can experience a renewed sense of energy and purpose in your professional life while maintaining a healthy work-life balance. So, take that leap, embrace the joy of any activity that speaks to you, and witness the positive impact it can have on your Mojo.
A Deeper Dive
Case Study
In October 2022, BodyBrite Austin contracted Catalyst for help with creating and maintaining their social media presence on Instagram and Facebook. By focusing on high-quality organic content, personalized giveaways, and consistent hashtag use, our team was able to showcase a positive company culture while driving fresh prospects to both their online and physical locations.
- 224% increase in total follower count
- 60% increase in total engagement
- 43.2% increase in engagement rate
- 19,165 total impressions
Catalyst Takes on AIM Conference and NAA Apartmentalize
2023 CONFERENCE RECAP
In May and June, the Catalyst team had the opportunity to travel to both the Apartment Innovation and Marketing (AIM) Conference in Huntington Beach, California, and the National Apartment Association (NAA) Apartmentalize conference in Atlanta, Georgia. We enjoyed several days of client discussions and dinners, engaging sessions, hosting a sponsored booth, time exploring the city, and getting to meet so many of our partners face to face. Check out some of our photos from both events below.
The Top 5 Reputation Platforms for Your Community
BLOG POST FEATURE
Reviews have been around for a long time, in varying formats. From verbal critics to newspaper articles to modern-day online engagements, word of mouth is the easiest way for the general public to validate a product or a brand as being worth their time. In the housing industry, there are five primary platforms most managers and marketers keep tabs on.
Check out our latest blog post as we take a deep dive into Google, Facebook, Yelp, Apartments.com, and ApartmentRatings.com to determine the value each brings to you and your community’s reputation.
Celebrating the Launch of Entryway
For-Purpose Work
The Catalyst team has been so privileged to partner in the exceptional work Entryway (f/k/a Shelters to Shutters) does since we heard their mission from the stage at a conference in 2017. Their life-changing work to provide solutions to situational homelessness in partnership with the good people of the multifamily industry aligns directly with our mission to promote brands that foster community and add value to people’s lives.
On June 6, we joined David Williams, Kristen Poteet, Doug Bibby, and other members of the team and board at a reception event in Atlanta as they unveiled their new name: Entryway. Intended to capture the organization’s mission and scale with them as they increase in partnerships and participants, this modern identity positions the brand for flexibility and growth. From name concept and logo design to marketing collateral, signage, social media posting, web design, and more, Catalyst worked alongside Entryway to craft this new brand and help position them for success. We are proud of our work together as we all take a new step forward on this mission together.
Good Mood Media™
Have you checked out our podcasts recently? We invite you to hit play on a few of our recent episodes of the Good Mood Marketing™ podcast and The Lone Star Podcast, where our hosts cover trending topics and tools such as AI, ChatGPT, and Birdeye’s reputation platform.
The Good Mood Marketing™ Podcast
ChatGPT, Is That You? (Part One)
In this episode, Christy and Thomas sit down with Carmen Erdie, Web Developer at Catalyst, to discuss one of the hottest topics in marketing: ChatGPT. This form of generative artificial intelligence (AI) has a hold on the industry in multiple ways with its power to generate content for copy, social media captions, slogans, blog topics, and even travel recommendations for your next vacation. While the sky’s the limit with ChatGPT, where do we draw the line on implementing this in our careers and everyday lives? Find out by listening today.
ChatGPT, Is That You? (Part Two)
In part two, Christy, Thomas, and Katie continue their conversation on ChatGPT with Carmen Erdie, Web Developer at Catalyst. AI continues to be a hot topic in multiple industries, and one area of AI still remains a mystery to everyday users: Just how far can AI go? Find out by listening today.
The Lone Star Podcast
A Birdeye View
In this episode, Mark and Anil Panguluri, Senior Vice President of Products at Birdeye, catch up on the benefits of using Birdeye’s services and dive into a dialogue that’s currently surging through the reputation industry: using generative AI to support feedback for online reviews. These two reputation experts walk through the positives, the drawbacks, and the responsibility that comes with using AI in an industry based on authenticity. Listen today to find out more.
Good Mood Marketing™ Podcast
The Lone Star Podcast
Golden Moments
Catalyst team nominations
Good Mood Marketing™ comes from the Gold Standard
Haley Drinkwater
“I nominate Haley for thriving relationships and communication. Haley knows when to raise her hand and ask for further clarification about client edits and is always keeping strategy and what’s best for client top of mind and I appreciate it! Thank you for helping make sure our relationships stay golden!”
Amber Pasquarelli
“Amber is always down to help with any project — no matter how big or small the need is! Yesterday, I reached out to Amber for a last-minute floor plan file. She quickly jumped on the artwork export we needed, and we were easily able to get the site over to the client before the end of the day!”
Kyle Wilbur
“I’m nominating Kyle for the new thriving relationship he has formed with local client here in Austin. With two deals in progress and one on the way, this is a great new partnership. I also have to mention the brand new RFP he has brought to us. Thanks for crushing it, Kyle!”