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Lunchtime at Search Influence’s NEW Office Space

When I first started at Search Influence back in October, I was employee #50. Now, just four months later, we’re nearing 70 employees! As a result, 8120 Oak Street has turned into a veritable can of sardines. Check out this picture from our most recent company meeting…

Our Direct Team (along with a few others, most notably Will & Angie, our founders) even work in what is essentially a converted attic – cleverly nicknamed The Treehouse.

As Search Influence continues to grow, so must our office space. While it’ll be hard to say goodbye to the many memories we’ve made on Oak Street, we’re all looking forward to some room to breathe.

Where are we headed next? While nothing is confirmed quite yet, it looks like we’ll be headed downtown, to the CBD, or Old Metairie.

Lunchtime is something we take very seriously here at SI. Every Influencer has their favorite lunch spot – whether it’s Jimmy John’s delivery, pho from the cleverly named Pho Bistreaux or a juicy burger from trūburger (perfect for Fat Fridays). I’m here to assure you that all of our potential new locales have plenty of lunchtime options.

Downtown

Brave the lines at Mother’s (401 Poydras) for one of the best po-boys the city has to offer. In addition to serving up delicious tacos, Felipe’s Taqueria (301 N. Peters) is the perfect place to grab a margarita after work. Who knows, maybe it’ll even be the next Carrollton Station? Can’t tear yourself away from your desk for more than a minute? There’s sure to be a Lucky Dog cart nearby!

CBD

The Store (814 Gravier) has some great lunch specials and a semi-secret taco bar in the back. Missing Pho Bistreaux? Don’t worry, Viet Orleans Bistro (300 Baronne) is just a few steps away. There’s also a Jimmy John’s (900 Poydras) and a Reginelli’s (930 Poydras) right around the corner.

Old Metairie

In addition to coffee shops, there’s Zoës Kitchen (701 Metairie Rd. Suite 1A103), Naked Pizza (701 Metairie Rd. Suite 2A105) and Lee’s Hamburgers (1507 Metairie Rd.). On hot days, venture down to Sal’s Sno-Ball Stand (1823 Metairie Rd.) for one of Metairie’s best kept secrets.

Stay tuned for more once our new location has officially been announced!

February 21, 2014
Why You Wish You Could Work on Oak Street

To those of you who are not familiar with New Orleans and all the wonderful neighborhoods, shops, restaurants, activities, and festivals, you’re missing out. Though I’ve only lived in New Orleans the last year and a half, I’ve become very familiar with this awesome city and what it has to offer. Each week there is new festival or fun event to attend, and it is literally impossible to eat at every restaurant in the city in a lifetime.

While there are many great areas and aspects to the city, my absolute favorite is Oak Street. This is where my second home (work) is and where my coworkers and I spend most of our free time. Nestled snugly between the streetcar line and railroad track, Oak Street is located in the Black Pearl neighborhood which is very close to Tulane and Loyola Universities, Audubon Park, and the zoo. This also lends to a diverse mixture of age groups living within a few block of each other.

Food And Drinks

The variety of people in the area leads to an eclectic blend of businesses on Oak Street. There really is something for everyone. For instance, Oak Wine Bar below our office is a staff favorite for their happy hour drink specials. And they hosted our most recent company holiday party!

Maple Leaf Bar is a great place for live music or to kill time while you wait for a table at the famous Jacques-Imo’s, a popular tourist spot and a local favorite! The lucky few get to eat in the truck!

The majority of my favorite memories are taking a long Friday lunch break at either Tru Burger or Cowbell. While on opposite ends of Oak St. and very opposite in menu and style, they both make a great burger! Both are great places to stop and enjoy a meal.

Old school charm is what makes Oak St. businesses stand out, even the newest business on the block, a chain restaurant called https://mellowmushroom.com/location/la-new-orleans-8227-oak-street-70118/, feels like its been here forever.

Shops

In addition to the amazing restaurants and bars on Oak, you can also find a wide range of shops. The chic furniture shop Eclectic Home is great for the urban dweller looking to liven up there living space. Situated a few store fronts down is the always delicious D’ Juice. Boasting the freshest smoothies blended with fresh fruit and veggies, it is a great stop for a refreshing recharge. Located just across the street from D’ Juice is the Castellon Pharmacy. Stepping in there feels like a blast from the past. This old pharmacy continues to maintain its unique charm in the ever changing world we live in.

Culture

The unique culture of New Orleans and Oak St. could not be better represented than by the enormously beautiful Catholic church, Mater Dolorosa. The church takes up a good portion of the block and it’s chorus of singing church bells can be heard many blocks away. The church and the eclectic shops are a constant reminder of the city’s rich history rooted in many religions and long time acceptance of all cultures.

Events

Once a year Oak Street gets even more exciting, playing host to the famous Po Boy Festival. The Po Boy is unique to New Orleans and is a favorite dish amongst locals. Restaurants from all over the city gather to share their own creations with festival goers as live music blares from a stage set up smack in the middle of the road.

The reasons we love the Oak Street and working here every day are endless. There are so many great places to enjoy and there is something here for everyone. I know our time on Oak Street will come to an end one day, but until then I plan to take advantage of all the great things it has to offer.

February 17, 2014
Career Advice from the Facebook Queen (and some life lessons, too)

Sheryl Sandberg is one of the most influential women in the world, according to Time, CNN Money, and Forbes. She’s the COO of Facebook, and in my opinion, one of the biggest badasses out there. I’ve been reading her book, Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead and it is changing my perspective on life, offering tips on how to navigate the business world, and giving me a little gumption to speak up for myself. I haven’t finished reading the book yet, but I guarantee I’ve learned some lessons that are going to stay with me for a while. Check them out:

1) Don’t Dis-credit Yourself

Many women (including myself) suffer from “impostor syndrome.” I often feel that my accomplishments really aren’t accomplishments, but rather things I’ve muddled through with many errors along the way. The truth is, we need to start acknowledging our efforts and own our accomplishments. You did it! With or without the help of others, you’ve most likely accomplished a lot of positive things in your life, and you need to be proud of yourself for that!

2) Fake It Till You Make It

When something negative happens in the workplace, sometimes it’s best to keep going and put a smile on. Recently, I had a frustrating experience at work (as we all do), and I was fuming mad before a conference call. However, I put those feelings aside and lead the call successfully. When these situations arise, do something that takes your mind off the situation. Even if that means stopping work to go for a walk, call a family member, or run an errand. Anything you can do to get away from the problem (for a while) will ultimately help reduce a negative reaction to the situation, which will make you look like and feel the professional woman you are.

3) Jump Into Opportunity (don’t wait for it to come to you)

Men apply for a job when they meet 60% of the requirements, but women apply for a job only when they meet ALL of the requirements. We hold ourselves back because we think we are not ready, instead of thinking, “There is an opportunity here and I can learn by doing it!” Apply for positions that offer growth, adaptability, and room for you to fill a gap that the company needs. Don’t NOT apply for a job because you’re scared. We are rarely handed things in life and you should take advantage of every opportunity.

4) Don’t Be Discouraged – Be Persistent!

Sheryl tells the story of leading a Q&A section and reaching a point where she had time for two more questions. When she answered those questions all the women put their hands down, but all the men who still had questions kept their hands up. She answered a few other questions, but only the men got answers because they kept their hands up! Ladies, we need to be as persistent as men! There is no reason why we should stop asking for more information, details, and answers. We live in the same world as men, and we need to start acting like we deserve to be in it.

5) You Don’t Have To Be Liked by Everyone

This is a complex that a lot of women have. We want to be liked by everyone, because we don’t want to be perceived as bossy or rude. Women think we can please everyone, but men know that’s not humanly possible. There are going to be times where we have to make tough decisions. Those decisions are not always going to provide positive outcomes for everyone, but we need to learn to make decisions that are going to positively affect a great number of people. You’re inevitably going to hurt someone’s feelings or make someone mad, but there’s not much you can do about that. So, make decisions that create positive outcomes and keep the ball rolling.

The moral of the story is, ladies, if you want to be a badass at life, go out there and do it! There’s no reason we should not be a part of conversations and advocating our thoughts and beliefs. I fully believe that we can have our cake and eat it, too. We just have to start leaning in and participating in life the same way men do.

Cheers, Sheryl! You’ve inspired me more than you know. Thanks for the encouragement 🙂

February 14, 2014
HAPPY FRIDAY, BOYS! (and girls)
Here at Search Influence, we’re all about tradition.

We’ve got loads of candy in the kitchen, an anonymous question of the day on the community whiteboard, king cakes all Mardi Gras season long, double booked conference rooms, and every single Friday afternoon ends the same way.

No matter what you’re doing, or how busy and stressed out you are, you’ll know when it’s five o’clock. You’ll hear it coming loud from the Development Department. It’s time to listen to “This is How We Do It” by Montell Jordan. It’s a tradition that began with a former Influencer that we refuse to break (Shout Outs, J-Luft!). I mean, seriously, is there any better way to start off your weekend!? It’s 3 minutes and 59 seconds of head bobbing, hand waving, and lip syncing – or loud singing – bliss. In that moment you forget everything that you’ve ever known and remember what’s important in life. The weekend.

While this doesn’t exactly mean it’s time to pack up and go, because let’s be real, we’ve still got stuff to do, it’s a signal of what’s to come. You may think that we’ve grown tired of one another after spending over 50 hours a week sitting two feet apart, but that’s not the case. For some odd reason, some of us just can’t seem to get enough.

So after we convince ourselves that we’ve accomplished all that we can in a workweek, or slowly peer pressure one another to leave, one-by-one we head on down three blocks to the station. Carrollton Station.

While I could go on for days about all of the fun things that have happened, conversations we’ve had, or the moments we can’t quite seem to forget (or remember) at the station, instead I’ll fill you in on the reasons why we keep going back.

Activities

After sitting at a computer for over 8 hours a day, it’s time for a little cardio. On any given Friday, you can see Influencers doing any combination of the following:
- Ping Pong Tournaments
- Darts
- Shot skis – For added team building
- Buying drinks for co-workers – Because you owe them for helping you out that week
- Starting/Building Fires in the back patio area – It’s cool, we have Boy Scouts on the team
- Watching the Saints – Vuvuzela horn every time they score and free shots after the game
Conversations

While we try to avoid talking shop, it’s inevitable. The nights always seem to begin with those topics, because it tends to take a few drinks for us to forget about the work week. But those stories always lead to funnier stories, which turn into inside jokes we laugh about for years. This is the time when you really get to know your co-workers and decide that you’re also friends.

Food & Drinks

I guess it’s more drink than food…but it’s alright! We worked hard this week and we’re sleeping in tomorrow.
- $1 Tacos – Pretty self explanatory
- “Blue Moonshine Death Berries” – Everclear soaked berries in some concoction of a drink
- Jello shots – Randomly passed around for free
- Fireball, Fireball, Fireball, SHOTS
Music

Most nights involve some sort of live music. If there’s not some crazy Russian band or local New Orleans brass group lined up, the ‘skinny thigh guitar guy’ will start his acoustic jams. If for some reason there’s nothing on the schedule, there’s always the jukebox. It’s important to mention that the Dev boys always end up singing “There is A Light That Never Goes Out” by The Smiths.

The Usuals

Since it’s a neighborhood bar, you typically end up seeing the same faces or hearing familiar sounds. Outside of the SI group and the usual three bartenders (shout out Lillian), you’ll probably spot the bar cat, named Powder Cat, roaming around the backyard and patio. “Wait, did I just hear a dolphin?” Nope. That’s just the sound of a frequent patron’s laugh that we all know and love. And don’t forget about our friend, Harvey. He keeps talking about rounding people up and having some pajama party at the Station? (Not sure what that’s all about.)

After Party

There’s no telling what mood will strike, who will stay out, or where you’ll end up, but it’s possible that you’ll find yourself at one of these places:
- Kajuns – For epic karaoke nights
- Snake and Jake’s – For those really late nights
- Treasure Chest Casino – For the night that you’ll only hear stories about
At Search Influence we work hard and we play hard. We’re all about teamwork and team building, and if you make friends along the way, well that’s even better! As the company continues to grow, so do our weekly gatherings at Carrollton Station. If you’re in the neighborhood on a Friday, stop on by. The more the merrier!

What’s your favorite memory from a Friday night out with co-workers?
February 7, 2014
5 Management Tips (from a New Manager)
I’ve been at Search Influence for just over a year and a half. However, in the last four months my role has changed from managing clients to managing people: exciting and terrifying all at once. It is one thing to be great at your job, but it is another to be great at teaching other people to excel at their jobs.

Management decisions are not always clear, and in a managing role you will discover, at times, you need help to know the right resolution. Over the past several months I’ve taken note of what has been successful for me in my new role.

Look Up

Pull inspiration from the people above you. Everyone has a boss or a supervisor, use their experiences and successes to help guide you. Most likely, they have dealt with many of the problems you will face and can be a mentor for your tough decisions.

Take note, there is no standard style of management, however, discussing difficult situations and seeking encouragement from someone you look up to will build your confidence as a manager.

Change Your Focus

News flash: Your role is no longer about you! Before becoming a manager, your success was measured by task completion and things like client happiness or productivity. Now, you are measured on how well the people you manage can perform.

Making the switch from focusing on your own successes and failures to those of your team can be difficult, especially for young managers. Your successes are now graded upon how well your team succeeds. However, once you accept this, the “ah ha!” moments from your employees, will be incredibly gratifying experiences.

Get Help

Find blogs, news sources, and email alerts on management styles and approaches.

Great resources include:
Communicate Often

Be honest with your employees. Don’t be afraid to set expectations, give constructive criticism, or shower them in praise. When they are doing something right, acknowledge it, and acknowledge it publicly. Words of affirmation give encouragement and continue the preferred behavior. On that same note, don’t be afraid to take charge and have the more difficult conversations. Explain to your team what you expect from them. If they are not meeting your expectations, give them the resources and guidance on how to improve.

Ask for Feedback – And Use It

In the same vein of giving feedback, go out and ask for it! No one expects you to be perfect, but how can you get better without knowing your shortcomings and successes?

For many people it can be intimidating and difficult to hear what you need to improve upon. However, in the long run you will appreciate being able to create the right type of management skills.

Managing a team isn’t always easy. However, if you give yourself the right tools, you and your employees will have a better chance for success!
January 31, 2014
Search Influence Holiday Party

Here at Search Influence, we do things a little differently than most companies. Our office artwork is created by our employees, we play the same song every Friday at 5pm, and our holiday party is… well, a little later than most holiday parties.

This year, our holiday party fell on January 11, 2014 and employees didn’t have to travel far to get there (it was downstairs from our office at Oak Wine Bar)! For a special holiday bonus, the party fell at the same time as the Saints vs. Seahawks playoff game, so many Who Dat fans showed up in jerseys and other black and gold attire. Much to our dismay, the Saints couldn’t pull out a win, but we still managed to have a great time despite the loss!

Before the party, the whole office voted on the holiday drink name. Some ideas were “Will Scotch” (after CEO, Will Scott) and “The Optimizer.” The grand winner was “Under the Influence,” which was a delicious concoction of vodka, prosecco and St. Germain.

Many influencers enjoyed the photo booth at the party. The pictures from the photo booth are some of the best, and I think we may have broken a record for the most people in a photo booth picture (sorry Boogie Booth)!

All in all, the holiday party was a huge success. Who knows, maybe we’ll be lucky enough to have another holiday party in 2014!

January 15, 2014
Influencer Profile-Erica Rench

As Search Influence continues to grow, so do the departments! Erica Rench joined the Search Influence team in December to fill the newly created Operations Associate position, working under Operations Director Jeremy Brown. Erica comes to Search Influence after living and working in New Orleans for several years as an undergraduate student at Tulane, and as an Associate Director for Tulane’s Undergraduate Office of Admission. While working for Tulane, Erica also received her MBA.

As part of the Operations Department, Erica works to analyze and implement processes that support the Influencers in producing high quality work. Erica told me she loves getting to know everyone at Search Influence and seeing what she learned at Tulane being “put into action.” She is excited to see the company continue to grow at a rapid pace and loves how the variety of departments at Search Influence allow employees to discover what they’re really passionate about.

In her free time, Erica makes custom wedding headpieces for Wedding Belles bridal boutique on Magazine Street. She first became interested in wedding headpieces when planning her own wedding and realizing that there wasn’t a place in New Orleans where brides could hand pick headpieces, rather than ordering online. Erica also enjoys running, cooking, and exploring the local restaurant scene.

January 9, 2014
New Influencer Faces: January 2014

We are excited to welcome 12 new employees to the growing Search Influence team!

Account Management Team

Amanda Ball has been hired as an Accounts Coordinator. Born and raised in New Orleans, Amanda graduated from Delgado Community College with an associate’s degree in applied science with a concentration in Computer Applications. Prior to Search Influence, she worked for Ochsner Health Systems and recently did an internship at Delgado as an administrative office and technology marketing intern.

Chris Dopper has been hired as an Account Associate. She is originally from The Netherlands and moved from Amsterdam to New Orleans six months ago. Before joining Search Influence, Chris has worked for five years in Amsterdam and Brussels for Sanoma Media, one of the biggest publishers in Western Europe. Here she worked as an Online Marketer and Lifestyle Editor for brands like Cosmopolitan and Marie-Claire. Chris graduated from Rijksuniversiteit Groningen with a Master Degree in Communication and Information Science.

Cory Badeaux has been hired as a Junior Account Associate. Though born and raised in New Orleans, Cory has also lived in Connecticut, New York, and California. She attended Pepperdine University in Malibu, CA, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Integrated Marketing Communications. Before joining Search Influence, Cory worked in events and promotional marketing in Malibu as well as in New Orleans.

Kimberly Dominguez has joined Search Influence as an Account Associate. She graduated from Loyola University New Orleans with a degree in Mass Communication and a minor in marketing. A New Orleans native, Kimberly has a social media background working for local businesses such as ACCENT on Arrangements, a DMC Company, FestiGals, Gulf Coast Bank and Trust, and The Son of a Saint Foundation.

Lily Chen has been hired as an Account Associate. A New Orleans native, Lily received her bachelor’s from Vanderbilt University and recently her masters in marketing from New York University. Before returning to her home town, Lily has worked for various other companies executing both offline and online marketing campaigns.

Mallory Logan has been hired as an Account Associate. Mallory is excited to specialize in the fast growing industry of online marketing. Formerly, she worked on nation-wide political campaigns as a political account coordinator and the Louisiana International Film Festival as Social Media Manager. She enjoys being part of the unique culture in her hometown of New Orleans and cheering on her alma mater, the LSU Tigers.

Maureen Morphy has been hired as a Junior Account Associate. She was born and raised in New Orleans, and graduated from Louisiana State University with a degree in General Studies. Prior to joining Search Influence, she worked as a Public Relations Intern for BCBG Maxazria Corporate in their New York showroom, and as a Sales Associate for Saks Fifth Avenue.

Presley Brouillette has been hired as a Junior Account Associate. Originally from Baton Rouge, Presley graduated from LSU with a bachelor’s degree in mass communication with a concentration in public relations. Prior to graduating and working for Search Influence, Presley interned at SophistOccasions and Pelican House, both located in Baton Rouge, where she learned valuable marketing experience.

Online Advertising Team

Anne Rucker has been hired as an Online Advertising Associate. Originally from Texas, she received her bachelor’s degree in communications from Texas Tech University. Before moving to New Orleans from Austin, Anne worked as a project manager in the political sector.

Operations Team

Erica Salm Rench has been hired as an Operations Associate. Originally from the Greater Chicago Area, Erica came to New Orleans in 2004 to start her undergraduate years at Tulane University, where she earned both her Bachelor’s degree and her MBA. Before joining Search Influence, Erica worked as an Associate Director in Tulane’s Office of Undergraduate Admission.

January 7, 2014
Christmas Exploded in Here!

It’s the time of year again. Thats right, it’s time for competition, secrecy, a bucket of elbow grease, and years of training. Am I talking about the 2014 Winter Olympics? No, I can only be referring to the ruthless Christmas desk decorating contest!

This year Search Influence decided to challenge everyone in the office to gussy up their workspace all in the name of friendly competition and Christmas spirit. Candidates came from far and wide to participate in the annual games and bring the gold and the glory home to their department. The judges were chosen, the stage set, and the stakes were high.

As soon as the gun went off teammates Alison Zeringue and Gabrielle Benedetto bolted to the lead with a warm and classy gold touches, twinkling lights and garland. With their eyes on the prize, Maggie Bomze and Amanda Ball got creative with a Mean Girl’s themed desk complete with pink ribbons, pink lights, and candy cane grams!

Seeing the competition start to heat up, Kimberly Dominguez and Chris Dopper took their workspace to another level by wrapping their entire desk in red wrapping paper, hanging a garland christmas tree from the ceiling, and topping off their work with red ribbons. Armed with tape and Christmas glory, teammates Erika Karas and Jordan Polhemus wrapped their desks in bright green wrapping paper, hung tinsel and bows from every stationary object, and adorned the room’s only fireplace with stockings, garland, lights, and santa’s shoes coming down from the chimney.

In the final moments of the competition Maggie Emerson and Rebekah Durel pulled out all of the stops, hand making the largest wreath many of us had ever seen, hanging stockings, adorning their desk in white lights and it was all pulled together with a pink Christmas tree!

Right when we thought the competition was over, Sarah Gallagher and Samantha Wright charged ahead with the holiday gusto of old Saint Nick himself! Cindy Lou Who and the Grinch stole Christmas and the gold in the last second, just in time for the closing ceremonies! They came in full costume, had a poster of “Mount Crumpit,” and even stole odds and ends from everyone’s desks in true Grinch fashion.

From the ruthlessness we’ve witnessed at Search Influence I believe it is safe to say that no holiday contest is too “un-cool” for us Influencers. I’m looking at you, Groundhog Day!

January 2, 2014
Influencer Spotlight – Mary Silva

Mary Silva has been a part of the Search Influence team for nine months, and in that time she’s gotten a reputation for hard work and dedication. She’s become the go-to person for managing clients’ online presences when it comes to Google, Yahoo and Bing. She is also the person people run to when they need a call made to Google. Additionally, as an Internet Marketing Associate, Mary does basic editorial work for the content team and helps to create monthly reports for clients.

Mary Arthemise Silva, not be confused with her Aunt Arthemise Mary, carries on the tradition of bearing this family name, which gets flipped with each generation. So Mary has an aunt named Arthemise Mary and a grandmother named Mary Arthemise. As a native New Orleanian, Mary tells me all locals always want to know where you went to high school. So for all you locals out there, Mary graduated from Cabrini High School.

Outside of Search Influence, Mary works as a freelance photographer and musician. While she usually focuses on synth, guitar, and vocals, she can actually play seven different instruments. Recently, Mary had the crazy opportunity, through a co-worker, to photograph the band Fun. Mary specializes in creative portraiture photography and usually shoots senior portraits, live bands, and headshots. Every year, she photographs NOLA Fashion Week for designer Noël Martin. Fun fact: Mary also shot photos for the Search Influence website! In addition to working at Search Influence and freelancing in her spare time, Mary is also a marketing major at Tulane University and is looking forward to receiving her BSM in May 2014.

One of Mary’s photos from the recent Fun. concert in New Orleans.

When I asked Mary what the best part of working at Search Influence she said, “My favorite thing about working at SI is the people. I love my coworkers and have literally never had a bad experience with anyone in the office in the nine months that I’ve been here. We also have an awesome team building committee that puts together fun quarterly events for the company. It’s a really great way to interact with fellow Influencers since we spend a lot of our time working behind a computer.”

December 23, 2013