As the leader of ISG’s robust marketing team, Abby Gram is a resilient creative force who is always ready for the next challenge. Read on to learn about ISG’s #Allin culture, some surprises about the marketing team, her time on the muddy Mississippi, and why she encourages others to “just keep swimming.”
When I first joined ISG, I was just diving into the architecture and engineering side of the AEC industry. I was a fish out of water in a sea of technicality. Coming from a completely different background, everything sounded like a foreign language to me, and I was tasked with not only writing about it, but selling it. At one point while overwhelmed with a new environment, team, and ISG’s crazy fast pace, I was chasing a deadline and working well into the night alongside a seasoned ISGer and lifelong optimist. Seeing that I was drowning, she cheerfully said “If you are expecting to ever leave for the day feeling caught up, you won’t. Just keep swimming.” Now, on days of multiple deadlines and unforeseen fire drills, if you listen you may just hear a nearby marketer happily humming ‘Just keep swimming’ from Disney’s Finding Nemo as they plug away at their work.
Fast walkers. Pace setters. No jerks. We all pull our weight and approach everything as a team working toward a common goal. Because we are employee owners, people are excited and jump at the opportunity to contribute to a project. We have a big group of achievers, and it is really impressive to see everyone equally invested in making an impact and determined to do it better than our competition. Everyone is truly #Allin.
Industry peers and competition are always surprised to learn how much ISG invests in its marketing team, as can be seen in the breadth and depth of our talent. Having a marketing team of our size in the AEC industry is uncommon, but clearly, we have seen the benefits, including in the many ways we show up stronger than our competition.
Internally, I think our employee owners would be surprised to learn how many projects and deliverables we touch outside of strategic communications and project pursuits (proposals). Our job is to help make ISG and its employee owners look good while staying behind the scenes, and I believe we do a pretty decent job of that.
One of the most rewarding parts of my job is the working relationships I get to create firm wide. Because marketing is a shared service team, we get to interact throughout all of our 13 locations, 12 business units, and 27 disciplines–forming relationships with architects, project managers, interior designers, engineers, and so many more AEC professionals. We learn from each other and grow together.
Spending time boating with my family on the muddy Mississippi is one on my favorite summertime activities. We enjoy hanging out on the boat, fishing off the dock, grilling out, exploring the back waters, and camping on the different beaches along the river. I switch gears in the fall and winter months, spending my time creating some killer Halloween costumes for my kids and drawing graphite and charcoal portraits.
#EmployeeOwner #ISGBloomington #DirectorOfMarketing #ISGAllin
As ISG continues to grow and expand to new geographies, we want to share a few non-traditional benefits that have come with employee owners choosing to relocate. Culture transplants ensure that as we continue to grow, we stay true to our core values, mission, purpose, and culture, which not only benefits ISG employee owners, but our clients as well. This why we encourage relocation across all our locations.
If you know Mallorie, you know that she is anything short of how she describes her fellow coworkers–friendly, helpful, humble, fun, and knowledgeable. For nearly eight years, this Senior Graphic Designer has been making an impact at ISG with her creativity and bright personality. What brought her to ISG and what is her favorite part about working here? If you guessed the people, Mankato’s patio, and projects, you’re halfway there.
As the leader of ISG’s robust marketing team, Abby Gram is a resilient creative force who is always ready for the next challenge. Read on to learn about ISG’s #Allin culture, some surprises about the marketing team, her time on the muddy Mississippi, and why she encourages others to “just keep swimming.”
As a Project Accountant and former Support Specialist, Bill Bartz continues to serve as an important link between projects and employee owners. Learn more about Bill’s journey to ISG, the importance of a first-class team, and get an inside scoop about the Green Bay office and some of Bill’s favorite post-work activities!
ISG’s Caleb Rasmussen is a steward for conservation through his role as a civil engineer. Focusing on surface water, Caleb works on the unique waterways of the Midwest to improve water quality and wildlife. Even though he spends much of his time outside while on the job, you can still find him enjoying the outdoors working with his livestock or spending time with his family.
What do you get when you combine real-world experiences, a collaborative team environment, strengths-focused personal and professional development, and exposure to a positive working culture? One rockin’ internship with ISG! This year, ISG welcomed 35 interns into our offices—investing in their experiences by providing customized and meaningful opportunities that mutually impact our firm and each student.