There are so many things that make this time of year special. So the Iceberg team decided to share some of our favorite holiday traditions.

There are so many things that make this time of year special. So the Iceberg team decided to share some of our favorite holiday traditions from our childhood and today.

CeCe Talbot- Web Designer

My favorite tradition growing up was the days leading up to Christmas, snooping around my parents’ closet to get a preview of the presents. There were times me and my brother tag-teamed it! But the best part was Christmas morning waking up my brother (he sleeps in). What makes holidays the best are your siblings, families, and pets!

Jessie Gutzwiller- Customer Service Representative

My favorite tradition growing up was getting and decorating our tree, we would always go out and get a real tree, and it had such a lovely smell and was so pretty to look at. Also, we mastered the craft of making the gifts look like they had not been opened for a teeny tiny little peek!

Mariann Martin- Project Manager

My favorite Christmas tradition growing up was the advent calendar.  We had one that told the Christmas story and counted down days until Christmas, and then we had one with little doors that my mom would put little treats and trinkets in.  We would rotate who read the storybook for the day and who got to open the door.

Hattie McCoy- SEO & Marketing Strategist

For many years of my childhood, my family insisted on getting a real tree. We would go to a different tree farm almost every year, sometimes as far as an hour away. My sister and I would cram into my dad’s truck, have hot chocolate, and pick out a tree. Then, we had an obligatory picture of us dragging the tree into the house. Then we all would avoid Dad, as he usually had a heck of a time trying to get the tree into the stand. It was best just to keep a distance, ha-ha.

Shane Bader- VP of Sales & Marketing

Growing up, I loved all the amazing food everyone brought—and of course, opening gifts.

Kyle Teeter- Website Developer

One of my favorite holiday traditions actually starts several weeks before Christmas when my family starts to read a little portion of the Christmas story every day leading up the Christmas Eve.

Jessi Gurr-Owner & CEO

When I was young, one of my favorite things to do around the holidays was listening to records in front of the Christmas tree. I would turn off all the lights in the house and turn on the tree lights. Then I’d put on the old holiday classics – The Osmond’s, The Carpenters, Johnny Mathis. I could listen to these records for hours.

Heather Erickson- SEO Content Writer

Growing up, my sister and I had enormous Christmas stockings! I always imagined they had been Santa’s stockings (I also thought he was a giant). So, when I had kids, I took my childhood stocking, used it as a pattern, and made every family member a giant quilted stocking. My third child was born just before Christmas, so we took a photo of him inside his stocking. Last year my kids decided to put our gifts in our stockings and skip the larger gifts. It saves on wrapping paper, and it’s like going back in time to when we were children.

Jessie Gutzwiller- Customer Service Representative

Today, my favorite tradition is mine and my daughters’ annual ornament party. It is the perfect chance to get together with friends and family you may not see at Christmas and is ALWAYS filled with laughter! I really love this because I know my daughter will continue this tradition!

Kari Sletten- VP of Operations

My favorite Christmas Tradition is lighting the Advent candles. I love starting with four brand new candles that are all the same size and then watching them get smaller and smaller as it gets closer to Christmas. When I was growing up, when we would light the new candle each Sunday, we would also read part of the Christmas story from the Bible and then add the corresponding characters to our Nativity set. For my family now, our tradition is a little bit different.

When we light the candles, we sing “O Come, O Come Emanuel.” We start with the first candle on the fourth Sunday before Christmas, and we sing only one small part of the song. For the whole week, whenever our whole family has dinner together, we light the candle and sing the first verse. Most of the time, it is goofy and terribly off-key. Then on Sunday, we light the first and second candles and add a verse to the song. By the time it is Christmas Eve, we light all four Candles and finally get to sing the entire song. I just love everything about this tradition. I love looking back at the candles and seeing how much we were able to be together as a family. Some of the weeks have many more family dinners than others, and you can tell by the difference in candle heights. I also love putting together the Advent wreath, trying to find the right size and shape of candles each year, and trying to get the dang things to stand up straight, which usually involves Play-Doh, gum, fancy space adhesive, or a hot glue gun.

Joshua Smith-Senior Web Developer

Our Christmas traditions have changed a bit over the years. Still, there are some Christmas traditions that I always enjoy… lighting candles & singing Silent Night at the Christmas Eve service, watching old Christmas movies, baking Christmas cookies, and gathering with family & friends.

Kyle Teeter- Website Developer

Another tradition that I really love is the actual Christmas dinner. Instead of doing a traditional menu, we typically try to make dishes that we haven’t tried before or comfort food from our childhoods.

Shane Bader- VP of Sales & Marketing

These days, my favorite traditions are being able to spend so much time with your family, our gift exchange, and cooking something non-traditional on Christmas. We’ve done crab boils, had oyster stew, and even steak!

Hattie McCoy- SEO & Marketing Strategist

My favorite tradition now has to be putting up the tree (even though I haven’t had a real tree in years). I like looking at all the ornaments and what different years represented by the decoration.. I look forward to sharing some of the memories with my son as he grows up! I also have to say baking gets an honorable mention, as some favorite cookies, this time of year are a must! 

Jessi Gurr-Owner & CEO

The first silent, magical snowfall of the year. Unwrapping ornaments, remembering where they came from, and hanging them on the tree. Chex Mix. Making lefse. The bright eyes of a child as they come downstairs on Christmas morning. There are so many things that make this time of year special!

From Our Team to Yours

Although some traditions change, the most important things stay the same. We wish you the very best this holiday season and into 2022!

If we can help you with anything, contact us or just give us a call! 763-350-8762

The post The Iceberg Team’s 2021 Holiday Traditions appeared first on Iceberg Web Design.

When you work with Iceberg Web Design, you work with an entire team of web marketing professionals. But just who are these people who are hard at work helping you connect with your customers? For the next couple of months, we will be profiling our team of penguins. Today we are talking with our Project Penguin: Mariann Martin. Mariann is our Project Manager, so every website client we take on will work with her throughout the website creation process.

Mariann | Project Penguin

As Iceberg’s Project Manager, Mariann keeps everything running smoothly and on track. She is adept at identifying potential problems and prevents issues from arising with her proactive approach.

How long have you worked for Iceberg?

Since April 17th, 2017

Have your duties changed since you first started working here?

Yes, I started as the CSR (Customer Service Representative), Project Manager, accounts receivable person.  Then I added content writing to that role.  After that, I dropped the CSR role.  And then added the VP of Finance role and dropped the content writing. Now I’m the Project Manager and VP of Finance

What do you do for Iceberg’s customers?

I am the main point of contact for customers when they have an open, active project.  I plan and organize their project within their scope of work and schedule our product calendar. I also handle all client billing.

What’s your favorite part of your job?

I like learning about the different businesses we serve.

What is your #1 goal when working with a customer?

To deliver on time and in scope.  Preferably early and over-deliver.

In what other industries have you worked?

Radio, Retail, and Automotive

Tell us a bit about your family (including pets):

I have a husband named Alexander (whom I call Alex). We got married in 2019.

Do you have any hobbies/special interests?

We keep plants, a lot of them, and hope to have someday a conservatory or year-round greenhouse full of them.

Although I have not done this much in recent years due to lack of space, I also sew. I hope to be able to do it more when I have a dedicated space for it soon. In addition, I love to make clothes from my designs.

Describe your perfect day:

To be at home with my husband and later have friends and family over for brunch and games.

Science or History? Which is your favorite and why?

Definitely history. It’s fascinating.  The history you learn in school is so limited, so there is always more out there to learn.

If you were guaranteed the correct answer to one question, what would you ask?

What are the meanings of life, the universe, and everything?

What is your best piece of advice? It can be about anything.

Drink more water.

Connect With Mariann or the Iceberg Team

There you have it. Thank you, Mariann, for sharing a bit about yourself for this week’s Penguin Profile. And thank you for all you do to keep our customer’s website projects running smoothly. 

Learn more about The Iceberg Team. Read Some Of Iceberg’s Reviews!

The post Penguin Profile:Mariann Martin | Iceberg Web Design appeared first on Iceberg Web Design.

At Iceberg Web Design, you get to have a dedicated partner with an invested team working for your business’s interests. Each month we have been featuring each of our team members in a profile post, so you can get to know the penguins better. This month, we are talking to Heather Erickson, our SEO Content Writer.

Heather | SEO Content Writer

I’m an SEO content writer and head of the content department at Iceberg Web Design. I was a freelancer, contracting with Iceberg from November 2019 until July of 2020, when Iceberg hired me to be on staff full-time.

Have your duties changed since you first started working here?

I started writing blog posts for customers who subscribe to our SEO writing services. That involves researching the business and the things about which their customers are concerned. Then, I write articles about those topics. I might be writing for a lawyer and an electrician one day, and the next, I could be writing for a roofer and a flooring company. So, I get a lot of variety.

Over time, I started taking on website projects. That’s an entirely different type of writing, but the same SEO principles apply.

What do you do for Iceberg’s customers?

Every website project that I write content for starts with a content interview. I prepare for the interview by doing some preliminary research and deciding what I need to prioritize since I will only have an hour with the client. That time can go very fast!

My job is to gather enough information from the content interview to put the business owner’s passion for what they do into words. I need to do it in a way that evokes trust and assurance to customers and gets customers excited about working with the business—all while making the copy search engine-friendly.

The process includes writing a couple of drafts to ensure I get all of the details right. Once I have delivered the final copy to development, I am pretty finished, other than checking the site before it goes live for any potential issues.

What’s your favorite part of your job?

My childhood dream job was to be a detective, so I love the content interviews and the research. I get to pull out important details to get an accurate picture to have on the website. Plus, I love getting to know our customers. It’s the one chance I have to really connect with them.

What is your #1 goal when working with a customer?

My number one goal is to help create a website that will fulfill their business’s needs. Sometimes that means they want sales. Other times they want to hire new staff because of high turnover. I love finding ways that their website can make their job easier. The truth is, we do much more than build websites. We build business solutions that happen to look like websites.

In what other industries have you worked?

Haha. You name it. I’ve been a nursing assistant, a waitress, a cashier, a trainer in restaurants. I guess I like the service industry. I was also a realtor for about ten years. My favorite job was homeschooling my kids. I got them through to college, which they each started at the age of 16.

Tell us a bit about your family (including pets):

I’m a widow. My husband had lung cancer for seven years before his death in 2019. Our kids are Matt (17), Samantha (19), and Summer (22). Summer just got married, so now I have a son-in-law, too! I have a gerbil. My youngest kids are allergic, or I would get something more interactive.

Do you have any hobbies/special interests?

I hunt wild mushrooms and am involved in the Minnesota Mycological Society. I also carve Wooden Duck Decoys. I don’t hunt, but I love the carving process. I enjoy learning Spanish, as well. I like learning anything.

What is something about you that might surprise your customers and co-workers?

I’m a true crime junkie.

Describe your perfect day:

Perfect weather, 72* with no humidity and a soft breeze rustling through the trees. I get to spend the day in the woods. I can walk, look for mushrooms, read, take a nap, relax. That sounds amazing to me.

Science or History? Which is your favorite and why?

I think history, though it is tough to choose. I love the stories that are attached to history. There are science stories, as well, but they aren’t well known.

If you were guaranteed the correct answer to one question, what would you ask?

“What should I do?” The key thing is to save that question for the most crucial moment—a pivotal point in time.

What is your best piece of advice? It can be about anything.

If you can learn from your mistakes, you turn them into life lessons. Then, they are no longer regrets or wasted moments in time.

My second-best piece of advice is to contact us at Iceberg Web Design for all of your website needs! 

Connect With Heather or the Iceberg Team

Learn more about The Iceberg Team. Read Some Of Iceberg’s Reviews!

The post Penguin Profile: Heather Erickson | Iceberg Web Design appeared first on Iceberg Web Design.

When you work with Iceberg Web Design, you get to have a dedicated partner with an invested team in your business’s interests. Each month we have been featuring each of our team members in a profile post, so you can get to know the penguins better. This month, we are talking to Hattie McCoy, our Marketing & SEO Penguin! 

Hattie | Marketing & SEO

How long have you been working for Iceberg?

 Over eight whole months! 

Have your duties changed since you first started working here?

 Duties are evolving but absolutely fit under the umbrella of my title.

What do you do for Iceberg’s customers?

I am privileged to work with many different types of companies on their SEO and Digital Marketing goals. The job varies by company but can include reputation management, Optimizing web pages to better-fit lead goals, google my business set up and monitoring, Google Ads, Keyword research, email campaigns, and more.

What’s your favorite part of your job?

I appreciate that the job looks a little different each day. I learn more about businesses and figure out how to better serve their customers, and I help them meet their milestones, whatever they may be.  We work with a lot of local businesses, and it’s great to be able to see the impact we can make to the small business and the local community.

What is your #1 goal when working with a customer?

I think paramount of my job is to make sure I am on the same page with our Customers. I need to understand their business well enough to speak to it and find out what they are looking for from their qualified leads/ customers. I think the plan is to be collaborative while making the dial turn for the business.

In what other industries have you worked?

I have worked in many jobs. Including radio, retail, custom perfumes, credit unions, data centers, and more! I have also moved from Iowa to Colorado to Minnesota. I think my varied experiences have made me a good fit in this position to work with very different businesses.

Tell us a bit about your family (including pets):

My husband, Mike, is an electrician who has the biggest heart and always wants to make sure everyone is having a great time. My dog Gimi is a 5-year-old Lab- Mutt that is a large (100 lbs) baby. I am also expecting a tiny human addition to my family in March 2021. I am excited to be a new mom! 

Do you have any hobbies/special interests?

I enjoy reading, playing video games, board games, binge-watching tv shows, hiking, swimming, trying new foods, and the occasional craft time. 

What is something about you that might surprise your customers and co-workers?

That I am an open book, and not much is super surprising. 

Describe your perfect day:

Great food, great company, great weather, and I’m there. 

Science or History? Which is your favorite and why?

It’s a tough choice because I think it’s good for everyone to know and appreciate both at least a little. I think I am probably a better history student, but I could easily get into a few specific science fields. I’ve always been pretty fascinated with psychology, and I think it probably draws a little on both history and science. 

If you were guaranteed the correct answer to one question, what would you ask?

How can I make the best positive impact?

What is your best piece of advice? It can be about anything

Some of our biggest disappointments are the expectations that we have that cannot be met. A lot of things are out of anyone’s control. Do the best you can with what you have, and you may find that there are a million ways to yes. 

Connect With Hattie or the Iceberg Team

Learn more about The Iceberg Team, Read Some Of Iceberg’s Reviews or Connect with Hattie on Linkedin!

The post Penguin Profile: Hattie McCoy| Iceberg Web Design appeared first on Iceberg Web Design.

Each month we have been featuring each of our team members in a profile post, so you can get to know the penguins better. This month, we are talking to Kyle Teeter. Kyle has been a Website Developer at Iceberg Web Design for the past three years.

Kyle | Website Developer Penguin

Have your duties changed since you first started working here?

I originally started as a CSR while I finished up my education in Software Engineering. Once I finished up the education, Iceberg needed a Website Developer and offered me a new position as a website developer.

What do you do for Iceberg’s customers?

As a Website Developer, I help customers maintain and update their websites and work with new clients to build marketing, e-commerce, and custom websites.

What’s your favorite part of your job?

I love being able to work with clients to solve problems. Web development goes far beyond just what the public sees, and I really enjoy the process of discovering how a website can help streamline things within the client’s business.

What is your #1 goal when working with a customer?

My number one goal is to listen to their needs and ideas. They are all experts in their fields, and we learn so much from them every day.

In what other industries have you worked?

I have worked in many other industries over the years, ranging from commercial fishing to education. 

Tell us a bit about your family (including pets):

My wife and I just moved back to Minnesota about two years ago. We have really enjoyed connecting with the community and exploring the area. We have two mischievous cats that are using finding ways to ambush each other when they are not sleeping.

Do you have any hobbies/special interests?

Recently, I have been learning a few new sports like rollerblading and cross-country skiing. Also, I have a lot of fun trying to make new recipes, often inspired by international tv shows.

What is something about you that might surprise your customers and co-workers?

You might be surprised to know that I have a side business in the education industry. It has been challenging, but everything I have learned in the process makes it easier for me to connect with other business owners.

Describe your perfect day.

While I do love my work, I would have to say that a perfect day for me would be spent with my family doing the things that we love to do.

Science or History? Which is your favorite and why?

That is a hard one. I enjoy both, but I would have to go with science. The process of asking questions, creating a hypothesis, etc., is really enjoyable for me. I am quite curious and pretty easily fascinated by things.  

If you were guaranteed the correct answer to one question, what would you ask?

What untruths do I currently believe?

What is your best piece of advice? It can be about anything.

“Listen to advice and accept discipline; then you, too, will become wise. People might make many plans, but what the Lord says is what will happen.” – Proverbs 19:20-21

Meet All the Penguins!

Kyle and the rest of the penguins at Iceberg Web Design look forward to helping you solve your business problems. Contact us to meet all the penguins as we create your next website!

The post Penguin Profile: Kyle Teeter | Iceberg Web Design appeared first on Iceberg Web Design.

When you work with Iceberg Web Design, you will meet their entire team of web marketing professionals. Each of us on the team has a unique role in making sure that your website becomes a powerful tool for your business. But who are these penguins who are helping you connect with your customers? Recently, we’ve been profiling our team of penguins.

Over the past couple of months, we’ve been introducing you to some of the Penguins at Team Iceberg. Next up to bat is..

LENNY!  Just kidding it’s his dad, Shane Bader, Vice President of Sales and Marketing! 

Shane | VP of Sales & Marketing

How long have you been working for Iceberg?

Nearly five years

Have your duties changed since you first started working here? 

Yes. I started in sales and have since taken on the role of heading up the marketing department.

What do you do for Iceberg’s customers? 

I consult with our customers on their website and digital marketing goals.  From there, I provide a solution that will attain these goals. 

What’s your favorite part of your job? 

Building long-lasting relationships with both our customers and our team members. 

What is your number one goal when working with a customer? 

To see them succeed. After working with Iceberg for almost five years, I hear quite a bit about [our clients’] successes. While working together on a project, we get to know their business well.  Then we see the direct results of them achieving their goals like:  A home builder we work with built 50 homes beyond what they predicted they would; An irrigation company that we started working with four years ago now has a staff and full-time work. A roofing company we work with more than doubled their traffic and leads from last year. It’s great to see clients succeed.

In what other industries have you worked? 

I have worked as an insurance agent, bartender, and sales director.

Tell us a bit about your family (including pets). 

My wife’s name is Britta, and we have a daughter named Adilyn, who is nearly two. We also have a four-year-old dog named Lenny. We adopted him from a rescue organization called  Secondhand Hounds.

Lenny is pictured at the top!

Do you have any hobbies or special interests? 

I like to hike, fish, and enjoy the outdoors. I also play music. I have turntables and mix records for house and techno.

What is something about you that might surprise your customers and co-workers?

I’m on a Kickball Team called the Cannibalz.

Describe your perfect day.

A day in a fishing boat with friends and family on a Minnesota lake.

Science or History? Which is your favorite and why? 

History, I like to learn how things happened. I love music documentaries and biographies.

If you were guaranteed the correct answer to one question, what would you ask?

What is the missing link in human evolution?

What is your best piece of advice? It can be about anything.

Stay positive through life’s challenges. 

Find out more!

Connect with Shane on LinkedIn.  For all of your online marketing needs, you can contact us at Iceberg Web Design.

 Contact Iceberg Web Design today to see what we can do for your business today! 

Read Our Reviews

The post Shane Bader | VP of Sales and Marketing | Iceberg Web Design Inc. appeared first on Iceberg Web Design.

Today we are profiling our Support Penguin: Jessie Gutzwiller. Jessie is our customer service representative. She handles Support and Maintenance, keeping websites running smoothly long after they are built.

Jessie | CSR Penguin

How long have you worked for Iceberg?

 1.5 years 

Have your duties changed since you first started working here?

Yes, I started as a customer service rep, and now I am doing more developer duties such as website edits, changes, updating plugins for maintenance customers, posting blogs, adding pages.

What do you do for Iceberg’s customers? 

Answer calls and emails to address questions, problems, payments, updates, changes. Try to resolve any issues as quickly and efficiently as possible. 

What is your favorite part of your job?

I enjoy talking with customers, especially when I can quickly solve an issue or a question and make their day better. 

What is your #1 goal when working with a customer?

My goal is to help a customer with their inquiry or issue, quickly. 

 In what other industries have you worked?

Mainly administrative or customer service in Mental health, physical therapy, industrial, commercial, retail, medical, and now digital. 

Tell us a bit about your family, including pets:

We live just north of the Anoka area and have been here for seven years. We have two pets, Charlie is a yellow Labrador retriever and a goofball, and Ted is our cat, who is an orange, fluffy pile of mellow LOVE! 

Do you have any hobbies or interests?

Yes, I have been making jewelry in my spare time for about 12 years, and I absolutely love to plant flowers in the Spring. Although winter is not my favorite season, Christmas is my favorite holiday, and I decorate my entire house inside and out! 

What is something that may surprise your customers or co-workers? 

I love miniatures of most anything, and I have a small collection of tiny hats! 

Describe your perfect day:

Going to the nursery on a beautiful spring day and filling my car and trunk with flowers, and spending the day outside planting. 

Science or History? 

Well, in school I did better in History, so I guess…History. 

What is your best piece of advice?

Have Faith! 

Need Web Design or Development, Digital Marketing Solutions?

If you have any digital marketing or website needs, Iceberg Web Design has a solution for you. Jessie offers the best customer service!

Contact Iceberg Web Design today to see what we can do for your business today! 

Read Our Reviews

The post Jessie Gutzwiller Customer Support | Iceberg Web Design appeared first on Iceberg Web Design.

When you work with Iceberg Web Design, you are working with an entire team of website development and design professionals. But just who are these penguins who are hard at work helping you connect with your customers? Today, we are talking with our Code Penguin: Kari Sletten. As Iceberg’s VP of Operations and one of our Developers, and a website designer, she is a penguin who wears many hats.

Kari: VP of Operations | Website Developer | Code Penguin

How long have you been working for Iceberg?

Four years

Have your duties changed since you first started working here?

When I started working at Iceberg, I was a part-time assistant web developer. I had been doing freelance website design work while being home with my small kids. I wasn’t quite sure I was ready to return to full-time work, but I interviewed for a developer position at Iceberg, and we were such a good fit for each other that Jessi and I worked out a great win-win situation. A year later, I was working full-time hours as a developer, and in 2019 I was promoted to the VP of Operations, so now I manage the entire operations department, which includes development, content-writing, and project management.

What do you do for Iceberg Web Design’s customers?

I design mockups, work through the functionality of features, site build-outs, and everyone’s favorite – launch websites!

What’s your favorite part of your job?

I love to solve problems. I really like listening to a customer explain what is unique to their business or a challenge they are having with their business and then thinking of how their online presence can be used to enhance that aspect of their business or solve that pain point. I have created a lot of really cool form solutions for customers in the past. 

What is your #1 goal when working with a customer?

To make them love me forever.

In what other industries have you worked?

In my past life, I was the Information Technology Director for a small rural county in Virginia. Having experience in local government, and especially working with all the different departments, has been invaluable in learning to communicate with all different kinds of groups with very different technology needs.

Tell us a bit about your family (including pets):

My husband Jeff is a Physical Therapist, which means that he gets paid to inflict pain on other people. Just kidding. He also loves to solve problems and find out what is the underlying cause of an issue. We have two kids that keep us busy with sports and friends and general chaos and shenanigans.

Do you have any hobbies/special interests?

I wish I had more time for hobbies, but nothing beats watching your kids do something they enjoy! When I find myself with rare free time, I like to be outside working in the yard or taking on an overly ambitious house project.

What is something about you that might surprise Iceberg customers and co-workers?

I’m a pretty open book, so coworkers and customers probably already know way too much about me, but people are always surprised to find out how much of an introvert I am. While I love to talk and laugh, it is incredibly draining for me to interact with people, and if I don’t have any time by myself to just think, you better watch out!

Describe your perfect day:

Sleeping in, drinking coffee, going for a walk, drinking more coffee, eating donuts, laughing a lot, and an evening bonfire.

Science or History? Which is your favorite and why?

My dad was a history teacher. I never cared for it much growing up, but now I am pretty interested in the lessons we can learn from history. 

If you were guaranteed the correct answer to one question, what would you ask? 

What happens when you die?

What is your best piece of advice? It can be about anything.

Just try. Even if you fail miserably, you should never be ashamed of trying to do something, no matter what it is. You can always improve, apologize if you screw up, or change your mind, but you can never have back the times when you wanted to try something but didn’t take the chance.

Need Web Design or Development, Digital Marketing Solutions?

If you have any digital marketing or website needs, Iceberg Web Design has a solution for you. Kari is likely to be a part of that solution. Contact Iceberg Web Design today to see what we can do for your business today! 

The post Penguin Profile: Kari Sletten | Iceberg Web Design appeared first on Iceberg Web Design.

Jessi: CEO of Iceberg Web Design 

How long have you been working for Iceberg? 

Since the day I started the company: May 20, 2005

Have your duties changed since you first started working here? 

YES! Incredibly. Back in 2005, I was the only “employee,” so I handled everything from marketing to sales to building websites….support, billing, and accounting. Over the years, as we have grown organically, I have slowly moved out of these roles as I hired others to do them. Today, I work on more of the higher-level business operations and team management, though I’m still involved in many of the operations – just a bit more in a consultative role.

What do you do for Iceberg’s customers? 

Ensure that they are connected to the right person on our team, who can help them solve whatever problem they are currently facing  

What’s your favorite part of your job? 

Honestly, I love creating new jobs and watching every member of our team grow in their position. While I’ve always enjoyed building websites – which is why this company exists – today, I am most passionate about growing the business. I really enjoy the additional networking opportunities that have come up in the past few years and meeting with other business owners in our space. I love helping everyone on our team succeed, and I especially love when a customer is happy with their project and leaves us a good review or gives us a referral. 

What is your #1 goal when working with a customer? 

I’ve always placed a lot of attention towards the fast turnaround and fast response. My goal is to impress our customers by getting back to them quickly, with quality work.

In what other industries have you worked? 

Before starting Iceberg, I was a customer service representative at an Internet Service Provider. We sold the dial-up Internet. Hah! I was also the manager (only employee) at a volunteer-run Food Co-op in Morris for a few years while Iceberg was in its early stages and managed everything from inventory and ordering to volunteer staffing, and I enjoyed interacting with local farmers.  In high school, I worked in the Box Office at the Showplace 16 movie theater. 

Jessi is about more than just work

Tell us a bit about your family (including pets): 

I have two boys, Cedar and River, ages 7 and 5. They keep life thrilling and challenge me daily. They attend the Montessori school in Anoka, and I’m pretty active in their school as a board member. I also have two cats, Niko and Kallie. 

Do you have any hobbies/special interests? 

I enjoy gardening, and in the past had a vegetable garden that was bigger than my house I recently moved, so I’m working on getting a new garden started. I absolutely LOVE to travel and seek out conferences and business opportunities across the states (and even internationally), to share my experiences building a business while spending some time sightseeing. I’ve taken many trips with my kids, and we’re planning an epic trip once traveling can safely resume. I also make candles every fall, which are for sale at my family’s farm in Andover, MN.

What is something about you that might surprise your customers and co-workers? 

I’m struggling with this question. I’m kind of an open book, and I feel like most of our team knows a lot about me already. 

I once rode down a German Autobahn in a Winnebago with a couple I had just met the night before, listening to Simon & Garfunkel. 

Describe your perfect day: 

It would most definitely start by heading to the airport and boarding a plane – seat 10 A. Soaring over an ocean to a country I haven’t yet visited. Bonus if the trip could only take a couple of hours, but take me halfway around the world. I’d have my kids with me, and we would check into a charming motel or AirBNB and map out our adventures for the next month. We’d order an AMAZING vegan dinner and spend the evening getting to know people who lived in the neighborhood. 

Now for some deeper questions

Science or History? Which is your favorite and why? 

Science, without a doubt. I love experimentation, and earth sciences, in particular, fascinate me. I’m also enthralled by the cosmos and love watching scientific documentaries.

If you were guaranteed the correct answer to one question, what would you ask? 

If 42 is the answer, what is the question?

What is your best piece of advice? It can be about anything. 

Only “do it yourself” if you truly enjoy doing the work. Time is more important than money, and if you can gain more time by hiring someone to do something they love doing more than you, then everybody wins. 

We would love to talk to you about your web marketing needs. Contact us anytime to learn how our team can help your business grow!

Connect with Jessi on LinkedIn 

The post Penguin Profile: Jessi Gurr | Iceberg Web Design appeared first on Iceberg Web Design.

Most people would agree that 2020 has been a year, unlike any other. There have been a lot of ups and downs. The good news is that means there have been some ups. Those ups are the focus of today’s post as we look at what us here at Iceberg are thankful for.

We are sharing a conversation from our Company Slack about what we are each thankful for.

heather   

This is a little last minute, but is there ever a deadline on thankfulness? In this year of ups and downs, I would like to write a short post about what we are thankful for here at Iceberg. Could everyone share a few things? Thank you!

jessie   

I am thankful we are in an industry that we are able to work from home. 

heather    

Me too! What else? Ted’s got to be on that list. 

jessie 

I am VERY thankful for Ted, and that he is feeling better, I am thankful for my family and my home and for Charlie! I am thankful my mom is feeling better.

hattie  

It’s been a weird year to move to a new state, but I think it’s all worked out for the best. I couldn’t be happier with a new job here and my new community. Also, thankful for my growing family  Mike Gimli and new baby on the way! 

shane 

I’m thankful we are all safe and able to work effectively from home.   I’m Thankful that Lenny gets so much time with us since we are home.

jessi   

I am SUPER thankful for all of you, sticking with it and adapting to this new crazy work/life combination schedule. And for being patient with each other, as we all deal with our individual struggles during the pandemic.  And thankful that our customers have been supportive and understanding. And very thankful that people still need help with their websites.

kyle  

Company-wise, I am really thankful to work with such a cool team. I always learn a lot from you all, and you all even let me break things and learn, which is pretty fun. Also, really grateful we started EOS before the pandemic. I feel like it has really helped us be able to deal with all the changes and issues that have come up.

kari   

I am really thankful we have all stayed healthy through this! And I am very thankful for all of your grace and patience, and understanding as I work with the kid’s home distance learning.

mariann 

I’m thankful we all have been able to keep our jobs and this company running during this pandemic.
I’m thankful all of us are fortunate enough to be worrying about groceries or ordering food from restaurants this thanksgiving instead of waiting in food lines with the 50+ million Americans. I’m thankful that everyone I know who has had COVID has survived.  I’m thankful that MN is leading in vaccination planning, and our nursing home staff and residents will receive the first doses of the vaccine within 48 hours of FDA approval.

heather

I’m thankful that my family has stayed healthy so far. And I am especially grateful to work with such a fantastic team, doing what I love. There is always something to be thankful for, no matter what time of year it is or what pandemic we are living through. At Iceberg Web Design, we are especially thankful for our clients. We wish everyone a happy, healthy Thanksgiving, even if it doesn’t look like those we have celebrated in the past.

The post Thanksgiving at Iceberg 2020 appeared first on Iceberg Web Design.