This month we sat down with our Founder and CEO, Mikaela Kiner, and two Reverb veterans: Janet Cho, Senior People Operations Consultant, and Gary Ford, Leadership Development Facilitator to talk about the evolution of Reverb. When Janet and Gary joined over six years ago, Reverb was a small but mighty team of 10. Even though we have scaled since then, ending 2021 with a team of 70, Reverb remains committed to providing the same flexible, kind, and exceptional service Mikaela set out to deliver the day she founded the company.
MK: I still remember early on, not knowing if I wanted to build a team, and not knowing how much I could grow Reverb without wearing myself out. The company is bigger but the days are easier because the people are amazing. I focus on not stressing about the small stuff. I do a lot of perspective taking, something I wish I’d done earlier in my career. I always say that Reverb is a social experiment. I started the company asking myself the question “If you surround yourself with amazing people can you do bigger things with even less stress?” The answer is yes, and I tell people all the time that this is the best job I’ve ever had.
Reverb’s values are: Flexible, Exceptional, Kind, Fun Team – No Politics, and Principled. How have these values changed or stayed the same during your time at Reverb?
JC: Even if the values have changed or evolved at Reverb since I first joined, they still personify Mikaela. Companies are always leader led. Mikaela is a good egg, a buoy in a rough and competitive storm. Although the values have become more defined throughout the years, the strong foundation of Reverb remains the same.
GF: I don’t remember exactly when these were put into place, but I don’t remember a time when they weren’t lived.
How have you experienced Mikaela’s journey as a leader? In what ways has she grown and in what ways has she stayed the same?
JC: Mikaela has been a leader as long as I’ve known her, even as an individual contributor. She has gravitas and grace. Mikaela has definitely scaled as a leader, due to one of her many superpowers: the ability to delegate. She’s hired great people to allow Reverb to scale, never becoming a micromanager. Mikaela has always walked the talk. Our group represents diversity and we try to live the values we preach to our clients.
GF: COVID has inevitably made those who are remote feel even more remote, and then I moved a continent and an ocean away. As Reverb has grown, I’ve interacted less and less with Mikaela, however when I declared my intention to move to France and find a way to stay with Reverb, it was so nice to have a 1:1 with her. She’s done an incredible job building her business. She strikes me as someone both bold and intentional.
If you ran into someone in the street 10 years from now and you find out they know about Reverb, in one sentence what would you want them to say?
JC: Good people, good work.
GF: Whatever service we provided to them, we delivered what we promised and helped them achieve their business goals. I’m so happy to have been able to work with Mikaela and the rest of the Reverb team. It’s been the best work experience that I’ve ever had.
MK: Starting a business allows you to choose who you work with and more. I’m grateful every day for this team as well as our vendors, partners, and clients. Social impact and helping create better places to work have always been goals of mine, in addition to just running the business. In time, we hope to earn our B Corp certification. How do I want Reverb to be remembered? I want people to be familiar with us, feel good about their relationship with Reverb, and know what we stand for.
With growth comes change. Check out our newly designed website, logo, and brand here: https://reverbpeople.com/
