What’s more appropriate than for a cutting-edge podcasting services company to have a thoroughly modern company culture? Of Blubrry’s 12 team members, five are women, including two developers: an unusually high percentage for a tech company.
“Working in a male dominated industry, every woman counts,” says MacKenzie Bennett, Services and Affiliates Coordinator for Blubrry. “I’ve always wanted to work in media or a tech industry like podcasting, and I knew going in how hard it was going to be. Since I came on, I’ve seen Blubrry grow with more women, and see the benefits of a diverse team and environment. I value the relationships I have with other women in this field and the support that we provide one another.”
To Rawvoice/Blubrry CEO Todd Cochrane, hiring highly-qualified women is just a matter of course. “We are, obviously, an equal opportunity employer. We simply seek out the best candidates possible and have been extremely lucky to have hired a diverse team with varied backgrounds. I think this has helped us a lot as the whole team is part of the creative process in the tools and services we bring to market.”
Another thing that makes Blubrry’s dynamic unique: its 12 team members are spread across 7 states, utilizing technology to stay connected and move forward.
“When we started the company in 2005, we were a remote company, and for a number of years we all worked from home,” says Cochrane, explaining that when the Columbus, Ohio office opened and began adding on-site employees, it was the birth of a big transition. The company already had systems in place using Video Skype and GoToMeeting, and today, Blubrry depends heavily on Slack for internal communications.
Such a spread-out team begs the question: how do the East coast and West coast employees stay in sync? “The split in time zones has actually worked to our advantage,” says Cochrane. “It’s helped us maintain customer support coverage across the country. We have tech support on both coasts, and I cover emergencies for the night owls.”
To that end, Cochrane – who lives in Hawaii – points out that this model might not work for all companies. “My day starts at 4:30 AM so that I can talk with clients on the East coast.”
Just another example of thinking outside the box to serve its users, from a company that makes innovation and customer service its top priorities.