Bob’s Ramble: The Pillars that Guide Us

Hello! Hoping you all are happy and healthy.

As we approach the end of the simultaneously most inspiring and devastating event of our lifetime, I decided to write about something critical to me and our company in this Ramble: Discussing the “pillars” upon which our business and culture is built. I think most of us would agree that there isn’t enough positivity in our world, despite a lot of forward progress. In 1965, when Grammy Award winner Jackie DeShannon sang “What the World Needs Now is Love…,” she had it right and I think that will always be the case. The mid-sixties were a very challenging time, with the Vietnam War in full swing and daily death counts on the evening news. Just like back then, we still need more love…

About a year ago, we soft launched a parent company called EngageSmart (www.engagesmart.com) because we have several different solutions in our family: InvoiceCloud, SimplePractice, DonorDrive, HealthPay24 and IVR Technology Group. EngageSmart’s mission is to “Simplify Customer and Client Engagement.” More than 600 employees are dedicated to this mission, across many vertical industries.

We recently contracted with a very smart group of people who specialize in public relations. They pushed us to pull the common threads of our solutions and people together to weave a compelling narrative for how to describe ourselves (think “elevator pitch”). After multiple discussions with our servant leaders, the public relations gurus created a narrative around what they heard and concluded we stand for. While the process was somewhat arduous, the narrative provided meaningful clarity to us. As a natural but optimistic skeptic, it took me some time to consider the narrative and discussion around pillars before realizing that they nailed it. The four pillars that people working at InvoiceCloud and the other EngageSmart solutions embrace are Love, Agency, Connection, and Impact.

When first encountering this synopsis, it felt a little “mushy” to me. After reflection, I realized that not only is it not as mushy as it sounds, it isn’t mushy at all. Here is how I came to identify with these pillars.

Love for our employees and for our clients is what matters most. Love is at our core because we love growth for our clients and ourselves. 

Agency is what we inspire: in one another, in our clients, in the end user. Agency gives people the permission to try new things, the autonomy to get things done without frustration, and provides access to more and better options. 

Connection is our aim and method. The true aim of engagement is lasting connection. All of EngageSmart’s solutions not only connect our clients with leading technology, they also enable greater, more meaningful connections between clients and their customers.

Impact is our purpose and how we hold ourselves accountable. 

Our mission is to bring delight to even the most routine tasks and customer interactions for our clients and their customers. Our culture is one of joy, where people come to work with the knowledge that their work has purpose, and their individual contributions are valued. Our employees are not driven by financial goals, they are driven by helping clients simplify the important work they do.

In addition to bringing delight to the everyday experience between companies and their customers, EngageSmart is committed to serving the community. This means in the places our solution teams are based, and to the planet as a whole.

We have a long way to go, but these pillars provide us with a strong and aspirational foundation.

Agree or disagree? Comments, suggestions, and other thoughts are always welcome.