Our old office was quaint. It was cozy. It was the perfect place for a young guy with big dreams to start creating his future (literally). There was charm in the creaks and cracks of the old building. We would joke about what was hidden behind the patched red brick in our offices (use your imagination), but secretly, we all loved the history left standing. Built in 1891, it was originally home to a grocery store and a constable. This building,our building, had withstood two world wars, the great depression, the civil rights movement, JFK’s assassination, hippies, yuppies, N’Sync, 9/11, Facebook, the second great depression, and the death of Steve Jobs (breath) – our centenarian friend had seen more than any of us could imagine. But as time passes, people grow, businesses mature, and we have to move on. In other words, we were packed in like sardines. Our small business had grown from two employees to nine and we could no longer roam the office without bumping in to a chair, table or co-worker. It’s like when a family knows they can no longer survive with one bathroom in the house. It was just time.

After months of searching, planning, and prepping for the new office, we have finally moved in. It was a big move – approximately 282 steps further east on 4th street, big. That’s right. We found the perfect office a block and a half away from our old one. Why is this place so perfect? For starters, it’s three times the size of our old office. We might actually need to install an intercom system; it’s like playing hide ‘n’ seek trying to find someone in there. Second, we have white boards everywhere. It’s an information architect’s dream (or at least Kurt’s dream). We are thinking about getting tool belts to hold our expo markers and erasers… too nerdy? (I’m kidding) Third, it has a considerable amount of natural light, a nice change after being sandwiched between two other buildings. On the downside, I think I may need to start upping my daily SPF usage. Fourth, we have a real conference room (again). There will be no need for someone to convert that to an office when we make a new hire. Fifth, we no longer have to eat with paper and plastic because we have a dishwasher (yay for reusable cutlery and saving mother earth).

The list could go on. I could talk about our fancy new furniture, ping-pong table, separate bathrooms, smart TV, and soon-to-be organized resource library (all very exciting things), but this is only the first post. I can’t give everything away. Needless to say we are ecstatic about our new office. It’s big and modern and new. There are no patched brick walls or tin ceilings to be found. While it may not be as cozy as 208 East 4th Street used to be, we are making it home.

The tin ceiling was my favorite. It will be missed.

Our new address is:

402 East 4th Street, Floor 2
Waterloo, Iowa 50703