Guess what? 1 Bold Step just made the list of West Michigan's Best and Brightest Companies to Work For in 2025! We're pretty excited about this recognition from the National Association for Business Resources (NABR).
It's a big deal. Our team puts a lot of effort into creating our take on what the best place to work should feel and look like. And then we try to bring that vision to life. This award shows that work is paying off.
What's This Award All About?
If you're not familiar with the Best and Brightest program, it's been shining a spotlight on awesome workplaces for over 25 years. Companies go through a rigorous evaluation of 10 different criteria, from company performance to employee wellness.
They want to know how well your company works, both with clients and with the team you have in place. The competition is tough. Only about 1 in 10 companies that apply make the cut.
So yeah, we're proud to be in such good company with other West Michigan organizations who are raising the bar on what makes a great place to work.
Our Perfect Blend: A Culture Mixed with Purpose
When our CEO, Jennifer Jurgens, and President, Adam Clarke, founded 1 Bold Step in 2019, they didn't just want to create another marketing agency. They wanted to build something different – a growth agency with a culture as intentional as the strategies they would create for their clients.
Fast-forward to today, and 1 Bold Step has grown from a small team to more than 20 full-time employees serving manufacturing, tech, and professional service companies throughout the Midwest. Along the way, we've stuck to our four core values that keep us grounded:
- Be Bold (because playing it safe never changed the game)
- Be the Aspirin (solve problems, don't cause headaches)
- Be Accountable (own it, all of it)
- Be Real (authenticity matters)
To bring this to life, we created a Culture Committee. They meet regularly with representatives from each department to make sure we're living these values every day.
The Stuff That Makes Working Here Different
We've built our culture around a mix of structure and flexibility that works for real people with real lives. Every Friday, we get together to share wins and plan for the coming week. We have regular department check-ins using the EOS framework, and quarterly all-hands meetings where we share everything – yep, even the financial numbers.
We designed our hybrid schedule to give us the best of both worlds: we're in the office Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday for collaboration, and remote on Monday and Wednesday. As it turns out, the perfect work week has both in-person high-fives and at-home coffee breaks
To make hybrid work actually work, we've invested in cool tech like OWL devices that give a panoramic view of meeting rooms and AI assistants that take notes, so everyone can be present instead of frantically typing.
Our office keeps evolving, too. We’ve recently added privacy booths and adjustable desks. And there are plans in the works for even more improvements, like a dedicated maternity space.
We provide each team member with their own budget for education and professional development, unlimited PTO, along with paid time to work with their favorite charity.
But it's not just about “work”. We're big on celebrating both professional wins and personal milestones. Such as our "Bold Baby" diaper showers to celebrate new parents. We've had five so far, with another on the way!
And who doesn’t love a good Halloween costume day? While our annual "Worksgiving" potlucks bring out everyone's signature dishes, and yes, we do have at least one karaoke night each year (it's literally on our EOS vision board).
We are always looking for an excuse to share a meal together. And we spend some special time together a few times a year, working with local charities directly and through fundraising projects. It seems like a lot, but it all creates better outcomes for our company and our clients.
How Happy Employees Make Happy Clients
Creating a great workplace isn't just about making our team happy, though that's definitely important to us. It's about building the foundation for delivering exceptional results to our clients.
As a growth agency, our entire business revolves around helping companies break through plateaus and achieve predictable growth. By applying the same lean methodology internally that we recommend to clients, we're practicing what we preach. Our culture of continuous improvement, transparent communication, and cross-departmental alignment mirrors exactly what we help our clients achieve.
This alignment shows up in real ways. Earlier this year, our entire team completed Growclass together, ensuring everyone from our strategists to our developers shares the same knowledge base and speaks the same language. This shared understanding helps us break down the silos between marketing, sales, and customer success—both within our walls and for the businesses we serve.
Our Diamond-level HubSpot Partner status wasn't achieved by accident. It came from intentionally building a team that collaborates effectively and invests in ongoing learning. When our team members feel valued and supported, they bring that same care and attention to client relationships.
Being named one of West Michigan's Best and Brightest Companies is a wonderful recognition, but the real win is seeing how our culture directly translates to client success. Because when we say we transform visions into strategic growth, we're not just talking about what we do for clients—we're describing how we built our own company.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:
Jennifer Kluge (586) 393-8813
National Association for Business Resources Announces the West Michigan’s 2025 Best and Brightest Companies to Work For® Winners
April 16, 2025 — The Best and Brightest Companies to Work For® is proud to announce and honor the newest 2025 West Michigan’s winning companies. Only companies that distinguish themselves as having the most innovative business acuteness and human resource practices can be bestowed this honor. (See the following list for winners). Considering the ten to one ratio of this program, these winning companies are truly innovative in their employee engagement execution.
The winning companies will be honored on Wednesday May 21, 2025, at The Pinnacle Center in Hudsonville, MI. If you are interested in attending, sponsoring, advertising or exhibiting a the conference contact the Best and Brightest at 866-321-1822 or visit www.nationalbiz.org.
The winning companies were evaluated by an independent research firm that reviewed several key metrics. The categories for scoring included: Compensation, Benefits, and Employee Solutions; Creative Wellness and Wellbeing Solutions; Employee Enrichment, Engagement, and Retention; Employee Education and Development; Recruitment and Selection; Employee Achievement and Recognition; Communication and Shared Vision; Civility and Inclusion; Work-Life Blend; Community Initiatives and Corporate Responsibility; and Leadership, Strategy, and Company Performance.
With over 25 years of experience conducting the Best and Brightest competitions, the National Association for Business Resources (NABR) has identified numerous best Human Resource practices and provided benchmarking for companies that continue to be leaders in employment standards.
Jennifer Kluge, President and CEO of NABR and the Best & Brightest Programs, emphasized that “these companies have excelled by prioritizing their workplace culture. By putting their employees first, this exceptional group of top-tier leaders has created a strong foundation that sets them apart as leaders in their industries and communities.”
About the National Association for Business Resources’ Best and Brightest Programs The National Association for Business Resources offers an array of recognition programs that celebrate excellence in various aspects of business, including workplace culture, wellness initiatives, and leadership. These programs include the Best and Brightest Companies to Work For, Best and Brightest in Wellness, Best and Brightest CEOs and Leadership Teams which are presented in several markets that include Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Milwaukee, Nashville, New England, New York, Northern California, Pacific Northwest, Southern California, South Florida, West Michigan and Nationally. Nominations are now being accepted for all programs. Visit https://nationalbiz.org/ to obtain an application.
