Map and Fire

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the President of Bennett Communication Solutions

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We are a telephone answering service/call-center, answering inbound customer support, service and emergency calls 24/7.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Map and Fire to accomplish?

• The goal for ATSI was to identify how customer preferences were evolving when buying call center/telephone answering service service
• Determine customers' preferred communication channels (phone, live chat, ai/bot, email, etc)
• Measure acceptance of AI in customer service
• Identify the value of live agents
• Understand the perceptions of accents in call center space (Offshore vs traditional dialect)
• Industry-specific expectations (HVAC, Plumbing, Healthcare, property management, etc)
• What factors create a positive customer service experience
• Pain points customers have

SOLUTION

How did you find Map and Fire?

Online Search

Why did you select Map and Fire over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Map and Fire were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

ATSI engaged Map & Fire to better understand how customer communication preferences are changing and what those changes mean for our members. The research focused on consumer experiences with live customer service representatives and AI across industries including HVAC, plumbing, electrical, property management, and healthcare. 

Map & Fire developed the research plan, recruited qualified participants, conducted interviews, analyzed the findings, and delivered a comprehensive report. The final report highlighted customer preferences, identified emerging trends, and provided practical recommendations to help ATSI members make informed decisions about customer service, technology, and future communication strategies. 

The research delivered valuable insights that will help our members continue providing exceptional customer experiences while adapting to changing consumer expectations.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

The results of the research were presented to ATSI members during the 2026 Annual Conference in Tampa, Florida, on May 30, 2026. While the study was not designed to measure revenue growth or other immediate financial outcomes, it successfully achieved its primary objective of identifying current consumer trends and preferences related to customer communications.

The research provided ATSI members with valuable insights into how customers perceive AI versus live agents, their preferred communication methods, and the factors that influence their decisions when interacting with businesses. These findings established a baseline for understanding evolving customer expectations and will help guide future decisions regarding technology adoption, customer service strategies, and member education. 

The information gathered will serve as a valuable resource for ATSI members as they evaluate how to balance emerging technologies with the continued demand for high-quality live customer service.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Clay and the Map & Fire team were excellent to work with throughout the project. From our initial email outlining our scope of work through the final deliverables, Clay was responsive, engaged, and easy to communicate with. We met several times online and collaborated regularly by email to refine the project and ensure we were aligned every step of the way.

All project milestones and deliverables were completed on schedule, allowing us to stay on our planned timeline. The communication was consistent, and the team was always receptive to our feedback and questions. 

An added benefit was Clay's attending and presenting the survey findings at our 2026 Annual Conference in Tampa. His presentation gave our members valuable context behind the research and allowed attendees to ask questions directly, making the final deliverable even more impactful.

What was your primary form of communication with Map and Fire?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

What impressed me most about Map & Fire was the genuine interest they took in understanding our industry. Although Clay is based in California, we discovered he has roots in Michigan, which created an immediate connection and made the relationship feel more personal. That common thread made collaboration easy, but what really stood out was his commitment to learning our business. 

Rather than making assumptions, Clay asked thoughtful questions, listened carefully, and took the time to understand the unique challenges facing ATSI and its members. It never felt like we were just another client. Instead, it felt like we were working with a trusted partner who wanted the project to succeed as much as we did.

As a small business and member-driven association, those relationships matter. It’s fitting that the very research we commissioned reinforced the importance of the human element in customer service, because that’s exactly what we experienced while working with Map & Fire.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Map and Fire could have done differently?

Our expectations were met.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Marketing Leader of Seattle Gymnastics Academy

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Gymnastics instruction and activites for kids

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Map and Fire to accomplish?

• Understand motivations and preferences for parents of 5-and-under age group
• Understand opinions of our Indoor Playground program
• Have actionable takeaways

SOLUTION

How did you find Map and Fire?

• Online Search
• Clutch Site

Why did you select Map and Fire over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Good value for cost

How many teammates from Map and Fire were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Scope

• Market Survey (350 participants) - develop a survey aimed at parents in this segment. The survey included questions that tease apart their motivations, preferences, and desired outcomes. 
• Customer Interviews (10 participants) - consumers that align with the survey targeting criteria. 30 minutes in length over Zoom / recorded for reference.

Deliverables

• Market Survey
  
  
  • Survey questions
  • Dashboard of survey results
  • Survey raw data download
• Consumer Interviews   
  • Interview guide
  • Interview questions
  • Interview scheduling and tracking
  • Interview video recordings
• Analysis For Interviews & Survey 
  • Analysis, insights, and recommendations deck
  • Guidance for overall business strategy and marketing efforts

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Key takeaways for immediate implementation and thoughts / feedback to take in for future program improvements.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Always replied in a very timely manner. Set clear timelines and expectations. Delivery of items was quick, on time and of high quality. 

What was your primary form of communication with Map and Fire?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

They're happy to work with businesses and budgets of any size, customizing the scope to meet needs. There was no extra "filler," no unnecessary 10 extra steps to get from A to B, no humming and hawing and going in circles. We really appreciated  the efficiency.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Map and Fire could have done differently?

Nothing of note!

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of Stack Trading. Our mission is to establish a meritocratic and structured pathway for aspiring traders to succeed in the financial markets.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Map and Fire?

We needed help with a pre-launch survey and insights, evaluation of product-market fit, and interviews with traders.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Map and Fire delivered a comprehensive survey that we collaborated on, analysis, and conducted interviews. The team also delivered a report.

What is the team composition?

We worked with one teammate from Map and Fire.

How did you come to work with Map and Fire?

We found them through an online search. We chose them over other options because they had high ratings, their pricing fit our budget, and they offered good value for the cost.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from October–November 2025.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

Map and Fire's work led to the completion of deliverables and an evaluation of product-market fit. The team validated our proposed business model, which was quantitatively evaluated. We received survey results that showed a high percentage of traders preferred our business model versus the competition. We also received a measurement of pain points in terms of depth and breadth.

How did Map and Fire perform from a project management standpoint?

Map and Fire was very fast and had great project management and tooling. We communicated via virtual meetings and email or messaging apps.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We were impressed by their collaboration.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It's a difficult subject without the depth and background in the space, but they did a good job.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Founder of TeraLeap

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

TeraLeap provides expertly crafted customer stories captured with ease

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Map and Fire to accomplish?

• Bringing clarity to how we're different
• Developing clean marketing messaging

SOLUTION

How did you find Map and Fire?

Referral

Why did you select Map and Fire over others?

• High ratings
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Clay and the Map & Fire team helped us clarify exactly how we’re different from competitors and turn that into sharp, customer-driven messaging.

We met weekly — just the right pace to make real progress without getting overwhelmed. They came prepared with research (including customer interviews) and worked with us async as well, giving feedback and pushing the thinking forward.

We walked away with a full differnated messaging system: clear positioning, competitor map, strategy canvas with 5 differentiators, features-to-benefits table, keywords, new site headlines (with design mockups), and tactical next steps to update our site and marketing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

We now have a complete set of messaging assets that we’re using across all our marketing — from website copy to ads and outbound campaigns. Our new site has been updated with the positioning, and we presented it to our Customer Advisory Board. Their feedback? It perfectly captured why they chose us in the first place in the most clear and succint way we've ever had before.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Clay and the team were always on-point — fast, thoughtful feedback, and quick to address any questions or concerns. I felt like I was being guided through the whole process with white-glove service. It was structured, seamless, and honestly made the whole experience feel effortless on my end.

What was your primary form of communication with Map and Fire?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

What stood out most was their ability to create clarity out of chaos. Messaging can feel messy — especially when you’re deep in your own business. But Clay and his team have a process that cuts through the noise. It’s structured, collaborative, even enjoyable. And most importantly, it leads to messaging you can actually use. I put it into action the next day and I’m still using it every day.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Map and Fire could have done differently?

Honestly, I can’t think of anything they could have done better — the experience was excellent. If anything, I’d love an ongoing retainer option to help with implementation, just to make sure we’re fully maximizing the messaging across everything we do.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Director of Marketing of Aptitude 8

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Technical consulting for HubSpot customers

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Map and Fire to accomplish?

• Identify tech stack for Associations industry
• Identify challenges they face with tech and data
• Identify opportunities where HubSpot could help

SOLUTION

How did you find Map and Fire?

• Online Search
• Referral

Why did you select Map and Fire over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me

How many teammates from Map and Fire were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Purpose of the Research

To identify opportunities for membership and trade associations to enhance their go-to-market (GTM) strategies by understanding their organizational structures, key metrics, technological ecosystems, and primary challenges. The findings will help inform tailored solutions and actionable recommendations to optimize their GTM efforts.

Research Objectives:

1. Go-To-Market (GTM) Motions

Understand the composition and functions of the GTM organization within membership and trade associations.

Key Questions:

What teams make up their GTM organization (e.g., marketing, business development, memberships, etc.)?
What are their key performance indicators (KPIs)?
What are the focus areas of their sales or business development teams?
Who are their various customer segments (e.g., individual members, corporate members, sponsors)?
What types of revenue streams do they pursue (e.g., membership dues, event fees, sponsorships, training programs)?
Which channels do they use to reach their audiences (e.g., email marketing, social media, events)?
What industry-specific terminology do they commonly use that might be unfamiliar to outsiders?

2. Technology Stack

Analyze the tools and technologies that support their operations and how they are utilized within their GTM efforts.

Key Questions:

What are the main software tools in their tech stack, beyond their CRM?
Which tools are most popular within the industry (by category and specific tools)?
Which teams use these tools, and how are they applied in their workflows?
How well are these tools integrated across their organization?
Key software categories to investigate:
AMS (Association Management Software)
LMS (Learning Management System)
Event management software
Volunteer management tools
Payment processing tools
Email marketing and social media management tools
CMS (Content Management System)
Community engagement platforms
Data analytics and data warehouse solutions

3. Challenges

Identify the primary challenges faced by membership and trade associations in their GTM strategies, particularly those related to technology and operations.

Key Questions:

What are the biggest GTM challenges they face?
What are the limitations or weaknesses of their current tech stack?
Where does the tech stack fail to integrate well, and what manual processes result from these gaps?
How well do they trust the quality and accuracy of their data?
What is the #1 tech tool they are looking to replace, and what are the driving factors behind this decision?

Deliverables:

The research firm should provide the following:

Detailed Findings: Comprehensive insights addressing the objectives and key questions outlined above.
Industry Analysis: Benchmarking of GTM strategies and tech stacks against industry standards and best practices.
Opportunities for Improvement: Actionable recommendations to enhance GTM strategies, streamline technology integration, and address operational pain points.
Terminology Glossary: An explanation of industry-specific terminology to bridge knowledge gaps for outsiders.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Our project was delivered much faster than other vendors estimated with all of the required research. They were also better able to target the Associations industry than other firms we considered, so we got more accurate data. 

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Project was delivered ahead of schedule and progress was communicated every step of the way. 

What was your primary form of communication with Map and Fire?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

The speed to value was far beyond what we were getting from other research vendors. 

Are there any areas for improvement or something Map and Fire could have done differently?

If they added copywriting and design to their service offerings, they would become a one-stop shop for us and save us days of additional work needed to prepare the research for external use. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Marketing Manager of Bigger

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Mobile Gaming Company

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Map and Fire to accomplish?

• Market Research

SOLUTION

How did you find Map and Fire?

Online Search

Why did you select Map and Fire over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost

How many teammates from Map and Fire were assigned to this project?

1 Employee

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Map & Fire provided a workbook designed to help us define and refine our target markets, understand customer needs, and align offerings with customer expectations. 

Key deliverables include:

Target Customer Framework: A structured process to identify and narrow down ideal customers.
Jobs to Be Done (JTBD): Exercises to uncover and prioritize customer goals and challenges.
Job Stories: Templates for breaking down JTBD into actionable insights.
Elements of Value Analysis: Tools to identify and tailor key customer values (functional, emotional, aspirational).
Strategic Exercises: Practical activities and templates to ensure businesses can apply the concepts effectively.
The workbook combines theoretical frameworks with actionable tools for building customer-focused strategies.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

The project delivered measurable outcomes including:

• Clear identification of target audiences and ideal customer profiles.
• Actionable insights through prioritized customer needs (Jobs to Be Done).
• Alignment with customer values via selected Elements of Value.
• Practical tools for applying customer-centric strategies.
• Improved ability to align offerings with customer needs, driving engagement and satisfaction.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Map & Fire excelled in project management, delivering on time, responding promptly to customized needs, and providing tailored solutions with clear communication.

What was your primary form of communication with Map and Fire?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

What impressed me most about Map & Fire was their exceptional understanding of the audience. Their ability to analyze customer behavior, identify key needs, and tailor strategies accordingly set them apart and made their work highly effective.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Map and Fire could have done differently?

No improvements needed; Map and Fire exceeded expectations.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the VP of Finance & Strategy of Scratch Music Group

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

North America's largest provider of DJ entertainment and education

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Map and Fire to accomplish?

• Conduct a market research survey for new B2C offering
• Initial brand positioning strategy for new B2C offering

SOLUTION

How did you find Map and Fire?

• Online Search
• Clutch Site

Why did you select Map and Fire over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Expertise aligned with specific project scope

How many teammates from Map and Fire were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Map and Fire conducted the project in 2 phases:

• Part 1: Market Research and Analysis, primarily informed by a bespoke research survey. Deliverables included a review the survey data, along with insights and recommendations around the results to inform decisions around brand positioning.
• Part 2: Initial Brand Positioning Strategy, completed in collaboration, and based on Map and Fire's in-house process (The Brand Guidebook Process). The guidebook was a deliverable, along with a presentation-level positioning deck summarizing the key outputs.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

The project was to inform decisions that will guide the brand strategy for a new B2C digital product that is in development. It will take months for a beta version to be launched, so it will be hard to measure its direct contribution. As a result of the survey and insights, we feel like we have a data-backed direction to guide product launch, whereas before everything felt more like an assumption. 

The results narrowed down a wide set of possibilities to a more narrow set, which is closest to the bullseye that ties the market opportunity to the most desirable elements of the product.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Map and Fire was great in pushing forward phases of the project. Updates were made to share documents, with communication made via Basecamp (which included email notifications of all messages). Each week, we had hour-long group video calls to dive into the most recent work.

What was your primary form of communication with Map and Fire?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

We needed a partner that ultimately did brand strategy, but in a way that was informed by research and data. And we needed all that for a unique pre-launch project, and with a minimal budget. Map and Fire was exactly what we were looking for, even though we didn't know exactly what that was at the start. It's hard to measure when someone "gets it", but Clay and his team "got it". 

Our gut feeling was substantiated, and we were left feeling fortunate to have worked with a partner of a quality we assumed would be out of reach.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Map and Fire could have done differently?

Some updates to share docs were a bit overwhelming to digest in their raw form. We typically wished there was some written or verbal supplement to summarize and contextualize the new pieces, so that the next weekly call up was less about that and more about picking up from there.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a senior project manager at JDA Worldwide. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Map and Fire?

We hired Map and Fire to help us with a brand naming survey. We wanted to test for names for an online program that we were rebranding for a third-party customer — we aimed to know what the target audience thought about those names. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Map and Fire helped us with our brand naming survey and provided a report of the survey after it was done. They also offered their insights into the survey, leveraging their expertise in branding. 

How did you come to work with Map and Fire?

We found Map and Fire through Google.

How much have you invested with them?

Our investment was around $5,500. 

What is the status of this engagement?

The project lasted from March–April 2024. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

Map and Fire delivered an amazing survey, and they were always there to answer questions. With their help, we provided our end customer with around 85% confidence rate on the brand names. This way, the end customer could make a decision on what to do with their brand. Moreover, we engaged 100% of the participants that we targeted.

Overall, Map and Fire’s work exceeded our expectations. Their survey methodology and data report were wonderfully done. 

How did Map and Fire perform from a project management standpoint?

Map and Fire was wonderful and helpful, providing us with a quick and reasonable quote. Compared with other providers, their services were cost-effective. Their timeline was also quick, and whatever they shared with me was exactly what they delivered. As a result, we completed the project in less than two weeks, which beat out other providers’ timelines. 

Moreover, they were prompt in communicating with me; I was never disconnected from them at all and never had a hard time being on the same page with them. In other words, I felt confident in what we were doing. For tools, we used Google Documents, Zoom, and emails. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Map and Fire was amazing at understanding what we needed and delivering it. They agreed to meet us where we were and give us a resolution. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there weren’t any. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I recommend comparing Map and Fire to other vendors so you can realize that they’re the right team to hire. Apart from that, ask for their opinions and expertise. They speak and do their work truly well. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Director of Marketing of (a/an) IT Services

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We provide people-focused IT for modern, creative, and innovative organizations.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Map & Fire to accomplish?

• Brand strategy
• Market Research
• Web Development

SOLUTION

How did you find Map & Fire?

Referral

Why did you select Map & Fire over others?

• Great culture fit
• Referred to me
• Other

What was the size of Map & Fire’s team?

1 Employee

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

We hired Map & Fire to consult and collaborate on our brand and marketing strategy.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

• Since we started our engagement with Map & Fire, we've refined our brand strategy, clarified our messaging and rolled out a new brand campaign driving new business leads. Since the beginning of our engagement, the quantity and quality of our leads have increased.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Map & Fire are extremely responsive and are always prepared for our meetings. The insights they provide are thorough and unlike other vendors I've worked with in the past, I don't hear excuse after excuse about why things are late or hardly done.

What was your primary form of communication with Map & Fire?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email
• Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

What I admire most about working Map & Fire is their ability to get you thinking. They've done an excellent job working with our entire team, taking the various perspectives and opinions, and helping us to distill key ideas and concepts into an amazing brand strategy. We wouldn't be where we are now without their collaboration.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Map & Fire could have done differently?

No

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m one of the founders. We specialize in healthy drinks.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Map & Fire, and what were your goals?

We are a start up and needed them to help us with the brand strategy and to build a solid ground for future growth.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Interviewed many. We decided to go with them after a couple rounds of discussions with Clay. He was super responsive to our questions and very clear what could be done.

Describe the scope of their work in detail, including any steps and the final deliverables.

We had a kickoff meeting where they got a much better understanding of our idea and what we would like to achieve. Then based off that, they started to lead the way and took us through the brand guide book, at the end gave us a whole package.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

Clay led the team of three, Arielle and Tracy. Both Clay and Arielle are experts in brand strategy.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

We are brand new so no comparison yet, but we believe we now have a solid foundation to start.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

Weekly zoom meetings plus work notes on Basecamp to keep everyone updated.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

They really listened to our thoughts and concerns. Since every brand is unique, it’s definitely not an one size fits all scenario. We appreciated that they took the time to listen to our new thoughts every week.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

All good! We wanted to have in person meeting as it has always worked better for us, but in turns out zoom worked out fine with this team!