18 Coffees

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the director of global conflict solution implementation for a top 10 global professional services network.

Our organization is a top 10 network, and our member firms cover the entire globe. My specific role is focused on two main objectives: managing the global restricted list for independence across all network member firms and managing global conflict checks across all member network firms.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with 18 Coffees?

We needed to develop a change management strategy, consider the impact this strategic initiative would have on all the member firms across the network, and think through how to approach the various change activities we needed to consider for a successful strategic initiative.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

18 Coffees started by doing an organizational assessment. They ensured they understood our vision for our strategic initiative and assessed the organization’s ability to adapt to that change. From there, they developed a change strategy, including how we would communicate, address resistance to change, align the proper sponsors and coaches to help us drive the change initiative, and what training we needed to provide member firms.

They also helped us develop the training framework and strategy for delivering training. Subject matter experts filled out the training program, but the team provided the framework and guidance to get us there.

What is the team composition?

We had five team members at different periods of the engagement.

How did you come to work with 18 Coffees?

One of the principles of 18 Coffees presented at our global conference in Washington, D.C. In early 2024, when we identified potential candidates to help us with this change strategy, we invited them to bid based on our interaction with them at the global conference.

They were one of three organizations we looked at, and we selected them based on several factors. First, we already had a relationship with them and confidence in their abilities. More importantly, they outlined a plan with phases, activities, and steps to help us build a change strategy.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $250,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them from May–December 2024.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They delivered on time and within the timeframe we laid out when they started.

How did 18 Coffees perform from a project management standpoint?

They ranked high on the project management front. At the very beginning, they laid out a set of phases, deliverables, milestones, and timelines. As we engaged with them and worked through the six or seven months, they delivered everything on time and consistent with what they laid out. They were very proactive in their communications. We had weekly status check-ins with them to ensure we were getting everything done.

At the very end, some loose ends were probably more our responsibility than theirs. They continued to work past the end of the formal engagement to ensure all those loose ends were wrapped up. We generally used Microsoft Teams for our meetings because it was our tool and more convenient for us.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We were pleased with the whole team's work. They were all highly qualified and capable and provided the right level of consulting that we needed. I always struggled to articulate what a good change management strategy and plan would look like. I had worked with providers and never got what I considered a top-notch strategy and plan.

Most people focused on basic communication and training, but 18 Coffees provided a comprehensive strategy that looked at our overall strategy and what we were trying to accomplish.

They developed core pillars around ownership, sponsorship, and coaching and outlined specific activities within each category. Ultimately, they delivered what I could never articulate to others properly regarding what I hoped would be in a comprehensive change plan.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. I was delighted with what they did, how they did it, and how they delivered. We had no challenges along the way, so we had to take time out and reset expectations. They helped us navigate through the process very successfully.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Leverage their strategic thought leadership to find the best way to build a change strategy. If you're going to hire them to develop a change strategy and plan, let them guide you—don't try to guide them.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the HR Generalist of Ocient

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Ocient enables organizations to explore and interact with hyperscale data sets quickly, cost effectively, and in previously infeasible ways to deliver meaningful insights and drive customer innovation. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire 18 Coffees to accomplish?

• Manager Training

SOLUTION

How did you find 18 Coffees?

Online Search

Why did you select 18 Coffees over others?

• High ratings
• Close to my geographic location
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit

How many teammates from 18 Coffees were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

We reached out to 18 Coffees to facilitate training with our management team setting expectations, creating accountability, and how to have difficult conversations. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We are planning on having an additoinal meeting with 18 Coffees in the beginning of 2025 with our management team to continue the training. We will be able to provide the outcomes once we have met with them again. 

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

They were awesome! We provided them with the topics we wanted to cover and they delievered everything we were looking for and MORE. All the deliverables were on time and they were flexible with our needs/wants. 

What was your primary form of communication with 18 Coffees?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

They were very organized and used our brand deck to create the training. When they met with our management team. 

Are there any areas for improvement or something 18 Coffees could have done differently?

There is nothing that I would change. They are wonderful to partner with!

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Associate Director of Secure Illinois Retirements

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Community education non profit, focused on public pension education

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire 18 Coffees to accomplish?

• Build and establish brand
• Develop communications plan
• Develop launch plan

SOLUTION

How did you find 18 Coffees?

Referral

Why did you select 18 Coffees over others?

• Great culture fit
• Company values aligned

What was the size of 18 Coffees’s team?

6-10 Employees

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

Activated 18 Coffees to support new startup non profit from conception through launch. Primarily included messaging and branding refinement, online community management, email marketing communications, media training for board and staff, and paid and organic social content.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Successfully grew email leads by 600%, established clear branding and messaging, developed key SOPs and crisis communications maps, copy edited and proofed public facing materials, authored and managed a social posting calendar for 3 media channels.

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

18Coffees is highly responsive and well-attuned. They consistently met deadlines, maintained active checklists to ensure projects were brought to the finish line, and demonstrated creative troubleshooting skills when necessary. Appreciated the lens of social accountability they brought to the project, and felt they understood our needs and added positively to our vision.

What was your primary form of communication with 18 Coffees?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Their accountability and consistency

Are there any areas for improvement or something 18 Coffees could have done differently?

No, we've felt they've delivered above and beyond their scope and are happy with them as a partner.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Senior Director, People Strategies of (a/an) Nonprofit

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is the largest philanthropy in America dedicated solely to health, focusing on developing and promoting innovations in health and healthcare to improve lives.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire 18 Coffees to accomplish?

• Update and expand the structure of the HR operations team

SOLUTION

How did you find 18 Coffees?

Referral

Why did you select 18 Coffees over others?

Referred to me

What was the size of 18 Coffees’s team?

2-5 Employees

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

To design and implement a new HR structure and service delivery system.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Better understanding of meeting purpose
• Better understanding of roles by colleagues

What was your primary form of communication with 18 Coffees?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Weekly touch base meetings with agendas and recaps/action items kept the project on track. They were flexible to our needs when delays were necessary. Any slips in timeline were due to our internal activities. They were responsive and collaborative in thoughtfully working through obstacles we encountered.

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

The people. I'm sure a number of consulting companies could have helped us with this work, but they were such a pleasure to work with and blended right in with our sense of humor. When the project wrapped, I immediately missed their weekly presence.

Are there any areas for improvement or something 18 Coffees could have done differently?

In hindsight, we could have spent more time digging into the work to be done and developed a plan and a couple of contingency plans. The work we were doing together was a bit of a moving target and even now that the work has wrapped, there are already changes to the design we implemented. I'd love to know what they think of the changes we are making now. overall though, I think they did the best they could to meet our needs in the moment.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

HNI Corporation is a leading provider of workplace furnishings and residential building products.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire 18 Coffees?

HNI Corporation has over 22 well-recognized brands within manufacturing and added a new acquisition within the eCommerce vertical in January 2021, Design Public Group.

We were looking for a partner to help us build their brand story and activate marketing. Design Public Group had never had a marketing team before and with lofty goals, we needed a partner who could help us build a digital plan.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

We went through a formal corporate RFP and vetted 5 agencies. Some we had worked with before and some we had not (Like 18 Coffees). We went with them based on their experience with digital activation in the email and social media space. We were also impressed with their previous client work in B2B platforms and the objectives of driving adoption on an app or tech platform.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

Deliver Brand/Marketing Activation Strategy, including (below elements from RFP):

• Customer Acquisition Journey/Flow, by Audience Type
• Customer Engagement/Reengagement Journey/Flow, by Audience Type
• Proposed Digital Platforms and Media Types to Activation

Creative Design Strategy Activation:

• Run marketing execution, including launch campaign activation Day-to-day social (content strategy, community management) using Sprout Social
• Partner with email firm to design email graphics and copy
• Develop marketing calendar beyond launch for owned channels
• Plan for implementation and hand off to permanent resource

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

Over the course of our project engagement, we had the pleasure of working with two Managing Partners, one Engagement Manager, and one Senior Associate. They also facilitated project needs with a lead designer on their team, but our regular communications were always streamlined to our core project team of 4-5.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They delivered all work on time and with very little feedback needed. Everything we asked them to deliver was sent with creativity and passion.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We had a very effective workflow and communication cadence. 18 Coffees proactive set weekly calls, with agendas sent 24 hours in advance. They were clear on when we needed to provide feedback and if the project was falling behind based on our delays.

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

I was impressed with the level of mature talent working on our account. We worked directly with two partners and senior level creative strategists. It truly showed in the work quality and strategic thinking that went into the project.

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

Another partner we were working with was consistently delayed in their deliverables. This isn't 18 Coffee's issue, but they could have potentially been more vocal about the other agency's delays.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the executive director of Faith in Place. We work with a diverse group of faith communities across Illinois on environmental programming and environmental advocacy.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with 18 Coffees?

We hired 18 Coffees to do market research and scenario planning as well as to expand our mission into three additional states.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The team from 18 Coffees did a lot of research that involved conducting initial interviews with our staff, board, and stakeholders. They caught up to speed on who Faith in Place is, what challenges we were facing, and what our various constituencies were. 

They then created a couple of hypotheses that covered different possibilities for our organization. The team spent some time testing those hypotheses with the same group of people that they interviewed. The research conducted was more quantitative than qualitative in that they had to pull data about our audience from different resources. 

Near the end of the project, the team organized and presented the data and recommended the hypothesis which best withstood the pressure testing. 

What is the team composition?

We worked with three people: Caleb (Co-Founder & Managing Partner), Aimee (Senior Associate), and Radwa (Engagement Partner).

How did you come to work with 18 Coffees?

Caleb was referred to me years ago by a friend and colleague. I was told that he was smart and someone that I might want to work with. I sent them RFPs for projects that ended up not being a good fit for what they did. When this project came up, however, it was perfect for 18 Coffees’ expertise. I sent them an RFP and they turned out to be the most qualified out of all the other vendors.

What is the status of this engagement?

They worked on this project from April–September 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

In terms of delivering what they proposed to do during the RFP stage, 18 Coffees knocked it out of the park. Our board was very impressed. Even the more reluctant members expressed their genuine appreciation for 18 Coffees’ work. The team ultimately helped me secure the approval of the board by mapping out different scenarios for our expansion. 

It was clear to me that they really believed in our mission. The 18 Coffees team showed that they genuinely cared about what we were doing and wanted us to succeed. 

How did 18 Coffees perform from a project management standpoint?

The team was flexible in their approach; they adapted where it was needed and understood the complexities of our board’s dynamics. At the same time, they brought in straightforward thinking that helped get the project done. 

We found them enjoyable to work with. I always looked forward to meeting with the three of them to debrief and talk about the next steps of the project. If I could, I would hire them to be a part of our own team.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I really appreciated the racial and religious diversity that they brought as a team. It’s nice to work with people from different backgrounds because that matches our culture as an organization. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

Obviously, when hiring a consultant, the client is also expected to carry a significant amount of the workload to make the project successful. I think there could have been more clarity up front on what their side and ours were expected to deliver. In the end, though, everything worked out since we were able to communicate about the mechanics of the partnership. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be sure to clarify with the team who will be working on the project and how often you will be meeting. Knowing and taking up on your responsibilities will surely drive the project’s success.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the former head of marketing for Simple Mills.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with 18 Coffees?

We worked with 18 Coffees mainly on digital marketing to increase brand awareness and visibility on social platforms.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

18 Coffees helped us with our social media marketing (strategy and day-to-day management) and to upgrade our website (UX and google analytics) as we rolled out new a new brand identity and packaging.

What is the team composition?

We worked with Caleb (Co-Founder), Robin (Co-Founder), and two other team members. 

How did you come to work with 18 Coffees?

I found them through one of my friends who gave them a great recommendation. We interviewed other agencies, but 18 Coffees was the most nimble and most connected with trends in the digital marketplace, so we thought they were the best choice.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $100,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from January–December 2015. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We mostly measured success based on the growth of our social channels as a way to measure brand awareness and engagement. We saw that our Facebook audience grew by over 200%, as did our Twitter audience. Our Instagram audience grew by over 1000%, and our Pinterest following grew by over 500%. 

How did 18 Coffees perform from a project management standpoint?

They performed excellently. We had a lot of emails, texts, and phone calls back and forth. They’d also meet with us in our office every month to go over the next month’s plans and have an overview of the previous efforts.

We were always kept super informed as to what was going on. They always gave us insight into why they were making recommendations and kept us in the loop about algorithm changes. For example, when paid bloggers or influencers had to start saying they were being paid, their team let us know we had to make sure a hashtag for an ad or sponsor was used. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were pretty awesome to work with. They were extremely smart and were experts in their field — they really cared about helping their clients grow and achieve whatever their goals were. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I honestly can’t think of anything that I wasn’t satisfied with. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Trust them! They’re not your typical agency, which can be a bit uncomfortable for some potential clients. They are paving the path forward in this digital world and they know what they're doing. I recommend them wholeheartedly. We leaned into it and it really worked for us.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of training and enablement for Pandora, the radio company. We’re a subsidiary of Sirius XM.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with 18 Coffees?

Our client services management team has been overlooked for professional development opportunities in the past. We found that they felt like they didn’t have a strong enough voice when working with cross-functional partners. Since the team started working from home, we knew that we needed to provide more support. We asked 18 Coffees to work on change management and communication.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

At the beginning of the project, they met with representatives from the team they would be working with. While interviewing them, they identified our team’s biggest frustrations and challenges. With that information in mind, they led a series of workshops that targeted our specific needs.

What is the team composition?

We worked with Caleb (Co-Founder & Managing Partner), and then he brought on a project manager and an associate.

How did you come to work with 18 Coffees?

We evaluated 5–6 companies and made a Pugh Matrix to make sure we were considering everything we needed. That helped us narrow it down to three vendors. After that, we asked for input from our client services management team since they were going to be the ones working with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $30,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in September and wrapped up the workshops in November 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I felt like we were in very capable hands throughout the engagement. 18 Coffees focused on what our team needed the most and provided very functional feedback.

They did a lot of work before the project even began to understand who they were working with. As a result, they understood our pain points very well and earned our team’s respect.

How did 18 Coffees perform from a project management standpoint?

We had check-ins with 18 Coffees every week, and we’ve continued to meet with them and provide updates since the workshops ended.

Their communication was top-of-the-line. If we needed to pivot or provide quick feedback, we emailed them. They responded quickly and always got back to us within a business day. Usually, they responded in 30 minutes or so.  

They’re extremely reliable; nothing slipped through the cracks. Additionally, they were forward-thinking. They brought items to our attention weeks in advance so we had time to make informed decisions.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Several of their workshop leaders were people of color and our employees appreciated seeing diversity reflected in their team. Our team is also very diverse and their feedback revealed that seeing that representation in the facilitators they were working with made their time with 18 Coffees even more helpful.

18 Coffees also showed a lot of empathy towards the people they worked with. They were very intentional in their discussions with our team and they really dug into why our team was frustrated.  

Are there any areas they could improve?

We asked them to administer a 360° survey and they came back with a surprisingly high quote. It seemed a little inconsistent with their other prices. It wasn’t a big deal, but we clearly had different expectations. As we decide on programming for the new year, we will ask for insight into what that project entails and why it’s priced that way.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

At the beginning of the project, we were hesitant to reveal everything about our team. As we built our trust in 18 Coffees, we realized that we needed to be transparent with them to get the best result. So, I would encourage future clients to be honest about their needs. 18 Coffees will still be dedicated to the engagement and will be able to develop a better solution.  

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Director of Programs at the Immigrant Legal Resource Center, an immigration non-profit based in San Francisco that seeks to improve immigration law and policy, expand the capacity of legal service providers, and advance immigrant rights.

I direct the New Americans Campaign (NAC), a national initiative for which the ILRC serves as the lead agency, which brings together national and local organizations in partnership with a funder collaborative to increase naturalization among eligible lawful permanent residents.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire 18 Coffees?

We hired 18 Coffees to answer a big question for the New Americans Campaign: how could we build a repeatable digital toolset to make a dramatically bigger impact on citizenship every year?

They put in place a digital strategy and test-and-learn execution plan that would allow us to collaboratively learn over time what digital strategy would work best for the New Americans Campaign.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to make the New Americans Campaign smarter about its use of technology and communications, but mostly we wanted to find new ways to reach lawful permanent residents (LPRs) and convert them into new U.S. citizens.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

18 Coffees was recommended to us by our communications steering committee, made up of stakeholders from some of the philanthropic organizations funding the New Americans Campaign.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

In Phase 1, we worked collaboratively with 18 Coffees to determine the initial digital strategy: the team spent two months digging into our existing data on LPRs, interviewing New Americans Campaign partners and stakeholders, looking at secondary research, and determining the biggest market and messaging opportunities to reach LPRs with digital tactics.

We settled on a pilot in the Miami market, and working hand-in-hand with an 18 Coffees execution partner they brought to the table to manage digital advertising and creative, we executed a six-month campaign focused on Spanish-speaking LPRs, using an agile learning process that forced us to step back, look at the data, and learn along the way.

After this first phase, 18 Coffees took the learning to expand to a national market with campaigns targeting Latino, Chinese, and Filipino LPRs in multiple languages. The work led to refinements, such as breaking down the ad distribution into distinct geographic markets in Phase 2, to ensure we served the ads into certain target locations aligned with strategy rather than solely optimizing into the largest markets.

We secured funding to continue the digital work with 18 Coffees, and we are in the planning process of developing an even more ambitious learning agenda that testing different calls to action, partnerships, and media strategies.

What was the team composition?

For Phase 1, we worked directly with the managing partner, Caleb Gardner, a project manager at 18 Coffees, and representatives from the agency media buying team.

This structure continued into Phase 2, with a different agency to execute the media buys. Caleb’s ongoing engagement, which has been necessary given the complexity of our project, has been invaluable.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our initial hypothesis, developed with the 18 Coffees team, was that we could prove effective digital tactics that would work for naturalization among LPRs in the Miami market by collecting a set of digital actions that demonstrated intent to naturalize.

Because this was a new initiative without much data with which to benchmark, 18 Coffees had to adjust our target after being in market and getting initial data. But after we adjusted our hypothesis and continued to learn how to optimize the campaign, we were mostly able to reach the new targets.

But more importantly, we learned valuable information about what worked to target LPRs, including messaging and technology insights, which we built on for a second phase.

In the second phase, we targeted a national audience with geographic and cultural and linguistic segmentation. We are approximately seven months into the new phase and have a seen a significant decrease in the cost per lead (less than a third of the cost of the first pilot), as well as open rates for email and SMS engagement of approximately 30%. We have effective digital assets that we can continue to use.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We worked very closely and collaboratively with the 18 Coffees team and their media buying vendor, with no friction and real-time, productive exchanges to resolve the rare miscommunications that arose.

When frustrations arose on our end about some process breakdowns with the media buying vendor during the first phase of the pilot, 18 Coffees helped to mediate a better working relationship between all parties.

In the second phase of the pilot, 18 Coffees brought on a new media buying vendor with more senior-level engagement, which also facilitated a more effective workflow.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Caleb Gardner and his terrific team have put in place a data-rich approach that allows us to test audience targeting, platforms, and messages so we can adjust in real time. It’s a treat to work with Caleb—he’s a thought partner who has infused 18 Coffees with a collaborative spirit that defines how we work together.

Are there any areas for improvement?

We have learned that a critical need for our project with 18 Coffees is a community manager to engage in platform in a culturally competent and linguistically appropriate fashion. This would enhance brand building for us and improve the quality and quantity of follow up with social contacts.