In-office, remote, hybrid…It’s been one of the hottest operations topics for years now. 

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And we’re proud to plant our flag.

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Here’s why we went all-in on a new office in 2025

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Going fully remote may work for some businesses, but it can be extremely challenging for agencies. It's impossible to dismiss the importance of collaboration, culture, and connection in an creative industry. So, unsurprisingly, evolving our operations for Curiosity's new era meant endless debate, research, and testing to ensure we found the right balance for our people, business, and clients.

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One thing became clear: For us, there’s no replacement for togetherness.

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We’ve lived the hybrid lifestyle for three years with three days in the office. But, as more and more agencies went fully remote, we knew we had to make the in-person part more desirable than ever. We needed an office with new energy built for hybrid work. This meant many strategic sessions with partners to rethink what we need (and want) from a new office renovated from the ground up in 2025.

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Step one was to assemble a building ambassador group and invite them into the process. Besides pitching ideas like hot tubs and ball pits (truly groundbreaking), they added critical insight into current pain points, practicality, and safety that we needed to seek out intentionally. All of this culminated in a completely rethought space that makes coming into the office an experience, not a task. Read all about it here, or watch Extreme Makeover: Curiosity Edition here.  

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Fostering togetherness – even when we’re apart

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I’ll say it: Getting people to embrace coming into the office more regularly was a challenge, especially after being fully remote for months. The key was an abundance of patience and grace as people adjusted to our new office experience, and that mindset made all the difference.

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Now let’s talk about the experience. Every detail in our new office was carefully curated to ensure it’s a place our people want to be. Let me be clear – this was not easy. It involved late nights, countless meetings, a long list of stakeholders, and wrangling contractors. The result was a space that is 100% Curiosity – giving our people an inspiring canvas to do their best work and instantly becoming a key marketing asset. Despite renovating a new space from the ground up, our hybrid model remains. It became abundantly clear that flexibility was a missing ingredient in our pre-pandemic work style, and now that flexibility is essential to doing our best work. Since moving in, we see more activity: more visitors, collaboration, and organic moments of connection. In my opinion, that’s what keeps people coming back for more. 

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Another factor impacting our operations is that our staff is no longer centralized in Cincinnati. More than 15% of our staff are working remotely from all over the country. So even though folks are in the office, we needed to ensure our fresh work style was inclusive and effective. This meant removing as much friction as possible by investing in top-tier AV equipment and reimagining operating procedures, like how to conduct meetings. 

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Most importantly, we had to ensure remote employees were fully engaged in our culture. Admittedly, we have yet to truly crack this code, and our suggestion box is open. We have a weekly all-staff meeting to stay connected and manage a culture calendar full of in-person events with remote options. Some of those events include in-person yoga and meditation classes taught by yours truly, a summer sports smackdown, and our weekly TikTok brainstorm. We also budget and plan for our remote staff to visit quarterly. And when they roll into town, we load up their calendars with special events to ensure they’re always at risk of becoming a Cincinnati transplant. Needless to say, the weeks when we’re all together are truly our best moments as an agency. But they’re only the best because we relentlessly seek balance.

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Balance: a moving target

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I’ll be the first to tell you: We’re not perfect. We’re constantly learning and adjusting. But one thing will never change: We’re locked in on what’s right for our people and our business. We know that our model isn’t a one-size-fits-all for every agency. We also know there is no right answer in this great debate. 

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However, I will say that I am a huge advocate of the hybrid model for our business. The magic happens when we are together. No matter what your role is, there are so many benefits to being together. You learn and grow faster, your communication is clearer (especially non-verbal), and your relationships are stronger. All of this leads to a happier staff and better work. With that said, there is such beauty to having the flexibility of staying home on certain days of the week to focus on your work, skip the commute, or bring some balance back into your life. (The sweatpants help too!) In an unpredictable industry, where client expectations move the traditional 9-5 practically out of reach, balance is key. And balance is only possible when our people see and feel the perks of both styles of work.

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