#Duckumentary - Mike Reardon

What did you do before your time at EDA?

Before coming to EDA, I worked for a nonprofit supporting our outreach, volunteer, and communications teams for advocacy and local event work.

What brought you to the construction industry?

I wanted to focus more on marketing in my day-to-day work. The challenge of moving to a new industry and opportunity to join a rapidly growing company with such a strong emphasis on culture sealed the deal.

Can you briefly explain what you do at EDA?

I focus mainly on how EDA shows up to external audiences. That can mean elevating our brand with the hope to generate new leads, promoting services and EDA offerings that make us unique, highlighting members of the EDA team as leaders in the industry, and more. To do this, I am tasked with developing content and creating a marketing and media outreach strategy that will help spread information about EDA to new customers.

What do you like most about your position at EDA?

I like that I can work with a great team that is challenged to be innovative and try things that are outside-the-box. Most of our competitors either have a very small or don’t have a marketing department, so what we are trying to do with marketing is different – and that is pretty exciting.

How did you get involved in Marketing Communications?

In my first job out of college, I had the opportunity to see and work with an array of people in several different roles. Communications was the most interesting to me because every day is different and you have to be able to adjust quickly to unexpected situations. I started a master’s degree in marketing and advertising in 2020 that has since solidified my interest in the field and coming to EDA gave me the opportunity to focus on marketing fulltime.

Why is Marketing Communications important?

Marketing communications help give a business meaning and elevate the work that is done to a larger audience. A lot of time the value that a marketing team can bring isn’t directly seen in the bottom-line but getting the word out about what we do and why we do it can have a direct effect on growing a business. There’s a saying if a tree falls in the woods and nobody hears it, does it actually make a sound? Well in marketing at EDA, I like to say if we build something and nobody sees us do it, did EDA really build it? My goal is to promote the great work that EDA does and make sure others know about it.

What are your goals for Marketing Communications at EDA?

My goal is to grow our relevance with GC’s, building owners, and other relevant parties to help continue expanding our business into new markets. I want to highlight the great work our teams in the field do each day and why our culture makes us a superior subcontractor. I strive to ensure that EDA’s brand shows up positively to external audiences, and that our practices and people will be seen as industry leaders.

What are some things that most people don't know about you?

I worked as a barista (and still do on occasion) for an independently owned coffee shop in my hometown. This experience has turned me into a bit of a coffee snob, which will give you a quick “neither” answer (and perhaps an eye roll) if you ask me for Starbucks or Dunkin.

If you weren’t in the construction industry, where would you be today?

I like to think I’d be pitching for the New York Yankees, but two shoulder surgeries and an 80-mph fastball certainly ruined that dream.

If you could work in any other trade or department here at EDA, where would you be?

I would probably want to be a carpenter, although I’m not sure they would take me after seeing some of the work I’ve done around the house. I’ve always liked working with my hands and building things, so watching our carpenters do their jobs has been really cool for me.

What is the biggest challenge you've faced in work? How did you overcome it?

Since my position is new to EDA, a lot of the infrastructure that I was used to having in previous jobs isn’t yet here at EDA. This made it challenging to get started and jump right into my role when I joined the team but has also been a great opportunity to build what I feel is needed from the ground up. I have found that patience and asking a lot of questions have been key to making sure that both myself and our team are successful with anything new that we try.

What has been the best part about your experience working with EDA?

The culture and friendly faces that I see each day makes coming to work enjoyable. I love that EDA is casual and doesn’t have a rigid, corporate feel. I’ve always said that I don’t want to come to a place that has “buttoned-up” work environment, and EDA has done a great job at creating a comfortable environment for all.

What is your favorite EDA value, and why?

Build Trust. I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t know everything, or even close to everything, when it comes to marketing a construction company. Because of that, it is imperative to build trust with the people around me to ensure that I am representing EDA accurately. Much of what I produce, puts a voice to our business and if I am not talking about things correctly, it takes away from the expertise we want to show our customers. Trusting colleagues to answer questions, give advice, and correct me when I am wrong is integral to being successful.