LiftOff: Alyssa Christianson’s Experience in Boston

Alyssa Christianson, who is based in Orion New York, recently moved to Boston for a six-month stint as part of LiftOff, our employee mobility program.

Why did you pursue the LiftOff opportunity in Boston?
I have been with the company for six years and wanted to become more involved with our progression of growth and expansion. This seemed like a great opportunity to take a more active role and explore new avenues for change. I also grew up in Massachusetts and went to college in Boston, so it was an exciting chance for me to get to visit my home and my family.

What are you hoping to get from your experience?
Most importantly, I was hoping to deepen and strengthen our relationships with some of our new accounts. I think this is a chance for me to put my mark on the company and contribute something lasting as we grow our business into new markets. I am hoping to help spread the word about what Orion does to help clients and how the company is giving Orionites new opportunities for growth.

Have there been any benefits from this opportunity that surprised you?
This is a unique situation because I’m in an office where Orion is almost completely unknown. There is no Orion office in Boston and the Mediabrands presence consists of a few friends from Rapport. Being tasked with explaining our product offering and processes to groups of people that have a very narrow point of reference has been challenging but also exciting. Seeing people’s curiosity about what we do and hearing how it might be able to benefit their client relationships has been encouraging so far. Having spent so much time immersed in our culture and understanding of the processes, it still comes as a small shock when others around me have no idea what we do – but are interested to learn more!

How is the experience different than life at Orion Global HQ in New York?
Being in the office of a full-service agency has been interesting; being able to overhear how each department interacts and seeing the whole process come together is a real learning experience! And, I’ve been learning how to integrate and bring the Orion spirit into a completely different culture.