Ingredients for a Best Place to Work: When Cherleen Smotrycz’s Consolidated Marketing Services rebranded to Dryvve (asi/154912) in January 2024, the company got a burst of fresh energy – drive, if you will. But one thing that didn’t change? Her intense desire to make sure every individual on the team knows exactly where they fit and how their contributions are valued.

The Dryvve team shows off a recent retro-inspired campaign while manning the merch table.

There are often quick all-hands meetings just to check in – and to ensure feedback is acknowledged, considered and then implemented or explained. She ensures employees are cross-trained on all accounts, so when someone puts out a call for help or a client needs quick assistance, everyone is ready to jump in and help. Ben and David Grossman – of Grossman Marketing Group (asi/215205), an investor in Dryvve and also a 2026 Counselor Best Place to Work – launched the “Grossman Gazette,” where anyone can shout out important events, milestones, work wins and personal stories alike.

“The focus,” Smotrycz says, “has always been on the people.”

Top Benefits & Perks: Dryvve’s onboarding program for new employees is reliant on interaction with nearly all members of the team. A new customer service support staff member, for example, will connect with the main point person for purchase orders, the IT department, the employee who runs the billing system and beyond. “Every single person has a vested interest in the success of that new person,” Smotrycz says, “which I think is so, so important.”

Parting Tip: “100% transparency,” Smotrycz says. “People can’t be left to think, ‘What’s going on? How do I fit in? What role do I play, and how does that impact the company?’ Full transparency lets people know we’re all rolling in the same direction.”

If Dryvve Were a TV Show, It Would Be The Office. “He [Michael Scott] is a bit of a kook, but he always seems to value every single person – there’s elements of that connection here that make an office not drudgery,” Smotrycz says.