What makes 898 Marketing a great place to work comes down to how people are treated when life gets heavy.

Cailyn Chrystal, director of operations at the Canfield, Ohio, company, shares that when her father was diagnosed with cancer and spent months at the Cleveland Clinic, she accompanied her mother to see him almost every day.

Chrystal’s team rallied around her: “No guilt. No side comments. No fear that work would pile up,” she says. 

Referring to 898 Marketing Owner/President Jeff Ryznar, Chrystal says, “Jeff really means it when he says your family comes first.”

Her dad passed that July, and throughout that difficult time she never had to choose between work and the people she loves, Chrystal says in her nomination of the company. 

“That kind of support sticks with you,” she says.

Chrystal adds that the culture carries into the community involvement expected of every team member. 

“Tickets to events and fundraisers that 898 Marketing sponsors show up often, and team members use them to learn about local nonprofits, meet leaders across the region and find causes that match what they care about,” she says.

And career growth is baked into the culture too.

“Twelve of the staff’s 28 full-time team members started as interns, and most of the leadership team grew from entry level roles,” Chrystal explains. “Turnover is almost nonexistent, with only five departures in 12 years, and all on good terms.”

The Hudson office, opened earlier this year, supports business growth and 898’s people. Team members who live closer to Cleveland have a shorter commute and anyone in the Mahoning Valley who wants to move north can keep their job and stay connected to the company.

“It all adds up to a workplace built on trust, flexibility and real chances to grow,” Chrystal says.

Pictured at top: A partial team picture at 898 Marketing’s Canfield office including from left to right: Austin Wagley, Natasha Kresic, Sarah Crowe, Zach Patton, Jeff Ryznar, Kelly Fertig, Jimmy Kerrigan, Jaclyn Didomenico, Mireille Rhodes, Maddie Kawecki, Chelsea Sanson and Carli DiGirolamo.