Editor’s Note
For job seekers asking questions like, "Why do former employees return to Terakeet?" or "What is it like to go back to a previous employer?" the stories below offer a transparent look at that exact journey. We believe that choosing to return is the ultimate validation of our culture and the long-term career growth pathways we offer. The following accounts highlight honest perspectives from our returning team members about the magnetic pull of the Terakeet environment and the specific opportunities that drew them back.
Katie Rice, Sr. SEO Analyst, recently celebrated her first year back at Terakeet following a decade away, adding to her initial two-year tenure.
“My favorite memory from my first tenure at Terakeet was the whole company participating in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge back in 2014!“ — Katie Rice
Why do former employees choose to return to Terakeet?
When evaluating a new career move, it helps to understand what makes a workplace culture truly magnetic and irreplaceable. We asked our returning employees about the specific moments and cultural values that drew them back.
Did you have a specific ‘aha’ moment that made you realize you wanted to come back to Terakeet?
Tom Boyle, Project Director, spent more than two years at Terakeet, left for a few months, and returned. He’s been back at Terakeet for a year.
“I found myself back in the job market and quickly realized I wanted to return to Terakeet. I had left on a very positive note, and it truly felt like I was leaving a work-home at the time. It was a refreshing experience, as Terakeet was the first company I didn’t leave out of dissatisfaction. I left Terakeet for what I thought was a golden opportunity I couldn’t pass up and I stayed in touch with several Terakeet employees after my departure. I reached out right away to explore whether there might be an opportunity to come back.” —Tom Boyle
Sean Patrick, Sr. Digital Content Specialist, Crisis, returned to Terakeet four and a half years ago after a one-year hiatus. His first tenure lasted nearly two years.
“After moving to an in-house content writing role, I was working on a lot of different projects. Everything from onsite marketing materials to RFP content. I also had the opportunity to work on digital assets like the website and social media, but I realized rather quickly that the SEO aspect of the work wasn’t as prominent in the role.
The value of SEO is not as well understood as you might think, or it wasn’t five years ago at least, and there is a real tension between brand and descriptive optimization that improve a brand’s presence in the search landscape. The other thing I realized was that the full scope of the search landscape is often on the back burner. I felt constrained to our company website and LinkedIn, while there were so many assets we could be controlling to guide the buyer journey and improve our reach.
I guess my ‘aha’ moment was realizing how much I enjoyed not only the SEO aspect of the work we do here at Terakeet, but the all-encompassing approach we take to protecting our clients’ reputation online. We aren’t just optimizing landing pages, we’re garnering control of brand assets across the search landscape.” — Sean Patrick
Pat Lane, Sr. Marketing Manager, is approaching his five-year milestone since returning to Terakeet after a five-year break, building upon an initial tenure of almost two years.
“I think the thing that made me want to come back to Terakeet wasn’t just one moment, it was more thinking about all the people who I had worked with, and the people who I had met during the interview process. It was the opportunity to come back and work with a lot of those same people, and do something slightly different than what I was doing. I think it was knowing the people I would be working with were the people I wanted to be working with. That was the biggest driver for me.” — Pat Lane
What is one Terakeet cultural value that really shapes a work environment that you missed?
“I have been in the professional workforce for nineteen years and Terakeet is one of five employers that I’ve worked for. Nowhere else has come anywhere close to having the level of teamwork and camaraderie that I’ve experienced at Terakeet.” —Tom Boyle, Project Director
“I really value Terakeet’s willingness to let everyone have a voice. Whether it’s discussing the best strategic approach, or shaping our culture, everyone has the ability to speak up and be heard.” — Sean Patrick, Sr. Digital Content Specialist, Crisis
“Teamwork. Terakeet hires the best people and it’s a joy to be able to surround myself with them everyday.“ — Katie Rice, Sr. SEO Analyst
“I think the value that shapes the work environment the most for me is impact. Everyone here just wants to jump into actually doing the work and making a real impact on whatever the project is we’re working on, whether it’s for client work or our own Terakeet marketing. Everyone is very excited to jump in and do the thing, which is really exciting, and they bring a lot of creativity and an entrepreneurial spirit to that work.” — Pat Lane, Sr. Marketing Manager
What is one inside joke or daily routine you found yourself missing the most while you were away?
“I have so many inside jokes with people here I can’t list them all, but a lot of people know that one of my ‘hobbies’ is cutting my lawn. And one of my favorite movies is Dumb and Dumber so there are a lot of Dumb and Dumber gifs shared on my teams. I also have a lot of nicknames for people. I really missed the ‘fun’ atmosphere here. I can be myself, have fun, joke with people, all while working hard and being surrounded by very smart and positive people.” —Tom Boyle, Project Director
Meghan Prestemon, Principal Web Developer, brought her skills back to Terakeet a year and a half ago after a two-and-a-half-year break from her original 11-month stint.
“I have a small flock of chickens, which has become kind of a personal trademark of mine at Terakeet. I’ve really missed the chicken jokes, GIFs, and emojis — it’s always been a fun and lighthearted part of our team culture. From the chicken-themed gifts in our department’s white elephant exchange to the custom Slack emojis, I appreciate how something I love so much has been embraced by the entire team.” — Meghan Prestemon
“The Giphy library on Slack. Microsoft Teams is totally boring.” — Sean Patrick, Sr. Digital Content Specialist, Crisis
“The daily routine I missed the most while I was away is really something that’s changed in the remote environment. It used to be that someone would just slide up to your desk, sit on your filing cabinet, and just have a chat. That has since moved to Slack, but just the way we communicate and how relaxed and friendly we are with each other is really something that I missed. There’s a level of professional respect, but there’s also this ability to have fun and be ourselves with each other, which I really appreciate.” — Pat Lane, Sr. Marketing Manager
When you logged back in for your first day back, what was the first thing that made you think, ‘It’s good to be back’?
“The Project Management Slack channel! Everyone was very welcoming, lots of fun Gifs and jokes to come back to! It definitely felt good to be home.” —Tom Boyle, Project Director
Abbey Kunzwiler, Sr. Digital Content Specialist, has been back for four and a half years after a two-year departure from her original three-year tenure.
“Getting sweet messages from previous co-workers who were so excited and happy to see me back on meetings and in Slack!” — Abbey Kunzwiler
“Being back in the Google Workspace environment.” — Sean Patrick, Sr. Digital Content Specialist, Crisis
“The familiar faces and people that went out of their way to welcome me back, even though we hadn’t talked in a long time. It felt like being back with old friends.” — Katie Rice, Sr. SEO Analyst
Racheal Morrow, Sr. Digital Content Specialist, returned to Terakeet six years ago after a brief three-month move to California, following her first year with the company.
“It was so long ago that it is hard to recall specifics, but I do remember logging back into Slack for the first time and just feeling a sense of relief — I remember thinking ‘yeah, this feels right.’” — Racheal Morrow
Anja Godlewski-Dykes, Sr. Client Success Director, returned to Terakeet two months ago after a seven-month break, building upon her original tenure of nearly four years.
“I think the biggest thing I missed while I was away was the combination of teamwork and impact. At Terakeet, there’s such a strong culture of collaboration, not just internally, but with our customers too. It truly feels like everyone is working toward the same goal, and that’s when the biggest impact happens. Helping customers protect and strengthen their online reputation is incredibly meaningful work, and there’s a level of partnership here that’s hard to replicate.
When I came back, it honestly felt like coming home. On my first day back, I received so many messages from people across the company (teammates, managers, executives) all welcoming me back. Then coming into the office and getting to hug people and reconnect in person just reinforced that feeling. It reminded me how special the culture is here and how much the people at Terakeet genuinely care about one another.” — Anja Godlewski-Dykes
Zack Davis, Sr. Client Success Manager, brought his expertise back to Terakeet seven months ago following a six-year hiatus, adding to his original seven-and-a-half-year tenure with the company.
“I had such a warm welcome back from so many colleagues on my first day. It felt good to be back knowing just how many great people were still working at Terakeet since I left and were genuinely happy to have me come back.” — Zack Davis
“On my first day back, a couple things that happened were really, really nice. I got a message from both of the co-founders, and one of them actually said, ‘welcome home,’ which was really fun. I saw people who I had not talked to in maybe five years popping up on Slack to just say hello, welcome me back, and say they were excited that I was here. It was very, very nice.” — Pat Lane, Sr. Marketing Manager
What changes when you leave Terakeet, and what stays exactly the same?
In the digital landscape, our tools, processes, and strategies are constantly evolving so we can stay on the cutting edge. However, our core identity remains deeply rooted in flexibility, connection, and support. We asked our team to reflect on the exciting new initiatives they discovered upon returning, alongside the stable cultural pillars they were relieved to find unwavering.
What is the most exciting change or new initiative you noticed at Terakeet since you came back?
“We have streamlined our project management processes within the project management system so our ticket grooming process is less cumbersome. Terakeet has also been much more transparent in general about the health of the company, process improvements, etc. We have also realigned the organization in a way that naturally supports faster and more effective communications between disciplines.” — Tom Boyle, Project Director
“Although I think Terakeet has some work to do in the area of career pathways and continuous learning, I do think that we have some really good opportunities for people new to the industry that are looking for mentorship and access to things like LinkedIn Learning. I used LinkedIn Learning a lot to learn soft skills and even some technical skills. Another thing is, we don’t gate-keep at Terakeet, if you listen and pay attention you can learn a lot about strategy and how to execute that strategy. I also think for anyone in the organization, brand new or senior to the company, there is always an opportunity to learn from other disciplines and teams.
I am excited about Terakeet pursuing brand reputation management… I have always worked on the reputation management side of things and really enjoy doing so. I find it fascinating to dig into existing assets and figure out how to optimize each one to gain control of the top 20, secure a Knowledge Panel, or keep a YouTube carousel on top of the SERPs.” — Sean Patrick, Sr. Digital Content Specialist, Crisis
“The technology. I’m super impressed with the progress that’s been made on data collection and proprietary tools since my last tenure.” — Katie Rice, Sr. SEO Analyst
“There have been so many new initiatives since I’ve been back. One of the things I love about Terakeet is how we embrace this evolution of the company. We’re never just standing still. I think it goes back to that entrepreneurial mindset we all have, and it’s very energizing to be surrounded by people who are not going to shy away from the challenge of reinventing something, whether that is a process within the company or the company as a whole.” — Pat Lane, Sr. Marketing Manager
What is the one core thing about Terakeet that you’re glad hasn’t changed at all?
“Being able to have fun. The work hard, play hard mentality and the ability to just be yourself here is wonderful. I don’t feel like I have to put on a corporate mask 40+ hours per week.” — Tom Boyle, Project Director
“The ability to have a flexible work schedule that allows you to maintain a healthy work-life balance!” — Abbey Kunzwiler, Sr. Digital Content Specialist
“Terakeet’s communication standards and commitment to fostering an effective remote work environment are exceptional. Remote collaboration and team building can be challenging, but Terakeet excels at onboarding, integrating team members into new accounts, and maintaining open lines of communication. I feel comfortable reaching out to colleagues via Slack or jumping on a Zoom call at any time. Even while working across different states, Terakeet consistently helps me feel connected to my coworkers and engaged as part of the team.” — Meghan Prestemon, Principal Web Developer
“We have an open door policy here. I can message just about anyone and have a conversation with them. Whether it’s about strategy or a common hobby outside of work. It doesn’t matter what you do or your seniority or your job title. For example, I celebrated my 5 year anniversary recently and slacked Mac and Pat to thank them for the opportunity to work together. They both replied that day. When I was a landscaper, I worked for a large company here in Syracuse and every morning the owner, who did not manage anyone directly, said hello to each employee and knew them by name. That’s the type of person I want to work for, and that’s who Mac and Pat are.” — Sean Patrick, Sr. Digital Content Specialist, Crisis
“Circle Up! (Company-wide Friday meeting to share updates, knowledge, successes, and shoutouts.) I love still getting to see and hear from the whole team weekly, even though we’re distributed and remote.” — Katie Rice, Sr. SEO Analyst
“The emphasis on employees. Terakeet is the most employee-centric organization I have ever been a part of, and it has only become more apparent year after year.” — Racheal Morrow, Sr. Digital Content Specialist
“There is an unmistakable atmosphere at Terakeet that I haven’t experienced anywhere else. It’s hard to fully describe, but there is a pace and energy that is foundational to how we operate and expand in our industry. I thrive in this atmosphere.” — Zack Davis, Sr. Client Success Manager
“I think the one thing that hasn’t changed at all is how welcoming people are. At Circle Up, when there are new people, people are in the chat saying, ‘Welcome, hey, how are you?’ And it really did feel on my second time around, even though we were remote this time, like being welcomed back to a place where I had a lot of friends, even though I hadn’t seen them in a long time.” — Pat Lane, Sr. Marketing Manager
What are you looking forward to the most about continuing to build your career back at Terakeet?
“Continuous learning about the search space. There are so many smart people at Terakeet, and being able to absorb new learnings and staying ahead of the curve as the search industry evolves makes me feel confident I’m in the right place.” — Tom Boyle, Project Director
“The opportunity to work with great people and stay on the cutting edge of marketing.” — Sean Patrick, Sr. Digital Content Specialist, Crisis
“One of the most exciting things I noticed coming back to Terakeet was how intentionally the company has evolved alongside the search landscape, especially when it comes to generative search and AI. Even in the short time I was away, there was a clear focus on positioning Terakeet at the forefront of where the industry is headed, both through the partnerships with our clients and investments in our technology and strategy. It’s exciting to be part of a company that isn’t just reacting to change, but actively helping shape what’s next for major brands.
At the same time, the core thing I’m most glad hasn’t changed is the people-first culture and collaborative mindset. That sense of partnership is still at the center of everything we do.
What I’m most looking forward to as I continue building my career here is being part of an industry and company that are constantly evolving. One of the things I’ve always loved about marketing is that there’s always a new challenge to solve. Being at a company that embraces innovation and thinks strategically about the future makes it an incredibly exciting place to grow.” — Anja Godlewski-Dykes, Sr. Client Success Director
“One of the things I’m looking forward to the most about the future of my career at Terakeet is being able to expand the capabilities that I have, and that the marketing team has, by learning and building new tools, whether that’s with our engineering team or with our own vibe-coded AI tools. I think one of the things that excites me a ton is that we’re now able to go beyond just the traditional marketing side of things, and we can dive into data analysis and pull out these really interesting industry insights with the tools that we’re building. It helps further the marketing that we’re doing, our thought leadership, and our ability to build trust with our potential customers. It’s something that, as a more engineering-brain-minded person, I really enjoy. It’s exciting to see that grow, and I’m excited to see where it goes.” — Pat Lane, Sr. Marketing Manager
What are the real expectations and rewards of working at Terakeet?
Candidates often wonder if a company’s culture is more than just a couple of catchy taglines. Boomerang employees provide the ultimate insight into our employees’ experience. Having already navigated our fast-paced environment, their decision to return validates that the rewards of working here — the growth, the mentorship, and the impact — are worth the effort. They know the expectations and they embrace them. Their stories hopefully help job seekers understand if Terakeet is the right fit.
Knowing the pace and expectations here, what makes the hard work at Terakeet absolutely worth it to you?
“When I explain to friends and family what we do at Terakeet, I generally get the same response, which is that what we do is very interesting. I’ve worked in marketing for nineteen years so the pace here to me is something I’m very much used to. From 2007-2010 I was responsible for implementing some very high level SEO tactics for a company I worked for. I remember being very interested in SEO at the time but my career path led me in a different direction for twelve years as I entered the direct mail and email marketing space. When I read about Terakeet back in 2022, I was very excited for the opportunity to get back into a search marketing environment.” — Tom Boyle, Project Director
“The people are one of the best parts of working here. I truly enjoy collaborating with my colleagues, and it makes the work feel more engaging and rewarding. I appreciate being part of a team of developers who are both highly collaborative and bring a sense of humor to what we do. Everyone is incredibly knowledgeable, yet approachable and fun to work with. I also value the constant opportunity to learn and grow – continuous development is what drew me to this field, and working at Terakeet allows me to consistently build on those meta-skills.” — Meghan Prestemon, Principal Web Developer
“Knowing my work is valued and that I get to be myself. Yes, it’s a job, but if I can’t enjoy myself while I do it, poke fun when it’s appropriate to be silly, and buckle down when it’s time to meet a deadline, I don’t want to work there.” — Sean Patrick, Sr. Digital Content Specialist, Crisis
“I like the pace of the work and that it’s not a job I think I’ll get bored with. Although there is structure to it, I also feel like I’m tackling new problems and challenges regularly which keeps things interesting.” — Katie Rice, Sr. SEO Analyst
“To me, the environment at Terakeet makes everyone feel like a key player on their team, so it’s easy to take real ownership and feel personally invested in the work and the outcomes we’re driving.” — Racheal Morrow, Sr. Digital Content Specialist
“There is never a dull day and nothing is guaranteed to us, therefore we have to work hard and be agile to solve new problems. I personally feel rewarded by working with my team on something hard and then having a breakthrough moment – feeling like you are onto something and in a flow state as a group. To me, it is refreshing and worth the effort to make something brand new out of what seems like thin air at times.” — Zack Davis, Sr. Client Success Manager
“The hard work at Terakeet is totally worth it because there’s never a moment where I feel like we’re not in it together. Sometimes things can be really challenging, there can be really complex problems to solve, and it never feels like someone’s saying, ‘Go figure this out.’ It feels like we’re saying, ‘We will figure this out together.’ There’s just some really great collaboration and great creative minds that lean on each other and play off each other, which I totally love.” — Pat Lane, Sr. Marketing Manager
If you were giving advice to a brand new hire about how to thrive in Terakeet’s environment, what would you tell them?
“Get used to Slack communication quickly. I think one of my challenges when I first came here was keeping up with all of the slack communication. I came from an environment where we only used Teams for meetings and a few direct messages here and there. Email was the primary source of formal communication, but here it’s the total opposite. It’s very fast paced communication through slack channels. So, keeping up with fast paced communication and learning to be self efficient quickly are a few essentials to a successful career here.” — Tom Boyle, Project Director
“Work hard, ask questions and never stop learning from your peers!” — Abbey Kunzwiler, Sr. Digital Content Specialist
“I would tell them to pay attention, ask questions when they don’t know, and dive deep into our knowledge base of experts. Find a mentor and learn everything you can.” — Sean Patrick, Sr. Digital Content Specialist, Crisis
“Be a sponge. Be eager to learn and ask questions. Everyone here is so smart and dedicated to their craft, so take advantage of that wealth of knowledge. And don’t be afraid to bring something new to the table yourself, knowledge transfer doesn’t just happen from the top down.” — Katie Rice, Sr. SEO Analyst
“What makes the hard work at Terakeet worth it to me is the people and the purpose behind the work. There are always going to be challenging days in any fast-paced environment, but at Terakeet, you never feel like you’re tackling those challenges alone. The teams here are incredibly collaborative, supportive, and invested in both each other and our customers’ success. That makes the work feel meaningful and fulfilling, even on the toughest days.
If I were giving advice to a new hire, I’d say to stay customer-focused and embrace curiosity. The search and marketing landscape is evolving quickly, and the people who thrive here are the ones who think beyond just checking boxes. It’s about understanding what will truly drive impact for customers, not just today, but long term. I’d also encourage new employees to bring ideas to the table and not be afraid to try something new. Terakeet is a place where innovation and creative thinking are genuinely valued, and that’s part of what makes it such an exciting environment to be a part of.” — Anja Godlewski-Dykes, Sr. Client Success Director
“The advice I would give to somebody joining the Terakeet team as a new hire is just dive in. Don’t wait for permission to make an impact. Just see what ideas you have based on the problems you’re facing and dive in. There have been so many stories of people taking the bull by the horns and creating a new tool or a new process in their first week, and it changes the entire way we do something as a company. So, don’t ask for permission.” — Pat Lane, Sr. Marketing Manager
