Stephen App joined eCity as a Senior Inbound Marketing Manager this past July. A master communicator with a knack for writing sticky content, Steve has already established himself as an indispensable member of the eCity team. When he’s not busy charming clients, Steve can be found playing with his adorable 8-month-old daughter Liv or watching his beloved New England Patriots. We chatted with Steve over coffee to get to know him a little better. Welcome aboard, Steve!
What is Your Daily Routine at eCity?
My daily schedule pretty much revolves around coffee and content. I tend to get in a bit before 9am, hot coffee in hand, and start my day by checking the digital and social reports for eCity and my clients. Then, I look through my email and, together with the aforementioned digital and social reports, create a to-do list for the day.
The rest of my day is largely spent planning and creating content. On any given day, that might mean conducting research on users and new trends, writing a blog post or a longer-form piece of premium content, planning campaigns, working on editorial content calendars, or editing photos for social publishing or search ads.
At some point in the afternoon, I always try to get out of the office to stretch my legs, people watch, and, of course, drink coffee. I find just 10-15 minutes of fresh air can do wonders when I’m stuck in a creative rut. And I’m pretty much out the door at 5pm, because if I miss my SEPTA train, I’m stuck in Suburban Station for almost an hour. Such is the life of a suburbanite.
Describe Your Resume at a Glance.
I earned my bachelor’s in communications in 2007 from Stonehill College, in Massachusetts. While in school, I was a radio play-by-play announcer and a sports journalist for the school newspaper, and I thought that’s what I wanted to do. But I wasn’t interested in moving to Wyoming to start my career (sorry Wyoming), so I moved to Philadelphia in 2008 and worked in videography at Temple University’s Beasley School of Law. While there, I discovered Twitter and became passionate about social media and the way organizations were using it to communicate with their customers. I went back to school, earned my master’s in communication management from Temple University in 2013, and then began working on marketing, communications, and admissions for Temple Law until I joined eCity this summer.
“The more I talked with the group at eCity, the more I felt like this was an opportunity to really build something.”
If you had a week off, you’d spend it…
Driving a Jeep Wrangler up the West Coast, from San Diego to Vancouver. No roof, no doors, no problem.
What is your favorite TV show?
I am a firm believer that Seinfeld is still the best television show ever made, and refuse to be told otherwise. It’s just so applicable to every social situation; you are never in a position where you can’t quote Seinfeld. It’s gold!
Who or what do you draw inspiration from?
I love Simon Sinek’s “Start with Why” TED Talk and follow up book. The concept is, generally, that people don’t buy what you do, but why you do it. I read the book several years ago, and I’ve tried to carry that concept with me in everything I do. I find it serves as a fantastic compass when I’m not sure what the right approach is to a problem I’m working on.
Related: Get to know eCity Interactive’s new Project Manager: Davis Kane
Why did you want to join eCity?
The more I talked with the group at eCity, the more I felt like this was an opportunity to really build something. Opportunities like that don’t come around very often. I couldn’t pass up the chance.
What has been the highlight of your time here thus far?
On #NationalChocolateChipCookieDay (yes, that’s a real thing), one of eCity’s project managers, Kate, went to Insomnia Cookies and brought back a box of chocolate chip cookies for everyone to take a picture with and eat. It was a small gesture, but it was a clear signal to me that this was a group of people I was going to enjoy spending time with every day.
If you had a super power, what would it be?
Flight, and anyone who says otherwise is crazy.
The Best restaurant in Philadelphia is…
Philly is such an underrated culinary city. I can’t name one restaurant, but my perfect culinary day would probably start with Beiler’s Donuts in Reading Terminal Market, followed up by a cheesesteak at Jim’s on South St, and then a nice dinner at Bistro Le Minette. And of course, every “best day” involves ice cream, so I’d finish my day with a Mt. Visuvius Sundae at Franklin Fountain.
