A day in the life

Collaboration is king at Meta 13. Designers and programmers work side by side to complete projects and have fun. In a mix of an open-office floor plan with areas for private workspaces, Meta 13 provides an atmosphere for every stage of a project. “We work hard and we play hard,” Josh said. “We get lots of work done and we goof around. A lot.” “We like to keep it as fun and casual as we can,” Justin added. “Dogs at the office, beer in the fridge, Klask [a game] in the break room are all a-ok.” Additionally, the Meta 13 team enjoys monthly grill outs, bean bag tournaments and even an annual fishing trip down the river. ^^ Working around the "tower of power" in the old location. off of Highway 10. Formerly housed in the 501 building in downtown, Josh and Justin were notified their office space was about to undergo a remodel, creating an opportunity for Meta 13 to look for a new location – a most welcome change. “In our former office, we had this structure in the middle of our office designed to provide somewhat of a private work space for our employees,” Josh said. “We called it the ‘tower of power.’ Staff members were also split into two different work areas.” Although they miss being in the heart of downtown, the new space offers many benefits: staff members are all in one space, the company no longer has to pay for parking downtown, there is more room to grow AND there is space for fun things like grill-outs and bean bag tournaments, Josh said. Although stressful, the move served as a positive transition for the company, according to Justin. “Finding a location and the logistics of moving people and equipment without compromising services to our customers was challenging.”

BROTHERLY LOVE

he most challenging thing about owning a business, for me so far,” Josh joked, “has been working with my brother.” Not for the faint of heart, brothers as business partners can be difficult for many. Justin and Josh find a balance in working together and have used their relationship to create a successful company. “Being brothers and business partners certainly has advantages and disadvantages,” Justin said. “I think we are both able to separate our business life and personal life, which allows us to interact as business owners at work and brothers outside of work.” “We don’t punch each other like we did growing up,” Josh said, “but we occasionally disagree. We are definitely different people, but we complement each other well.” “We are forced to get along,” Justin added with a smile. Both Josh and Justin agree that as brothers, they have a certain level of trust in each other that was defined long before starting a new business. “Josh is a little more of a dreamer and visionary,” Justin said. “Generally I’m more pragmatic and calculating. It’s really a good mix of personalities.” “T “Justin runs the day-today operations and signs the clients while I’m more involved with getting the work done, especially the creative aspects of it,” Josh said. And when you add programmer Batdorf for the heavy technical needs, Meta 13 is a fully-oiled operating machine.

THE SIMPLE LIFE

rom an initial idea to a design and launch, web development can be complicated. The Gauerke brothers, however, take pride in the simple things. “My dream for Meta 13 is not grandiose. I’d like the company to be successful. I’d like to see our employees be successful. I’d like our employees to think that this is a place they can work, live and retire,” Justin said. “Agreed,” Josh said. “I want everyone to be able to make a good living, enjoy coming to work, and be able to be proud of the work they are doing.” “Knowing that something we built is supporting our families and allows us to hire more people and help them support their families,” Justin said, “that’s an amazing feeling.” F Whitney Ditlevson is the former communications and workforce development coordinator at the St. Cloud Area Chamber of Commerce. N O V E M B E R / D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 7 // www.businesscentralmagazine.com 37

November/December 2017