“Who says you can’t go home?” -Jon Bon Jovi

In January 2017, after consultation with Matt Ballard and the Charleston Area Alliance outreach team, I moved the Made in Germany office from our South Charleston home to the downtown incubator on Smith Street. With a trip to Germany planned to connect the Charleston and Rhein-Ruhr chambers, and close ties to the valley’s business development entities, a brick-and-mortar office seemed the next step in the business evolution. It all made sense in a time of growth and opportunity for my boutique brand and content consultancy.

For three years, I enjoyed the dialogue with neighbors and the welcoming support of the Alliance staff who fast became my professional family, cheerleaders, and proofreaders. My prior stint for eight years on Summers Street made the downtown move a return to my old stomping grounds with culinary delights, vendor access, and parking galore.

Fast forward to 2020: I followed the events in Germany closely when COVID-19 hit this Spring, and socially distanced myself beginning February 27th. In the meantime, Apple, Google, Twitter, and other companies shifted their employee worksite model to offer part-time or full-time work-from-home for individuals, teams, and branch companies, utilizing virtual workspaces, remote workplaces, and third-party resources.

The portability of my business and concern for personal health made the return to South Charleston and the home office on July 1st an easy decision. While missing the work-family and the more distinctive separation between work and leisure, it sure feels like a return to the beginnings and the opportunity to tailor the space to my evolved business needs.

UPLIFT Desk @ MiG Home Office

My signature blue Steelcase Tanker Desk found a home with a Charleston author and activist. I chose the flexibility and health benefits of a custom Uplift Commercial Standing Desk. Excellent cable management, stability, and prime space for my digital real estate and Teutonic frame made the decision easy. The landmark memorabilia found a new home, throning atop our vast physical media collection.

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With a hybrid network of content creation, video editing, and layout workstations, Made in Germany is well set to fulfill our clients’ needs. Likewise, the economy will demand corporate communications, brand innovation, and content to communicate their goals and progress as the period of economic recovery in a post-Coronavirus world approaches. Our services and capabilities are evolving, too, as professional development has become a focus in the current time of isolation. In that aspect, as Bon Jovi sings, “it doesn’t matter where you go if it’s a million miles away or just a mile up the road: Take it in, take it with you when you go!” It feels like a step forward, not a step back.

In conclusion, while I would love to meet, break bread, and talk shop with you, a FaceTime, Zoom, Google, or Skype meeting will have to do – I’ll even wear a tie. You can also text me at 304-928-0441. Talk to you soon?

Jens-Kristian Kiel
Founder/CEO Made in Germany