How are career development opportunities at Victorious?

-Incredible Colleagues: The people here are brilliant; some of the brightest and kindest you’ll ever meet. Victorious has very talented people who are customer facing and that is the company's greatest asset. -Industry Recognition: The company has garnered awards over the years, due to the hard (+thankless) work of their CSM, SEO and Content teams which can look good on a resume and provide some initial credibility.

Leadership & Layoffs -Callous + Cruel Layoffs: Recently, one-third of the Customer Success department was laid off only a handful of days before the annual company retreat. All of these employees were top performers, and leadership handled this as poorly as they possibly could. No one knew this was happening and there were no plans/transitions made for dozens of customer accounts. This incredibly short-sighted decision by leadership was a huge blow to the morale, which is already very low, and left the remaining team members both anxiety-ridden and required clean up their mess. Employees with over 3 years of hard work and dedication were treated like trash. So much for "People-First", which is clearly not a core value they actually embody. -Lack of Empathy: There’s a pattern of leadership blaming former employees for systemic issues instead of acknowledging poor decision-making on their own behalf. They routinely gaslight employees to avoid taking any personal-accountability. Collapsing Culture -Nearly Nonexistent Culture: In 2021 and 2022, Victorious made efforts to foster teamwork and engagement, but regular stand-ups and fun Slack channels have all but vanished. Morale-boosting traditions have faded, and there’s a noticeable disconnect across teams. Everyone has been burnt out for years now, and this feedback has been shared far and wide, but nothing has changed. The poor culture and low morale is somehow continuing to hit new rock bottoms. -Secrecy and Poor Communication: Big decisions that impact the customer-facing teams are made behind closed doors, with minimal transparency. Employees are often blindsided by sudden shifts and restructures, with NO training given. It is impossible to keep up with leaderships' knee-jerk reactivity. Sales Methodology -Ineffective & Misaligned Sales: The sales team OFTEN brings in customers who have slim chances of SEO success with unrealistic expectations. This sets other departments up for failure and leads to high churn. -High Turnover & Minimal Training: The sales department turnover is extremely high, suggesting insufficient training or a flawed approach to selling the company’s services. SEO Department Struggles -No Accountability: The SEO team is personally responsible for many accounts that churn, however, there is no accountability for them being weeks late on deliverables, or not following through on promises made to customers. The CSM team pays the price for this major issue. -Understaffed & Overworked: The SEOs carry an unmanageable workload, which has been a concern shared for years. Promises made to clients frequently go unmet, leaving the Customer Success team to manage the fallout. -Poor Retention: Skilled and talented SEOs tend to burn out within a year and leave, which perpetuates a cycle of instability and unmet deliverables. Overall Lack of Accountability and Strategy -Constant Blame Game: Leadership frequently shifts blame onto others rather than taking responsibility for failed initiatives and oversight. -Short-Term Fixes vs. Long-Term Vision: The company pivots quickly from one new strategy to the next without learning from past mistakes. This reactive approach erodes confidence and clarity across all teams. If they would listen to feedback and concerns frequently being shared, they could have saved the ship from sinking; it is too late now.

1. The company's employees are definitely its foundation. Victorious attracts bright, skilled, and supportive individuals who genuinely care about their work and each other. The fact that many employees have gone on to succeed elsewhere really speaks to the high caliber of talent the company draws. 2. While I would not categorize Victorious as the "best place to work," the company has earned multiple industry accolades that bolster its credibility and may enhance your resume in the SEO/digital marketing industry. 3. In my first year with the company, they displayed a supportive work environment where employees truly felt heard and valued. Although the culture has since changed, there is still much opportunity with all the loyal employees holding on to what was, in hopes of it returning.

1. Victorious was once a great place to work that honestly seemed too good to be true. However, the company's toxic leadership and lack of transparency have significantly chipped away at its culture, leaving nothing but a crumbly foundation. The severe lack of transparency and the focus on profits have eliminated the employee morale that once stood strong. If you're seeking growth opportunities, transparency, and a healthy work-life balance, I highly encourage you to look elsewhere. There is a reason the turnover rate is so high here. 2. The management team seems to avoid transparency at all costs. Major decisions are often made in secrecy, with little explanation or communication to the broader team. The company's small size amplifies the impact of these communication breakdowns, leaving many employees feeling out of the loop. 3. The company seems to be operating in survival mode with no clear desire to focus on quality accounts. Instead, they seem to be more focused on immediate profits, which has led to more campaigns requesting shorter terms with unrealistic goals or requesting to terminate campaigns early for lack of results. 4. The company’s approach to addressing leadership failures has led to recent layoffs. They decided to lay off one-third of the customer success team just a couple of days before our company retreat. They made it seem like this was solely the fault of the customer success team when no one was coached or warned. They even specifically told the CS team that renewal metrics would not be held against them, as it is clear that the sales process is typically what leads to a bad fit customer, who is sold on unrealistic expectations. Instead of taking responsibility for their failures, leadership chose to publicly blame the affected employees, which left a sour taste in the team’s mouth just days before our morale-building retreat. 5. Though Victorious was once an exciting place to work, the company’s culture now feels hollow and disengaged. Employee morale has plummeted to an all-time low, with a growing number of employees actively seeking new opportunities. Leadership’s indifference to these issues only deepens the dysfunction.

Talented colleagues, industry recognition & a glimmer of culture. No Shortage of Talented People — The company’s greatest asset is its people. It attracts brilliant, kind, and supportive individuals who genuinely care about their work and each other. Many have gone on to thrive elsewhere, proving the strength of the talent pool. Industry Recognition — While certainly not the best place to work, its multiple industry awards enhance credibility and can strengthen your resume. Culture is Fading, But Not Gone — At its peak in 2020 and 2021, the company was growing and fostered a vibrant and engaging culture where employees felt valued and supported. Unfortunately, that culture has all but disappeared.

Poor leadership, secrecy & profit-first priorities have gutted the culture. This company was once a great place to work, but its toxic leadership, lack of transparency, and short-term thinking have eroded its foundation. If you’re looking for career growth, clear communication, and a people-first culture, look elsewhere. Until leadership changes at the top, dysfunction will continue to drive away its best talent. Lack of Transparency & Communication — The executive team makes major decisions behind closed doors, offering little explanation. Transparency has steadily eroded as power consolidates at the top, resulting in repeated missteps with no accountability. For such a small company, the lack of clear communication is staggering. Loss of Vision & Purpose — The company has shifted into survival mode, lacking direction and long-term strategy. Leadership prioritizes profitability above all else, contradicting its “people-first” values. Many employees feel disconnected, questioning whether the company is positioning itself for an acquisition rather than meaningful growth. Toxic Leadership & Failing Upwards — Instead of rewarding competence and results, leadership promotes tenure and loyalty over actual performance. Executives deflect blame, avoid accountability, and repeat the same mistakes without meaningful change. The CEO once championed Good to Great as a guiding philosophy, yet in practice, leadership ignores its core principles—avoiding “the brutal facts” and blaming others instead of taking responsibility. Mishandling Layoffs & Terminations — Leadership has repeatedly demonstrated a lack of respect and professionalism in handling layoffs. In 2025, one-third of the CS team was abruptly let go without warning. The year prior, half of the Product team was laid off. In both instances, rather than acknowledging their own role in these decisions, leadership publicly blamed the departing employees for poor performance, leaving the entire company stunned. Eroding Employee Experience — Once an exciting place to work, the company culture now feels soulless and disconnected. Engagement has plummeted, Slack channels that once thrived are now silent, and leadership makes no effort to rebuild morale. Career growth has stalled, with top talent actively job-hunting while leadership remains in denial about the dysfunction.

Talented colleagues, industry recognition & a glimmer of culture. No Shortage of Talented People — The company’s greatest asset is its people. It attracts brilliant, kind, and supportive individuals who genuinely care about their work and each other. Many have gone on to thrive elsewhere, proving the strength of the talent pool. Industry Recognition — While certainly not the best place to work, its multiple industry awards enhance credibility and can strengthen your resume. Culture is Fading, But Not Gone — At its peak in 2020 and 2021, the company was growing and fostered a vibrant and engaging culture where employees felt valued and supported. Unfortunately, that culture has all but disappeared.

Poor leadership, secrecy & profit-first priorities have gutted the culture. This company was once a great place to work, but its toxic leadership, lack of transparency, and short-term thinking have eroded its foundation. If you’re looking for career growth, clear communication, and a people-first culture, look elsewhere. Until leadership changes at the top, dysfunction will continue to drive away its best talent. Lack of Transparency & Communication — The executive team makes major decisions behind closed doors, offering little explanation. Transparency has steadily eroded as power consolidates at the top, resulting in repeated missteps with no accountability. For such a small company, the lack of clear communication is staggering. Loss of Vision & Purpose — The company has shifted into survival mode, lacking direction and long-term strategy. Leadership prioritizes profitability above all else, contradicting its “people-first” values. Many employees feel disconnected, questioning whether the company is positioning itself for an acquisition rather than meaningful growth. Toxic Leadership & Failing Upwards — Instead of rewarding competence and results, leadership promotes tenure and loyalty over actual performance. Executives deflect blame, avoid accountability, and repeat the same mistakes without meaningful change. The CEO once championed Good to Great as a guiding philosophy, yet in practice, leadership ignores its core principles—avoiding “the brutal facts” and blaming others instead of taking responsibility. Mishandling Layoffs & Terminations — Leadership has repeatedly demonstrated a lack of respect and professionalism in handling layoffs. In 2025, one-third of the CS team was abruptly let go without warning. The year prior, half of the Product team was laid off. In both instances, rather than acknowledging their own role in these decisions, leadership publicly blamed the departing employees for poor performance, leaving the entire company stunned. Eroding Employee Experience — Once an exciting place to work, the company culture now feels soulless and disconnected. Engagement has plummeted, Slack channels that once thrived are now silent, and leadership makes no effort to rebuild morale. Career growth has stalled, with top talent actively job-hunting while leadership remains in denial about the dysfunction.

The only positive part of working here was the people I worked with. The employees were smart, supportive, and genuinely cared about each other. That sense of community was rare and made the job bearable at times.

CULTURE When I first joined, the culture seemed promising — there was collaboration, innovation, and an interest in personal and professional growth. But that quickly faded. Asking questions started being seen as a weakness, raising concerns was met with gaslighting, and leadership broke promises repeatedly. The company’s direction changed constantly, often without any input or context. Employees were left cleaning up the mess after poorly thought-out executive decisions, leading to frustrated customers and overwhelmed staff. Eventually, the culture turned toxic. People stayed only for a paycheck, not because they felt valued. WORKLOAD Leadership claimed to value feedback but quickly resorted to manipulation and blame when issues were brought up. The workload was excessive — long hours, weekends, and unrealistic expectations were the norm. If you voiced concerns, you were labeled lazy or uncommitted. Collaboration across teams was discouraged, and ego seemed more valued than teamwork. There were no bonuses or fair compensation for the extra time and effort many of us put in. GROWTH Career advancement here felt like a rigged game. Opportunities were mostly reserved for favorites. You had to beg for performance reviews or raises, and even then, you’d be met with excuses or additional hoops to jump through. Promotions were often temporary, with roles and titles being removed or changed without warning. There was no real structure or stability in how they handled employee development.

*Interesting agency with smart and kind individuals *Do their best to live up to their values

*Would like more growth opportunities

-Remote work, semi-flexible schedule -Talented, intelligent colleagues at the individual contributor level -Exposure to varied industries and unique organizational processes of each customer -Opportunities to develop meaningful and long-standing rapport with customers

-Unattainable commission structure due to frequent KPI changes -Leadership consistently eroded trust by failing to deliver on repeated assurances of improvement and/or resolution of systemic issues. As these issues festered and severely impacted customer projects, leadership overwhelmingly directed blame toward individual contributors -Leadership would frequently roll out widespread organizational restructuring without little to no consultation of relevant stakeholders. This led to customer confusion about services, employee roles, and ultimately churning due to dissatisfaction -Despite consistent feedback that services were failing to meet customer needs, employees were pressured to overextend in order to make up for deliverable shortcomings -Inability to adapt and incorporate feedback from front-line employees -Leadership actively sabotaged employee success through prevention of remediation strategies for at-risk accounts -Lack of stability in job roles and responsibilities, often resulted in burnout and serious mental health concerns for employees -Significant, repeated mass layoffs and terminations with overreaching NDAs to discourage negative blowback

Some genuinely talented, kind, and capable people Opportunity to make a few strong professional connections Helped clarify the type of culture and leadership style where I do my best work Gained new skills in various software and tools

Leadership emphasized collaboration and progress in theory, but execution often lacked clarity and follow-through Heavy use of buzzwords with limited action behind them Culture was jaded, with too much focus on immaterial details rather than meaningful work Lacked alignment on expectations, leadership approach, and execution style in role Early red flags during the interview process that became clearer over time

Some genuinely talented, kind, and capable people Opportunity to make a few strong professional connections Helped clarify the type of culture and leadership style where I do my best work Gained new skills in various software and tools

Leadership emphasized collaboration and progress in theory, but execution often lacked clarity and follow-through Heavy use of buzzwords with limited action behind them Culture was jaded, with too much focus on immaterial details rather than meaningful work Lacked alignment on expectations, leadership approach, and execution style in role Early red flags during the interview process that became clearer over time

Talented colleagues, industry recognition & a glimmer of culture. No Shortage of Talented People — The company’s greatest asset is its people. It attracts brilliant, kind, and supportive individuals who genuinely care about their work and each other. Many have gone on to thrive elsewhere, proving the strength of the talent pool. Industry Recognition — While certainly not the best place to work, its multiple industry awards enhance credibility and can strengthen your resume. Culture is Fading, But Not Gone — At its peak in 2020 and 2021, the company was growing and fostered a vibrant and engaging culture where employees felt valued and supported. Unfortunately, that culture has all but disappeared.

Poor leadership, secrecy & profit-first priorities have gutted the culture. This company was once a great place to work, but its toxic leadership, lack of transparency, and short-term thinking have eroded its foundation. If you’re looking for career growth, clear communication, and a people-first culture, look elsewhere. Until leadership changes at the top, dysfunction will continue to drive away its best talent. Lack of Transparency & Communication — The executive team makes major decisions behind closed doors, offering little explanation. Transparency has steadily eroded as power consolidates at the top, resulting in repeated missteps with no accountability. For such a small company, the lack of clear communication is staggering. Loss of Vision & Purpose — The company has shifted into survival mode, lacking direction and long-term strategy. Leadership prioritizes profitability above all else, contradicting its “people-first” values. Many employees feel disconnected, questioning whether the company is positioning itself for an acquisition rather than meaningful growth. Toxic Leadership & Failing Upwards — Instead of rewarding competence and results, leadership promotes tenure and loyalty over actual performance. Executives deflect blame, avoid accountability, and repeat the same mistakes without meaningful change. The CEO once championed Good to Great as a guiding philosophy, yet in practice, leadership ignores its core principles—avoiding “the brutal facts” and blaming others instead of taking responsibility. Mishandling Layoffs & Terminations — Leadership has repeatedly demonstrated a lack of respect and professionalism in handling layoffs. In 2025, one-third of the CS team was abruptly let go without warning. The year prior, half of the Product team was laid off. In both instances, rather than acknowledging their own role in these decisions, leadership publicly blamed the departing employees for poor performance, leaving the entire company stunned. Eroding Employee Experience — Once an exciting place to work, the company culture now feels soulless and disconnected. Engagement has plummeted, Slack channels that once thrived are now silent, and leadership makes no effort to rebuild morale. Career growth has stalled, with top talent actively job-hunting while leadership remains in denial about the dysfunction.