Alex Varricchio’s unwavering commitment to excellence and his implementation of innovative strategies have transformed UpHouse Inc. into a dynamic powerhouse in marketing. This transformation, fueled by the support and resources from TEC Canada, consistently pushes the boundaries of what is achievable.
Discover more about Alex and UpHouse.
Alex Varricchio is the driving force behind UpHouse and a TEC Canada Member. Crafting success through collaboration, his innovative strategies redefine the game, captivating national clients and transforming the industry landscape.
Pushing Beyond Marketing Norms
UpHouse is a marketing agency based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, with an impressive client list including many national clients including Travel Manitoba, TECHNATION, BDC , and more. Alex co-founded UpHouse in 2017, after noticing that an increasing number of businesses were bringing their marketing in-house. Instead of competing with in-house marketers for work, he focused on a collaborative business model based on filling the gaps instead of replacing in-house talent.
His experience in lead nurturing and business development allowed him to resonate with his clients, creating highly effective marketing. In both his professional and personal life, Alex consistently strives to create an inclusive and welcoming environment, where his door is always open.
Inherently Driven
Since a young child, Alex Varricchio harbored a deep-seated passion for entrepreneurship. His journey began with humble ventures selling hamsters to a local pet store to managing a plant care business. The seeds of entrepreneurship were firmly planted in his DNA, and he was clearly born with spirit and drive, nurtured by the influence of his parents, who ran a vet clinic in Alberta.
Seeing my parents run their business gave me the confidence to know that being an entrepreneur was possible. It was always in the cards.
Growing up surrounded by the energy of small business ownership, Alex developed a keen interest in the world of marketing and branding. While working on his undergraduate studies, he started his career at an advertising communications agency and was exposed to various brands, creativity, and business operations.
Igniting Innovation: The Launch of UpHouse
After years of working at an agency, Alex decided to start his own business, UpHouse with his friend and business partner, Kiirsten May, in 2017.
After seeing more companies move their marketing in-house, he decided not to compete with them. Instead, Uphouse is a creative agency owned and operated by a diverse range of individuals, focused on a united business model, providing complementary skills and expertise to that of in-house talent instead of duplicating their efforts or replacing them. Early on, Alex decided that the values of UpHouse should align with his and Kiirsten’s own and as a result, UpHouse is relationship focused, with strong emphasis on the importance of ensuring diverse voices are heard.
Creating meaningful relationships has been key for us, it has allowed us to hone in on our position in the market and offer something different.
The company takes pride in creating real and meaningful relationships with their staff, clients, and community. A great part of the company’s success is attributed to the fact that they embrace collaborative creativity and allow people to excel in the things they are good at. Furthermore, UpHouse also does extensive pro-bono work for communities that align with their values and organizations that support individuals with disabilities or are from diverse communities that truly matter to them. This mindset has clearly spread throughout the company as staff understand the importance and the value of the work they do.
Navigating Growth and Discovery
Alex joined TEC Canada at the beginning of the COVID 19 pandemic (2020), when isolation was extreme, and connection and collaboration was done purely over a computer screen or over the phone. As an entrepreneur and business leader, he knew that seeking a mentor, especially during this difficult time, and learning from leaders of larger companies with an outside perspective would expand his network and knowledge base, hold him accountable, and give him the confidence to try new things and the profile of UpHouse.
Q: What drew you to TEC Canada?
A: TEC came at a good time for me. I knew a couple of folks in TEC groups, and I wanted to be part of it. The power of cross-business brainstorming has been paramount. I was excited to have the opportunity to hear how different businesses are conducting their work and get an outside view on mine. My business was one of the smallest in size when I joined TEC and that was a good motivator for me, it gave me the confidence to execute plans and grow. I have a great group of people around me that care about whether I succeed or fail, they’re giving you their honest perspectives and have years of experience.
Alex connected with TEC Canada Chair, Joanne Sigurdson, and soon joined her CEO group based in Winnipeg, MB. “Joanne helps me to channel my ideas and stay focused. She’s always been a cheerleader for me and all her members, and that feels great, knowing someone has your back”.
Joining a TEC advisory group allowed him to connect with other business leaders from non-competing industries and gain new perspectives to overcome challenges and hurdles and allowed him to build confidence in executing growth plans and guide his team through the pandemic.Â
Q: What were the challenges you encountered when starting UpHouse?
A: The challenge I was facing as an entrepreneur was how much of your personal brand and story do you bring to the business, and where do you draw the line? When the business model shifted to a more collective group of individuals, with shared values, we saw significant growth.
Q: Has TEC Canada had an impact on you or your business?
A: It’s had a huge impact. It gave me and UpHouse the confidence to acquire another agency, Dooley PR in 2022. We even have some of our own leaders enrolled in the TEC Emerging Leaders Program. The transformations we’ve seen in people in such a short order has been wild. The confidence they have gained has been incredible.
Dooley PR focuses on media relations, influencer marketing, media training, and crisis communication, and has grown since the acquisition, motivating UpHouse to surpass their limits and consistently push further. Alex knows the importance of professional development and has actively invested in his team’s development as part of their expansion strategy, Since 2022 alone, the agency has invested over $100,000 towards professional development opportunities for staff, allowing them to grow alongside the company, and achieve an almost 100% retention rate since the start.
Certifiably Responsible: Transforming Values into Action
Marketing and media are so prominent in our world to the point that they are constantly being consumed, whether people consciously want it or not. As part of their values, UpHouse believes that they are responsible for the content they put out in the world. As part of this concentrated effort, the company has excelled and achieved their B Corp certification, not an easy feat with a rigorous criterion, and formalizes their commitment to social causes, they are also a certified diverse supplier through Canada’s LGBT Chamber of Commerce.
The B Corp certification has validated the work that we do and our combined efforts, it was a way to formally put it down on paper and say we care about what we do.
Alex, and his co-owner, Kiirsten, were also finalists for the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Prairie Region, where his TEC Chair, Joanne was in the crowd to celebrate with Alex, and as he puts it, “Joanne flew out to see the award ceremony in Calgary and was more on the edge of her seat than my mom!”. The values of the company have shaped how the company hires and how they collaborate with different teams.
I’m a big believer in humility. Trying to bridge who you are as a person outside of work and who you are in work needs to connect. I feel the closer those two can be, the more successful you’ll be. Taking your team seriously is essential, being able to value your teams’ ideas and know their value is paramount. It’s made a real difference for UpHouse. You need to make certain that you aren’t a roadblock or a bottleneck in any part of the business, the business needs to function around you, versus needing to go through you.
Future Focus: A People-First Marketing Powerhouse
UpHouse has undergone a remarkable journey of growth since its inception, achieving an impressive trajectory. Experiencing exponential expansion, the agency has consistently doubled in size annually, expanding its team from 14 in 2021 to a robust 40 in 2023. The upward trend in revenue mirrors this growth, approximately doubling each year and surpassing $6 million in revenue. Notably, the company has adeptly balanced profitability and expansion, showcasing its capability to achieve sustainable financial success while fostering innovation and growth.
Alex has big dreams for UpHouse, with a goal to aggressively expand into the US market by the end of 2024, targeting companies headquartered in California and has recently ventured into working with social media influencers to form UpHouse Talent, which applies influencers and creators unique energy to help strengthen their clients’ brand messaging and enables them to reach audiences in new ways.
The narrative of UpHouse and Alex is one of resilience, foresight, and a relentless pursuit of excellence. With each milestone achieved and every dream pursued, UpHouse exemplifies the spirit of an unstoppable force in the realm of innovation and growth. The best is yet to come for UpHouse, and the journey continues with anticipation and excitement for what lies ahead.
About
UpHouse Inc. is an award-winning, diverse-owned marketing and public relations agency. It is a certified diverse supplier through Canada’s LGBT+ Chamber of Commerce and is B-Corp Certified. With the mandate to inspire social consciousness of brands, UpHouse works with organizations to elevate messages that needs to be heard. We work to make communications authentic, accessible and diverse.
Join Alex Varricchio and over 1,900 TEC members across Canada. Take the first step towards your success. Fill our the short form below.
Become A Member
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Alex Varricchio: Bold Moves in MarketingÂ
Discover more about Alex and UpHouse.
Alex Varricchio’s unwavering commitment to excellence and his implementation of innovative strategies have transformed UpHouse Inc. into a dynamic powerhouse in marketing. This transformation, fueled by the support and resources from TEC Canada, consistently pushes the boundaries of what is achievable. Crafting success through collaboration, his innovative strategies redefine the game, captivating national clients and transforming the industry landscape.
Pushing Beyond Marketing Norms
UpHouse is a marketing agency based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, with an impressive client list including many national clients including Travel Manitoba, TECHNATION, BDC , and more. Alex co-founded UpHouse in 2017, after noticing that an increasing number of businesses were bringing their marketing in-house. Instead of competing with in-house marketers for work, he focused on a collaborative business model based on filling the gaps instead of replacing in-house talent.
His experience in lead nurturing and business development allowed him to resonate with his clients, creating highly effective marketing. In both his professional and personal life, Alex consistently strives to create an inclusive and welcoming environment, where his door is always open.
Inherently Driven
Since a young child, Alex Varricchio harbored a deep-seated passion for entrepreneurship. His journey began with humble ventures selling hamsters to a local pet store to managing a plant care business. The seeds of entrepreneurship were firmly planted in his DNA, and he was clearly born with spirit and drive, nurtured by the influence of his parents, who ran a vet clinic in Alberta.
Seeing my parents run their business gave me the confidence to know that being an entrepreneur was possible. It was always in the cards.
Growing up surrounded by the energy of small business ownership, Alex developed a keen interest in the world of marketing and branding. While working on his undergraduate studies, he started his career at an advertising communications agency and was exposed to various brands, creativity, and business operations.
Igniting Innovation: The Launch of UpHouse
After years of working at an agency, Alex decided to start his own business, UpHouse with his friend and business partner, Kiirsten May, in 2017.
After seeing more companies move their marketing in-house, he decided not to compete with them. Instead, Uphouse is a creative agency owned and operated by a diverse range of individuals, focused on a united business model, providing complementary skills and expertise to that of in-house talent instead of duplicating their efforts or replacing them. Early on, Alex decided that the values of UpHouse should align with his and Kiirsten’s own and as a result, UpHouse is relationship focused, with strong emphasis on the importance of ensuring diverse voices are heard.
Creating meaningful relationships has been key for us, it has allowed us to hone in on our position in the market and offer something different.
The company takes pride in creating real and meaningful relationships with their staff, clients, and community. A great part of the company’s success is attributed to the fact that they embrace collaborative creativity and allow people to excel in the things they are good at. Furthermore, UpHouse also does extensive pro-bono work for communities that align with their values and organizations that support individuals with disabilities or are from diverse communities that truly matter to them. This mindset has clearly spread throughout the company as staff understand the importance and the value of the work they do.
Navigating Growth and Discovery
Alex joined TEC Canada at the beginning of the COVID 19 pandemic (2020), when isolation was extreme, and connection and collaboration was done purely over a computer screen or over the phone. As an entrepreneur and business leader, he knew that seeking a mentor, especially during this difficult time, and learning from leaders of larger companies with an outside perspective would expand his network and knowledge base, hold him accountable, and give him the confidence to try new things and the profile of UpHouse.
Q: What drew you to TEC Canada?
A: TEC came at a good time for me. I knew a couple of folks in TEC groups, and I wanted to be part of it. The power of cross-business brainstorming has been paramount. I was excited to have the opportunity to hear how different businesses are conducting their work and get an outside view on mine. My business was one of the smallest in size when I joined TEC and that was a good motivator for me, it gave me the confidence to execute plans and grow. I have a great group of people around me that care about whether I succeed or fail, they’re giving you their honest perspectives and have years of experience.
Alex connected with TEC Canada Chair, Joanne Sigurdson, and soon joined her CEO group based in Winnipeg, MB. “Joanne helps me to channel my ideas and stay focused. She’s always been a cheerleader for me and all her members, and that feels great, knowing someone has your back”.
Joining a TEC advisory group allowed him to connect with other business leaders from non-competing industries and gain new perspectives to overcome challenges and hurdles and allowed him to build confidence in executing growth plans and guide his team through the pandemic.Â
Q: What were the challenges you encountered when starting UpHouse?
A: The challenge I was facing as an entrepreneur was how much of your personal brand and story do you bring to the business, and where do you draw the line? When the business model shifted to a more collective group of individuals, with shared values, we saw significant growth.
Q: Has TEC Canada had an impact on you or your business?
A: It’s had a huge impact. It gave me and UpHouse the confidence to acquire another agency, Dooley PR in 2022. We even have some of our own leaders enrolled in the TEC Emerging Leaders Program. The transformations we’ve seen in people in such a short order has been wild. The confidence they have gained has been incredible.
Dooley PR focuses on media relations, influencer marketing, media training, and crisis communication, and has grown since the acquisition, motivating UpHouse to surpass their limits and consistently push further. Alex knows the importance of professional development and has actively invested in his team’s development as part of their expansion strategy, Since 2022 alone, the agency has invested over $100,000 towards professional development opportunities for staff, allowing them to grow alongside the company, and achieve an almost 100% retention rate since the start.
Certifiably Responsible: Transforming Values into Action
Marketing and media are so prominent in our world to the point that they are constantly being consumed, whether people consciously want it or not. As part of their values, UpHouse believes that they are responsible for the content they put out in the world. As part of this concentrated effort, the company has excelled and achieved their B Corp certification, not an easy feat with a rigorous criterion, and formalizes their commitment to social causes, they are also a certified diverse supplier through Canada’s LGBT Chamber of Commerce.
The B Corp certification has validated the work that we do and our combined efforts, it was a way to formally put it down on paper and say we care about what we do.
Alex, and his co-owner, Kiirsten, were also finalists for the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Prairie Region, where his TEC Chair, Joanne was in the crowd to celebrate with Alex, and as he puts it, “Joanne flew out to see the award ceremony in Calgary and was more on the edge of her seat than my mom!”. The values of the company have shaped how the company hires and how they collaborate with different teams.
“I’m a big believer in humility. Trying to bridge who you are as a person outside of work and who you are in work needs to connect. I feel the closer those two can be, the more successful you’ll be. Taking your team seriously is essential, being able to value your teams’ ideas and know their value is paramount. It’s made a real difference for UpHouse. You need to make certain that you aren’t a roadblock or a bottleneck in any part of the business, the business needs to function around you, versus needing to go through you.”
Future Focus: A People-First Marketing Powerhouse
UpHouse has undergone a remarkable journey of growth since its inception, achieving an impressive trajectory. Experiencing exponential expansion, the agency has consistently doubled in size annually, expanding its team from 14 in 2021 to a robust 40 in 2023. The upward trend in revenue mirrors this growth, approximately doubling each year and surpassing $6 million in revenue. Notably, the company has adeptly balanced profitability and expansion, showcasing its capability to achieve sustainable financial success while fostering innovation and growth.
Alex has big dreams for UpHouse, with a goal to aggressively expand into the US market by the end of 2024, targeting companies headquartered in California and has recently ventured into working with social media influencers to form UpHouse Talent, which applies influencers and creators unique energy to help strengthen their clients’ brand messaging and enables them to reach audiences in new ways.
The narrative of UpHouse and Alex is one of resilience, foresight, and a relentless pursuit of excellence. With each milestone achieved and every dream pursued, UpHouse exemplifies the spirit of an unstoppable force in the realm of innovation and growth. The best is yet to come for UpHouse, and the journey continues with anticipation and excitement for what lies ahead.
About
UpHouse Inc. is an award-winning, diverse-owned marketing and public relations agency. It is a certified diverse supplier through Canada’s LGBT+ Chamber of Commerce and is B-Corp Certified. With the mandate to inspire social consciousness of brands, UpHouse works with organizations to elevate messages that needs to be heard. We work to make communications authentic, accessible and diverse.
Join Alex Varricchio and over 1,900 TEC members across Canada. Take the first step towards your success. Fill our the short form below.
Become A Member
"*" indicates required fields