June 2, 2020

This week’s Up-and-Comer is Tiffany Mutchler, marketing manager at Voyage Federal Credit Union. 

Name: Tiffany Mutchler

Age: 29

Hometown: Brookings

What brought you to Sioux Falls?

I was working for Daktronics Inc. in 2014 and met my husband, who is a Sioux Falls native. I knew I wanted to get into the advertising and marketing community in Sioux Falls. So we decided to settle here in 2015. There was a lot more opportunity when it comes to advertising in a larger community. We also really enjoyed the downtown opportunities for a young couple looking to start our lives. Sioux Falls is also located at the interchange of the two major interstates, which helps with easy access to Brookings, where my family lives, and Spearfish, where my husband’s family lives.

What keeps you in Sioux Falls?

The culture and opportunities that Sioux Falls presents is probably the top reason. We’ve also established our lives here. We have wonderful friends who have become family. Both my husband and I are in careers we love that also challenge us and push us to be the best we can. Now that we own a house and are establishing some roots, it’s been interesting to me to see just how tight of a community Sioux Falls is. It’s really quite rare to meet someone and not have some sort of connection to them, and that’s something I really value after growing up in a smaller community.

What’s your favorite thing about your job?

I like being able to listen to what the staff at Voyage is looking for help with and then executing it for them. I don’t think marketing should be established and managed in a box; it takes collaboration. I tend to thrive in collaborative environments. I like to bring teams together and build a strategy that is going to work for everyone and still be effective. Unfortunately, we closed our lobbies and a majority of the staff went remote the week after I started, so I haven’t exactly had the best opportunities for collaboration. However, we are finding ways to connect, and I’m looking forward to getting back in the office to build those relationships!

How did you get connected to your industry?

I went to school for advertising at SDSU — Go Jacks! Upon graduation, I started at Daktronics. I knew I didn’t want to sell digital displays forever, so I started looking for opportunities in Sioux Falls that could lead me to a long-term career. I spent three and a half years at two advertising agencies in Sioux Falls working as an account executive. While I was at Epicosity, I actually managed the Voyage FCU account as well as worked with a few other financial institutions. So it was kind of a natural and progressive move to get into the credit union marketing world, especially for a former client!

Describe Voyage Federal Credit Union in three words.

Empowering. Friendly. Committed.

Since the day I started at Voyage, I have felt 100 percent empowered to do my job and make the decisions I need to make without hesitation. We also empower our staff and members to be able to accomplish their professional, personal and financial goals. I have never felt more welcomed than when I walk into a financial institution as I do when I go to Voyage. Even when they were a client of mine, there was always warm welcomes and friendly conversations. I believe our members really value that aspect of Voyage. And finally “committed,” we are so committed to our members. Our staff works long days, especially during this pandemic to ensure our members’ needs are met. These three words really make me proud to work for a credit union, especially Voyage.

What’s your favorite way to give back to your community?

I love supporting local businesses! Some of my favorites are Elegant Mommy, Shop Dog and Look’s Marketplace.

What’s one business you’d like to see in Sioux Falls that isn’t here now?

I would love for Cubby’s Sports Bar in Brookings to expand to Sioux Falls! The true “sports bar” feel of just come in and hang out — family and all — is something that I haven’t quite found in Sioux Falls yet. If you have a spot in Sioux Falls that you feel is similar, please let me know!

Where do you see yourself in five years?

I have found myself in a position that I am so excited to grow with, both personally and professionally. Voyage is growing, and marketing is an investment that we see can help grow the credit union. Eventually, I’d love to expand the marketing team and potentially manage a small team. I’m also excited to grow personally as well; we have one daughter who is 10 months old. But we’d like to have more children. I recently told my husband that this year, despite the pandemic, has been one of my favorite years of marriage so far. We’ve been forced to stay home and enjoy the little things. We’ve built a close-knit group of friends in Sioux Falls, and we finally feel like we are “at home.” I am so excited to see how the next five years pan out.