The segment of digital ticketing platforms purpose-built for primary to 12th-grade schools and universities is more competitive than one might assume, as several companies race to be the service platform of choice for districts grappling with outdated ticket sales and revenue management for community events. For HomeTown, an Ohio-based leader in the space, the secret sauce is in customer relationships.
Founded in 2016, HomeTown aims to be more than just a digital ticketing platform. Nick Mirisis, CEO of HomeTown, has set out to make his company a lifeline for schools struggling with outdated, manual, and tedious processes for selling tickets and managing event revenue. Whether it's a Friday night football game or a spring concert fundraiser, HomeTown offers a turnkey solution that both enhances security and provides real-time data insights. The platform serves over 15,000 schools across 21 states, establishing itself as the leading player in the digital ticketing space.
Mirisis has found success in cultivating strong relationships with decision-makers of over 5,000 schools and colleges nationwide, finding a recipe for blending technology and personal relationships to deliver high-touch services.
With a focus on educational institutions, HomeTown has redefined what it means to connect with customers, find innovative solutions to traditional hurdles, and streamline internal and external communication to empower schools and their communities.
Mirisis attributes much of the platform's post-pandemic growth and continued expansion to close relationships with both employees and customers. His approach to building relationships comes from a more external perspective—to successfully focus on the internal business, employees need to "get out of the building" and experience what HomeTown customers do on a daily basis.
"Let's actually walk a mile in our customer's shoes," Mirisis says. "Let's understand what is going on in their day-to-day life, and let's not filter information. Let's hear directly from them. Let's see it with our own eyes."
Mirisis brings over 20 years of experience in scaling SaaS companies, having previously driven substantial growth at SamCart and GoCanvas. His expertise in EdTech began at Brightly (formerly SchoolDude), where he helped propel the company to over $115 million in annual recurring revenue. A real leadership test came after the acquisition of Ticket Spicket, where Mirisis faced the daunting challenge of merging two distinct cultures while ensuring that both teams remained aligned with their shared visions.
"Looking back, the hardest part came after the ink dried on contracts," he reflects.
To successfully implement new leadership styles post-acquisition, Mirisis emphasizes three key principles: aiming people, getting things done, and building relationships. In order to make the relationship-building component scalable, Mirisis underlines the importance of attitude and approach with each customer and their feedback.
"We're not looking at this and saying, okay, we only care about the feedback from our top 10 of the 5,000 customers. We want to be in constant communication and relationship with all 5,000," he said.
HomeTown's customer support has always been open and willing to service the communities in which they operate. To put this into practice, Mirisis and HomeTown executives have ensured the presence of customer success team members in the communities they are serving.
"Having folks as close as possible to the customer has always been in our DNA," Mirisis said. "We know that Thursday, Friday and Saturdays are peak event time, so we're always accessible."
However, Mirisis understands that to build strong relationships as a leader, he must do the job of empowering his team—not just saving the day himself. Through his decades of experience in scaling SaaS companies, Mirisis has learned to empower his team to solve operational issues rather than acting as the sole provider of a solution.
HomeTown partners are as committed to open communication as Mirisis is. An athletic director in Florida who has worked with HomeTown since 2021 said he recalls his interactions with the company's team members as some of the best partner interactions he's had, noting their straightforward approach and transparency as a key reason for his satisfaction with the collaboration. He said he applauds Mirisis' ability to clearly outline a given situation with actionable steps and solutions—while also being honest about what is beyond control or outside of HomeTown's expertise.
Mirisis said he aims to understand the balance between running a successful business and providing a service—to educators, local communities, and, ultimately, students. His customers are confident in his ability to never lose sight of the fact that HomeTown's work benefits children, which is particularly important when working with public schools that have fixed resources.
Mirisis and his team at HomeTown recognize that they're not built on the principle of revenue generation but rather providing a service that ultimately benefits our greater nation's education system. HomeTown's willingness to readily take on smaller events (<1,000 attendees) demonstrates their commitment to supporting all aspects of their client's operations, reminding their customers that no effort is too small.
HomeTown employees pride themselves on having constant check-ins with their clients. For example, their customers say they find these follow-ups both effective and focused. Mirisis encourages his employees to ask detailed questions, such as, "I see winter sports are about to start, is there anything there I can help you with?" to ensure HomeTown remains customer-focused and proactive with their ongoing partnerships.
Mirisis holds his employees to high standards, but not without leading by example. He knows that in order to motivate exceptional service to customers, he must cultivate a transparent, trusting, and collaborative environment inside the office. Rather than putting his head down on his office desk, Mirisis hosts bi-weekly meetings where he takes a backseat to absorb his team's feedback.
When asked about how other leaders can drive business results through relationship building, he says, "Make it a constant on the calendar. Whatever amount of time is being delivered to relationship building, add more! It is truly the best time I allocate in a day."
While core financial metrics remain important to HomeTown's growth analysis, Mirisis is almost equally reliant on the softer, more subjective measure of success. Nick believes that positive feedback can act as a precursor to tangible business results, such as high retention rates and customer referrals. More importantly, it serves as an immediate gauge of how well the HomeTown team is engaging with clients, solving problems, sharing best practices, and collaborating across various departments.
Sports In Action, a premier Texas-based sports marketing agency, is one of HomeTown's longtime partners. Anyone in Texas probably knows it best as Dave Campbell's Texas Football, "the bible" to millions of fans, and Texan Live, the video streaming partner for schools. A large portion of HomeTown's customers are based in Texas, and their SIA partnership is a quality example of Mirisis' efforts to nurture hands-on relationships for the company.
"I think he's very hands-on. He definitely has dived into Texas to understand the state and the business, but really understand the state," said Adam Hochfelder, President of Sports In Action.
The open-minded nature of Mirisis' leadership style does not go unnoticed but rather shines through in all of his partnerships.
"He goes above and beyond," Jay Govan, Athletic Director of NISD, said. "He starts investigating other opportunities on how we can find better ways to meet the needs of our district, even encouraging our kids and other departments to explore new programs."
When NISD faced a critical system failure, Nick and his team worked tirelessly to resolve the issue, even flying into the district on short notice with new equipment to avoid disruption. This level of dedication and problem-solving demonstrates Nick's commitment to customer experience and his ability to lead by example in challenging situations.
Nick's leadership style is characterized by transparency, open communication, and serving others. He values honest conversations and shows genuine interest in his partners' well-being, both professionally and personally. Nick's willingness to attend games and engage in casual sideline conversations demonstrates his commitment to understanding his partners on a deeper level.
"One thing I do really appreciate about him is that he leads with a servant's heart," Govan says. "At the end of the day, Nick is all about trying to find ways on how he can serve you."
