Breaking the Cycle of Poverty: Hope for Kenya

Philanthropy is an essential part of our business model at Strong. Recently, the agency donated $5,000 to Hope For Kenya, a non-profit that focuses on breaking the cycle of poverty through education. We had the opportunity to speak with Philip Coltart, Executive Director of Hope for Kenya, and he shared some illuminating insights into the organization’s mission and the impact it’s making in Kenya. Some of you may recognize Philip’s name, as he is a longtime videography partner of Strong.

Hope for Kenya is not just about providing assistance to those in need but rather breaking the cycle of poverty that many people find themselves trapped in. Through their work in Africa, the organization has determined that education is the key to achieving this goal. While clean water, food, and nutrition are vital, education offers the opportunity to shift individuals from a survival mindset to one of growth, care, and hope.

Philip emphasizes that the true hope for Kenya lies within its people, particularly the young children who have the power to change their own lives and communities through education. Hope for Kenya’s flagship project, the Joy School, serves as a haven for these children who have lost their parents and are living in challenging circumstances. The school provides not only education but also full room and board, creating a nurturing environment where the students can thrive and see a brighter future for themselves.

The impact of education goes beyond the individual student. As Philip explains, when a young child receives education and support all the way to university, they don’t simply leave their community and find a job elsewhere. Instead, they return to their families and villages, bringing prosperity and positive change. This ripple effect transforms not only their own lives but also those of their entire family and community.

Strong’s recent $5,000 donation went to directly support this program – with tangible results. The funding has been used to help build a classroom at the Joy School, fostering an environment where education can flourish. Better yet, Strong’s donation has inspired others to match the pledge, demonstrating the power of collective action in creating lasting change. The organization recently reached its goal of $5,000 in matched donations.

Hope for Kenya relies not only on individual child sponsorships but also on the support of businesses like Strong. By understanding the behind-the-scenes challenges and the need for infrastructure improvements, Strong has made a significant impact. While sponsoring individual children is essential, supporting the backbone of the organization enables Hope for Kenya to continue its crucial work effectively.

Looking ahead, Hope for Kenya has ambitious goals. They aim to complete the Joy School up to the high school level, expanding their services to include 10th, 11th, and 12th grades. By guiding these students through their delicate teenage years, the organization can provide stability and prevent them from returning to a life of poverty.

We encourage you to visit Hope For Kenya’s Facebook page and Instagram account to learn more about their incredible work. You can also find additional information on their website.

Ooo Baby Baby

You might think you know your coworkers pretty well. By chatting around the popcorn machine on a Wednesday, learning more about them through departmental games, or inquiring about the trinkets at their desk, you’ve probably been able to create a good picture of who your coworkers are. But, could you recognize them as their younger selves? As a… baby?

Make your guesses on the photos below. Click the link at the bottom to view the answers on who is who!

S1

Baby 1
Baby 2
Baby 3
Baby 4
Baby 5
Baby 6

S2

Baby 7
Baby 8
Baby 9
Baby 10
Baby 11
Baby 12
Baby 13

S3

Baby 14
Baby 15
Baby 16
Baby 17
Baby 18
Baby 19

S4

Baby 20
Baby 21
Baby 22
Baby 23
Baby 24

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

View The Results

From Classmates to Colleagues: A Tale of Two Friends

Hannah and Collen at an Honor Society Induction, 2013

Hannah Mitchell and Collen Layton are two SAM employees who seem to have an inseparable bond. They have been friends for many years and have followed each other to multiple different jobs – and now, they even live in the same apartment complex!

The real question, though, is how did they end up at SAM?

The pair first met in the 7th grade at Moody Jr. High School. Although they had mutual friends before then, they really began to get to know each other after they shared a class together. They bonded over similar music tastes in artists such as Harry Styles, Joshua Bassett, and The 1975 – whom they’ve seen live in concert together three times!

The career-following story began when Collen and Hannah started working together at Zaxby’s over the summer of 10th grade. “I drove us to get our applications at the new store before it had even opened,” Collen said. “We interviewed on the same day and both got the job.” The two worked there until high school graduation, and then over the summers in college.

Collen and Hannah at their awards ceremony at Moody High School, 2016

Also, while in high school, they worked together at a seasonal calendar store in Leeds. After a former employee was let go, Collen suggested to his manager that Hannah should interview – and she got the job.

Soon after, college separated the two. Collen attended Troy University, and Hannah attended the University of Alabama. But, the two continued working together over the summer, bouncing between jobs at Zaxby’s and the local splash pad.

In February of 2022, Collen began working at Mountain High, with Hannah following shortly after due to the store being short-staffed. A few months later, Hannah was hired at Strong. This was the first company that Collen followed Hannah to – all the rest were jobs Collen was hired at first.

“Collen robbed me of $3,000,” Hannah said, laughing. Collen wasn’t aware of the referral bonus, and Hannah jokes that he owes her the money now. “She talked about Strong and about how great it was, so when I saw they had a position, I knew I had to apply,” Collen said. “We both went through a long period of applying for jobs, so when I saw the graphic design job, I thought it was a crazy coincidence that they were hiring for something I could do,” he said.

Although Hannah and Collen have less interaction now than at past jobs due to the increased responsibility, they still take time to stop by each other’s desks every once in a while. “He’ll come by when he wants to visit the loud part of the office,” Hannah said.

Collen and Hannah at a friend’s wedding shower, 2022

When asked what made her want to recommend SAM to Collen, Hannah noted that the environment was a huge factor. “I don’t feel super stressed out or under pressure constantly. I feel like I can balance my work with the help of the people around me and still keep a positive attitude,” she said.  “It’s the little things SAM does that really make it fun to work here.” For instance, popcorn Wednesdays were one of the first things she mentioned to Collen after she was hired.

“Any stressful times are made easier because I love the job I’m doing here,” Collen said. The pair are both very grateful to be doing what they love and went to school for, and they are happy to be working at SAM together!

Jack or Johnny?

What started as a funny pseudonym for TikTok covers quickly turned into a personal aspect of songwriting for one SAM employee. Jack Meadows, known to us as Johnny Mangini, released his first EP on Spotify and Apple Music on March 7, 2023. The EP has two songs in the folk and indie style, a genre he enjoys and hopes to be discovered in.

The first song, “Savior,” is a story of hope. Johnny said he wrote it for people to relate to when they feel stuck and tied down – to know that there’s always hope when they are aching for something better. “I wanted to use Jesus as someone who is personable, but not necessarily as a spiritual or religious figure,” Johnny said. “I wanted to mention his life and what happened in it so people could see the story, relate it to themselves, and know that there are many things you can rely on for hope.”

The second song, “The Dam,” is about a love story gone awry. “If you’ve ever been in a relationship before, or have a close relationship with a friend or family member, it’s hard to lose that connection,” he said. “Throughout the song, you understand the connection is being lost, and the dam is a metaphor for the heart being broken by one of the people in the relationship.”

Johnny has been writing songs for around three years, but he decided to take his hobby more seriously in 2022 when he began writing for the EP. He soon connected with Justin Miller, a producer with Five Points Recording Studio in his hometown of Huntsville, Alabama. He began recording in January of this year, and it took around 10 hours for two other musicians and him to record both songs. Ethan Shattuck, the violinist, and David Cowart, the drummer, are two of Johnny’s close friends from childhood. “I was really glad to have both of them; they’re really cool dudes.”

On the EP, Johnny recorded the vocals, rhythm guitar, lead guitar, and bass. However, as a child, he never played any instruments. “I tried to learn when I was about 11 years old,” he said. “On Christmas Day, I tried playing with a Home Shopping Network guitar… I gave it up after the first few days. It was just too hard.” Around the time he started writing three years ago, he picked it back up.

Johnny draws his inspiration from a variety of bands and musicians in the folk, indie, blues, rock, and alternative genres. “Kaleo, The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, Nick Drake… they all shaped my sound and how I write,” Johnny said. The first year of writing was a small stepping stone compared to where he is now. “It took me a while to get a good grasp on it – trying to figure out what I like to write, how I write, and how to find my voice.”

Johnny shared that he would love to book a few gigs to perform his EP and future songs. “I’ve been going around to bars, breweries, record shops, and coffee shops in town with promo cards and posters to promote the EP,” he said. He has sent his songs to some of the hotspots across the country for indie music, as well as submitted them to playlist curators on Spotify.

When asked who his biggest supporters are, Johnny said it would have to be a three-way tie. “My mom, dad, and sister – they have supported me through the music process since day one. They’ve never stopped, and I appreciate everything they do for me.”

Scan the QR codes above to start streaming Johnny’s EP!

Beat the Buzzer – Teambuilding at SAM

Starting in 2023, SAM transitioned from monthly squad challenges in the office to quarterly team outings in an effort to allow each department to bond in a different environment. For the first quarter, each team went to Breakout Games and participated in an escape room. There were nine possible scenarios, including a museum heist, bomb squad, and island escape.  Each team attempted to break out together and beat the buzzer in under 60 minutes.

Our Graphics department did a fantastic job in the escape room. Both teams escaped with over 10 minutes to spare!

While everyone values time spent together in the office, a change of scenery was welcomed for the teambuilding activity. “I really enjoyed getting to know how each person thought about different challenges in the room,” said Hallie Guinn, one of our Graphic Designers. “In a completely different setting, we were able to learn more about each person on the team.”

“I enjoyed it because we were not given the option to talk about work,” said Casey Boltz, Accounting Specialist. “I know we all enjoy our jobs, but when we eat together, we still talk about work. This gave us a chance to let our brains move away from the office.”

One person felt like certain aspects of being in the office carried over into the action. “We enjoyed each other’s company, but we still felt the time pressure,” said Andrea Kring, Traffic Manager. “In all, it still felt like the office because we were in hustle mode.” The production department created 255 jobs in March – the most jobs produced since pre-pandemic numbers in 2020 – so they definitely know something about “hustle.”

Things got a little sideways as the accounting and co-op team banded together to escape!

Andrea also noted that collaborating directly with her department was not something she was used to. “Most of our work in the office is done individually, then passed to the next person,” she said. However, since the breakout room requires everyone to collaborate on the same tasks in order to escape, it brought her team together in a positive, yet unexpected way.

Participating in an activity like this also allowed each team to rely on each other’s individual abilities and problem-solving skills. For some, it was no surprise that they were able to succeed. Misty Bivens, one of our new Co-Op Specialists, said, “It showed how well we already work together and communicate. We were able to feed off each other’s ideas, and that led us to come up with solutions or more ideas to work with.”

Suann Hunter, Accounting Director, said she felt like the whole experience fostered camaraderie and trust. “The most rewarding part was being able to listen to and trust my team,” Suann said. The escape room also gave departments an opportunity to grow closer in a more personal setting. Bethany Alexander, Accounting Specialist, said she was glad to work with people in the department that she normally doesn’t spend much time with. “It was nice to have a shared victory with my teammates,” she said.

Great job to our Production team for breaking out before the buzzer! Way to go!

Most department teams were able to break out and feel the relief of a calculated escape. However, Andrea thought it must be too good to be true. “I didn’t feel like we broke out,” she said. “I thought there must be something we forgot to do. It was almost like a constant feeling of ‘What’s next?'”

What’s next for our second quarterly outing at SAM? We’re waiting for it to be unveiled, but one thing is for sure – there will definitely be an opportunity for connection and teamwork!

Heard Around The Agency – March 2023

By: Carly Corfman

At SAM, we value both the personal and professional accomplishments of our employees. Check out these updates from across the agency.

Account Team

AT welcomed some new faces in February. Holland Chupek and Ann Marie Waldrop joined S4 as the newest account coordinators. Additionally, LC Carlton transferred from the SEO team to join the HL/CR team.

Accounting

BreAnna Partain and her wife closed on their new home on March 1! Congratulations to them on this accomplishment.

Suann Hunter’s daughter, McKenzie, has completed six months of dance classes at Beverly’s Dance Studio. She is preparing for her first dance recital in May!

Digital

Chloe Edwards was promoted to Sr. SEO Coordinator. Congratulations to her on a well-deserved promotion! Additionally, Grace Ward was hired as SEO Coordinator. We are happy to have her join the team!

On February 11, Anthony Savage got married to his fiancée, Corinne.

On February 24, Bobby Mathews released his book, Magic City Blues.

Elizabeth McDanal and her boyfriend, Brandon, recently purchased a house. It’s a new construction and will be ready for move-in this summer.

Media

Media switched to Strata as their media buying software about five years ago. On February 28, they opened the 10,000th campaign. That’s about 2,000 broadcast media campaigns per year, and that doesn’t include revisions. Pretty impressive!

Media is still looking for a few people to join their team. If anyone knows someone who could fill the Senior Digital Media Coordinator role, please have them reach out to Liz.

Interns – Incoming!

SAM is hiring paid interns for the summer season. Part-time positions will be open in Account Team, Digital, and Graphics. Applications are due March 15. Students can apply directly through our careers site.

February New Clients

We had 10 new clients choose us as their agency in February. We are thankful for the new business and are excited to be working with them!

  1. FOX – Fox Automotive Group
  2. FOC – Fox CDJR
  3. FOT – Fox Toyota
  4. FHO – Fox Honda
  5. FOS – Fox Subaru
  6. ACH – Auburn Chevrolet GMC
  7. CBA – Chad Bemis Auto Exchange
  8. JTF – Jim Taylor Ford
  9. JTB – Jim Taylor Buick GMC
  10. JTC – Jim Taylor Chevrolet Buick

Lead With Speed – Carrying the Momentum Outside of SAM

Momentum, stamina, endurance, energy… what comes to mind when thinking about the 2023 theme, Lead With Speed? This year is off to a speedy start with the goal of driving innovation and growth for the agency and our clients. Not only are our employees striving for quick turnarounds on requests, but some are focused on maintaining speed in their personal lives.

Whether they are racing to finish a task, get to the grocery store, pick up the kids, or make a doctor’s appointment, many of our employees are always on the run. We even have those who run for fun.

Tiffany Millan grew up as an athlete and began running as part of her conditioning for tennis and volleyball. Although she did not play sports in college, running became a hobby for her as it was one of the only free ways to stay active. Over the years, she has incorporated running into her fitness routine. She runs outside a few days during the week and takes fitness classes at Orangetheory, as well as barre classes at a local studio. When she’s training for a race, she attempts longer-mile runs on the weekends.

Tiffany and her boyfriend, Dakota, after finishing the Superhero 5K.

Tiffany, along with fellow SAM runner Katie Reeves, participated in the Mercedes-Benz Marathon Weekend on February 11 and 12. Tiffany ran in the Superhero 5K while Katie ran the Half Marathon. Both Tiffany and Katie run because it’s enjoyable for them, and it also enhances their mood.

“When you work out, you are doing it for your health and to feel better about yourself,” Tiffany said. “When you work, if you love your job, you want to feel energized. Your physical health has so much to do with your mental health, and your mental health affects you and your workload.” She says a good balance of working out and maintaining her physical health creates a more positive attitude and motivates her to tackle any challenges she may face in the workplace.

Katie was also involved in sports as a child. She played soccer competitively her entire life and incorporated running into her college routine as a way to stay active. Running with her college roommate quickly transformed into a hobby. Eventually, her competitive spirit led her to participate in two half marathons per year from 2009 until 2016.

Katie after finishing the Mercedes-Benz Half Marathon for the first time in 2014.

Katie says when training for a race, it’s important for her to find ways to become motivated. Signing up and paying for the race is the first step. Then, she plans over the next few weeks the exact day, time, and distance she will run in order to build up endurance. “I always tell a few friends and family as a way to hold myself accountable,” Katie said. “So if I end up not doing the race, I’ll be properly humbled.”

Having a balance of mental toughness while also knowing her own limits keeps Katie on track, both on the running trails and at work. “When you get to a point where you know you need to rest, you have to stop and take a breather – whether it’s on the side of the running trail, or taking a literal lap around the circle and getting something from the Bevi machine,” she said. Katie says that being consistent with what she does every day, at work and with her running routine, is what leads to long-time results and success.

Tiffany says maintaining speed is crucial in order to achieve her running goals, and by staying consistent, she can feel satisfied with her performance. However, she says pacing herself is important for preventing burnout, which goes hand in hand with maintaining her task list at work. She is constantly staying on top of her job tracker, checking her budgets, and monitoring Podio throughout the day. “You don’t want to do too much or feel overwhelmed and not be able to give 100% to yourself, to your team, or to the client. We owe it to the client to be quick. Thankfully, we have a really great team and are able to make sure everything gets done across the board.”

Heard Around the Agency – Feb. 2023

By: Carly Corfman

Check out these updates from across the agency.

From Jingle Bells to Wedding Bells

Many people around the agency are celebrating the season of love, as many engagements have happened over the past few months:

Account Team

  • Kendall Reganall
  • Mary-Ashley Eddleman
  • Kelsey Plemmons (getting married in April)

Digital

  • Ashley Fort
  • Anthony Savage (getting married in February)
  • Graham Yarboro
  • Will Cargile

Media

  • Carly Corfman
Will & Gillian
Carly & Austin
Kendall & Jacob
Graham & Lauren
Ashley & Mac
Anthony & Corinne

 


Digital News

  • The PPC team hit record numbers in 2022.
  • Search and Vehicle Ads campaigns increased in spend by $85,000 in December compared to November (2022).
  • YoY Google Ads spend (including Digital Media) increased by $3.98 million.
  • Tiffany Millan and Scott Giles passed Facebook’s Meta Certification.
Baby Kit
Baby Walker

We also welcomed a few SAM newborns this past year. Courtney Binder’s son, Walker, and Brad Price’s daughter, Kit.

 

DEP News

The DEP team welcomed Nolan Siegler as DEP Senior Sales Director. Nolan has 10 years’ experience at Epsilon’s automotive division where he conducted all direct marketing initiatives for advertising agencies, dealer groups, and individual dealerships. Nolan will be working out of Nashville, Tennessee, and will be in the BHM office. Welcome to the team, Nolan!

Media News

Liz Elder has been promoted to Vice President and Media Director. Additionally, the department has taken over 100% of the media reconciling from the Accounting department. This will ease the workload for Accounting, as well as increase Media’s knowledge of the different processes regarding invoice reconciliation.

Direct Mail/eCampaigns News

  • The Mail team has taken over POP jobs. They are really excited to learn a new department and take on new responsibilities!
  • eCampaigns grew the largest of all the departments last year, growing 47%! Congratulations to this team and their hard work.

Magic City Blues

By: Carly Corfman

It’s 4:50 a.m. and his alarm begins to chime – the all-familiar default tone of “Radar.” He swipes it off and begins his ascent into the kitchen, where he grabs a cup of coffee. The earthy smell of Breakfast Blend automatically fills the room, and he’s thankful once again that he prepared the pot the night before. He takes a fresh cup and settles into his chair in the office, flipping through his favorite newspaper comics – now all online – until 5:00 a.m. when he begins to write.

This is Bobby Mathews’ daily routine as an author and full-time digital copywriter at Strong Automotive Merchandising. Before the kids get up at 6:00 a.m., he writes between 1,000 and 1,700 words, repeating the process every day until the project is done.

Bobby’s writing career began over 15 years ago. Originally from Enterprise, Alabama, Bobby has written stories in areas all across the country. After the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, Bobby spent a year in New York writing feature stories about people trying to reclaim their lives. He spent the next 2 years in Wyoming managing a local newspaper, “which was the longest decade of my life,” he said. After six years in Georgia as the managing editor of various newspapers, Bobby returned to Alabama, following the tornado on March 1, 2007 that hit Enterprise High School. He worked for The University of Alabama, spent time freelancing, and also dabbled in public relations. All of his experience led Bobby to Birmingham, and then to SAM, where he continues his passion for writing through a different avenue.

“I knew that I wanted to be a writer from a very early age. There was a point where I had to decide if I wanted to be a writer, or if I wanted to write.” Bobby said it’s easy to fall in love with the idea of being a writer, moving to a romantic city, and living the stereotypical life of an author. “But at the end of the day, it’s better to have planted your rear-end in a chair and written a thousand words, rather than concentrate on wearing a fisherman’s sweater and finding six-toed cats,” he said. “It took me a long time to figure out.”

Since “figuring it out,” Bobby has written and sold two novels, published 27 short stories, and been nominated for the Pushcart Prize twice. He was also a finalist in 2021 for the Derringer Award, an international award for short mystery/crime fiction.

Bobby’s first book, Living The Gimmick, was published in May of 2022 by Shotgun Honey, a company that specializes in crime fiction. The book is a murder mystery about professional wrestling between the 1980s and the modern world. “I didn’t know what I had when I wrote the first chapter. It took me about a month to write this 60,000-word novel, but I had written the first chapter about eight years before I finally came back to it.” The book touches on areas of the Me-Too movement and how it’s sometimes impossible to really know the people we’re the closest to.

On February 24, Bobby’s newest book will be released – Magic City Blues. The murder mystery is built around the idea of a land swindle involving the Carraway Hospital property. It was written as an homage to Robert B. Parker, an author who has had a big influence on Bobby’s life – so much that he named his younger son after one of Parker’s main characters, “Spenser.” Bobby discovered Parker’s books in his early 20s after graduating college. Magic City Blues is a mixture of Parker’s influence and the writing of Donald Westlake, who Bobby considers “one of the best writers of the 20th century.”

Additionally, Magic City Blues features some of his favorite spots around Birmingham like Eagle’s Restaurant, the now-closed Pale Eddie’s Pour House, Saw’s in Avondale, and The Collins Bar. He talks about the Vulcan statue on one side of the city and the statue of Electra on the other. “In some ways those statues are like a great lost love. Or, you can look at it like there’s one side of the city that’s ready to build something, and the other side’s ready to throw-down.” Bobby was able to incorporate historical pieces of Birmingham as well as current facets of the city’s personality. “It may not be your version of Birmingham; however, it is a version you will recognize.”

Bobby says one of the best opening lines in crime fiction comes from a 2001 novel called Firebreak. “When the phone rang, Parker was in the garage, killing a man.” Bobby said it’s such a great opening line because “you have to find out what happens next.”

“I think that’s one of the interesting things about writing crime. It’s not necessarily the crime… because crime is in many ways mundane. It’s always unfortunate. You hear it on the news every night. What makes a story to me is the reason why. Because that’s where it’s different – the reason why it happens. What drives a person to that desperate point,” Bobby said.

On February 25 at 6:00 p.m., Bobby will do a live reading of his new book among other authors at Noir At The Bar. The event will be hosted at the Red Cat at Pepper Place, where copies of the book will be available for purchase. Several New York Times best-selling authors will also be participating.

Bobby is grateful for the time he’s already spent at SAM, and he appreciates the chance to work with such talented and unique people. “I feel incredibly fortunate to do something that I love in writing crime fiction, having my books published, and widely praised. I also feel incredibly fortunate to work for an organization that recognizes my talent, my drive, and offers me the opportunity to use that talent in a way that Strong does,” he said.

All About the Summer SVMS

The days are quickly counting down to the next STRONG Virtual Marketing Summit (SVMS). Learn a little about why we host this event, and hear from Media on being involved in their first SVMS.

Why the SVMS?

In 2018, SAM began partnering with Google to host a series of educational summits for decision-makers in the automotive industry. Originally, these summits were held in person at Google’s offices in New York City and Austin, Texas. But as we all know, 2020 changed just about everything.

After pivoting to a virtual summit out of necessity, the SVMS team realized the scalability that virtual marketing events offered. Since hosting the first SVMS in the fall of 2021, SAM has grown an annual summit into a thrice-yearly event. It will be exciting to see how the event evolves in the future, but in the meantime, keep reading to see what’s in store for this month.

About the Summer 2022 SVMS

This summer’s SVMS will focus on the evolution of TV viewing. Speakers from SAM will discuss the best strategies for advertising on streaming services like Hulu, ESPN, and YouTube. They’ll also cover the benefits of Google’s Performance Max campaigns, Spanish advertising, and Linear Media.

The summit will take place on Thursday, July 28 at 10:30 a.m. SAM team members will have a chance to watch live, but please refrain from registering for the event. The internal link will be sent out on the 28th.

John Paul Strong, Stan Long, Jason Waters, and Casey Quattlebaum will speak at the event, covering all of the media-related topics listed above.

Up until this point, the SVMS has been primarily digital-focused. This marks the first time that Media has spearheaded the content, and they’ve done a phenomenal job helping craft scripts and angles.

“I am excited for Media to make its debut in this episode of SVMS!” Casey said. “I also enjoyed collaborating with my team. It forced us to think outside of the box and use our creative juices!”

Michele Alfano shared similar sentiments: “It was refreshing to collaborate on something a bit different for our team. The process from the first brainstorming session to the final scripts was great to be a part of. I can’t wait to see Casey shine in the final product!”

Liz Elder said of the project: “I was so proud of my team – Casey, Katie, and Michele – who pulled together, did a lot of research, and came up with strong content to make this episode of SVMS the best one yet! We collaborated to get the scripts written and worked so well together – each of us adding bits and pieces of information, graphics, research stats, and so on. We definitely stepped out of our comfort zones with this project. We were the embodiment of all 10 of SAM’s core values in this collaboration. It was challenging but rewarding all at the same time. We can’t wait to see the finished product!”

The SVMS project is led by Beth Nichols, with support from nearly every department in the agency. A lot goes into the planning, marketing, and implementing of each marketing summit. But the results have led to new clients, increased exposure, and higher engagement from our current dealers.

Stay tuned for the launch of the next SVMS!