Today we’d like to introduce you to Elizabeth McFadden.
Hi Elizabeth, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I started in the ad agency business in 1996 at the now-defunct firm Valentine Radford. At that time, VR was one of two firms in the US that were the oldest independent ad agencies. I spent four years there and it was an incredible experience. I learned branding from some of the best in the business and got to work on accounts such as Sprint, Hallmark, Bayer and Captain D’s restaurants, among others. After working for another four years for Cramer Krasselt, another large, national ad agency, I took some time off while I started a family. Two years later, I slowly got back in the game doing freelance and eventually launching my own firm in 2006. My experience in the big agency world combined with working with small businesses that needed branding led me to start one of the first virtual ad agencies in the country – Elle Marketing Communications. Later, I merged that business with a local design studio to create Novella Brandhouse. I have been in the business for 25 years!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Starting a business from scratch and then operating, growing and scaling that business has certainly come with some struggles. Like most business owners, you don’t know what you don’t know. You make a lot of mistakes along the way but the best thing I did was learn from those mistakes. I feel like those lessons are the ones that stick with me the most. The areas where I struggled the most were finance, partnerships and ops. I started the business as an excellent practitioner of branding and marketing, not necessarily a business executive. I had to learn pricing, how to manage money as a business, forecasting, HR, processes, etc. The list goes on and on but over the years, I have sought out resources, programming, peers and mentors who could help guide me. That is what’s key. Knowing when, where and how to access help.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Novella Brandhouse?
Founded in 2013, Novella Brandhouse is a WBE-certified branding firm developing strategic marketing plans, award-winning design and content for organizations trying to scale and improve overall business performance. As a full-service brand-focused ad agency, we have a team of strategists, writers and designers who discover the essence of a brand to create a solution that amplifies a company by connecting the brand to the people who matter. As a full-service branding and marketing firm, we design and implement campaigns and strategies across all platforms. We have been recognized by our industry for outstanding work, winning awards from:
American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA)
Business Marketers Association (BMA)
International Association of Business Communicators (IABC)
KC Press Club
Nonprofit Connect Philly Awards
PRINT Magazine Regional Design Annual
Public Relations Association of Louisiana
Public Relations Society of America (PRSA)
Social Media Club of Kansas City
We’re a proven partner for companies looking to rebrand or pivot. With careful research, thoughtful strategy and design, we help organizations rethink their vision and reach that next level. Novella is the only Missouri WBE-certified brand strategy and marketing firm in Kansas City that develops messaging, design elements, and go-to-market strategy that you can start implementing today on your website, social media, sales materials, collateral and in your elevator pitch.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
Our values are:
Attentiveness: Everyone wants to be heard and understood.
Charisma: Inspiring each other and our clients to create the best work.
Integrity: We’re in this together. We treat you like we want to be treated.
Zeal: With enthusiasm, we strive to get the job done right.
We approach every client, project and our work overall with these four values in mind. Additionally, when we are involved in a new business pitch, we make sure that the client’s values are aligned with ours as well. Do they value
Attentiveness, Charisma, Integrity, Zeal? If not, they probably are not a good fit for us.
Contact Info:
- Email: elizabeth@novellabrandhouse.com
- Website: www.novellabrandhouse.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/novellabrandhouse/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NovellaBrandhouse/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5jSlciXIXNp_Om3kD0Zw2g
