Chip LaFleur, our fearless leader, founded LaFleur Marketing with a vision to fill the gaps he noticed in the marketing industry. He saw a lack of long-term relationship building and results-oriented outcomes that left clients stranded with little or no strategic direction. Chip wanted to build a business that filled the gaps in the industry while also providing a workplace that was comfortable, flexible, and highly productive.
As part of his vision, he compiled a team full of intelligent, witty, and industrious individuals with a variety of educational and professional backgrounds. Each team member brings a unique skill set to the company that helps us meet and exceed the needs of our clients and the demands of an ever-changing digital marketing industry.
The Spice of Life
We’re a fun group here at LaFleur. Our office is full of laughter and banter; lively discussions about the news, current events, and industry trends; strategizing content and marketing plans; and producing high-quality work for our clients. One of the reasons our office is so interesting is the variety of people on our team.
To name just a few team members and their unique journeys, we have: a teacher turned content director; an advertising coordinator turned project manager turned general manager; an employment services specialist turned content manager turned account manager; and journalist turned content editor. Some of us have had jobs in marketing for years, but each job has been different. Now, we have the opportunity to own our positions and guide our success based on our individual and combined strengths.
The nature of our work here at LaFleur requires that we strategize, create, design, write, and communicate about complex topics — including but not limited to, traumatic brain injuries in Texas, estate planning in Virginia, state healthcare reform in California, and what to do if you haven’t filed your Maryland state taxes in years. For this reason, it’s extremely important and beneficial to have a group of people who are experienced, adaptable, flexible, eager to learn, and ready to work hard.
Everyone at LaFleur fits that description. Many of us on the LaFleur team have similar job descriptions, titles, or daily tasks, but each of us approaches our jobs and tasks differently because of our education and past professional experiences.
Throughout our educations and professional experiences, we have had several learning opportunities with real-world scenarios that help us in our current positions. For example, we experienced working on group projects in different settings, using technology to increase productivity, thinking outside-the-box to solve complex communication issues, and using available tools to succeed despite numerous obstacles. We love challenges and use our education and professionalism to solve them every day.
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Thoughts On Building A Team
Chip LaFleur has some thoughts to share about his hiring philosophy:
“Hiring individuals with a variety of educational and professional experiences gives us exposure to new ideas and perspectives, and keeps us open-minded. It helps us compete more effectively in the market.
Our team is regularly exposed to new information and ideas that challenge concepts that we hold on to as truths, and we need to be able to either adapt to a new understanding or inform our existing understanding with the new information in order to be successful. That sort of adaptability is important because technology changes so quickly in our industry, and we need to be capable of changing course when one tactic or strategy quits working or a different technology emerges. We’re seeing this right now with predictive analytics and machine learning in new advertising software that we use. Adapting often creates major disruptions in our existing workflows, but if we don’t adapt we don’t gain the competitive advantage that these technologies offer.
The ability for our team to adapt comes from the educational background of our team members. I have a strong appreciation for education and have been purposeful in pursuing individuals for the team that bring a higher degree where possible. It’s not the only thing we look for in a hire, but it’s nice to see that someone has taken the time to learn as much as they can, and I love it when I see that someone who may join our team has an advanced degree. To me this is a more concrete and measurable indication that the person has already had some of their innate ideas challenged at the college level, and they likely have the ability to research and problem-solve because they’ve been pushed outside of their comfort zone.
I think that we have a happier, more cohesive team because our team is diverse in terms of education, professional experiences, cultures, and worldviews. It’s important to me that everyone feels welcome on our team; everyone is here for a reason, and because we’re starting with a relatively diverse group of people, future hires will realize that they need to accept other people on the team regardless of their background, worldview, and where and how they grew up. It’s important to establish that diversity is a goal of our organization and a key part of building the strongest team possible.”
The LaFleur Marketing Team
Each team member has a unique perspective, and we work together to create the best possible outcomes for our clients. Here’s what a few team members had to say about their educational background and how that impacts their role at LaFleur.
Kyle McCarthy, Content Manager
I’m a college graduate with a master’s degree in English literature, but I feel like I’ve learned far more from my friends, family, and colleagues than all my professors combined. Not that my education wasn’t valuable – without it, I don’t think I would have an ounce of critical thinking ability (or a worthwhile vocation) – but rather that building meaningful relationships with people I love and admire is the most important thing in my life. As such, I try to cultivate friendships with my coworkers and inspire trust among our clients by offering an empathetic perspective and accepting constructive criticism.
Pat Kose, Account Manager
After attending a very structured private school from kindergarten through high school, I made the natural progression of becoming a film and video major once I got to college. Who needs all that math and science when you’re going to be the next Cameron Crowe, right? Shockingly, that educational path took a few turns, and I graduated with a degree in advertising and public relations (although I did continue to sharpen my entertainment skills with some acting classes on the side). This mix of creativity and strategy is something I continue to incorporate in my work today. How can we make a website rank higher in search while being more visually appealing to the user? How can we make a Facebook page informative and entertaining? How can we communicate “techie” concepts to clients in plain English? These are questions my education prepared me to answer effectively and efficiently.
Emily Brown, Demand Generation Representative
I majored in communications with a concentration in public relations. One piece of knowledge I’ve taken with me throughout my career is the importance of honesty and trust-building. Whether it is admitting a mistake I made or communicating with potential and/or current clients about our services and if they will be of help to their business, I believe honesty is always the best policy.
Steven Kent, Content Manager
I think my background in journalism helps me think on my feet and adapt to changes rapidly, which is helpful in digital marketing. It’s also made me more comfortable talking with and interviewing people from all sorts of backgrounds, which I’ve definitely had to draw from when producing our podcast (Legal Marketing Radio — check it out!) and at various other times when we need to get in touch with someone, get information from them, and write a story from the material. Even though journalism itself is in a total state of flux, the basic skillset applies to all sorts of different work, and I continue to use it every day in my work as a managing editor here at LaFleur.
Jane Newton (that’s me!), Digital Marketing Strategist
Communication has played a big part in each position I’ve held since I started my first job as a typesetter at a weekly community newspaper 15 years ago. My passion for creating clear, concise communication and thinking critically led to a bachelor’s in public relations and a master’s in communications with an emphasis in organizational communication. As individuals, colleagues, and communities, communication is something we can all always improve upon. For example, 10 people can hear the same thing and interpret it 10 different ways. Breaking down the barriers of miscommunication is why I will always be passionate about all forms of communication.
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LaFleur’s Talented Staff Is Here to Help!
Are there gaps in your marketing plan? Do you have a talented writer on your team, but your website isn’t fully optimized for search engines? Do you want to generate more qualified leads, but have no way to track or intake new contacts? Do you want to create a Pay-Per-Click (PPC) campaign, but don’t know where to start?
If any of these situations sound familiar to you, you are not alone! Thankfully, the LaFleur team is here to help. We have an expert in each pillar of digital marketing on staff full-time. If you need help with content strategy, web design, email automation, or any other marketing initiative, we would love the chance to work with you.
Give us a call at (888) 222-1512 or fill out this form, and we will be in touch soon. We can’t wait to start working with you!