What a year it has been! This year has brought growth to our firm in so many ways. From honing our skills to bringing on new talent, we’re grateful for everything that transpired over the last 12 months. A few of our team members pinpointed successes, favorite moments and how they grew this year. They’re excited to share with you!

Kelli

• On accounts: I have enjoyed doing more client work in Lake Charles! We got to work on two projects this year in Lake Charles: the SEED Center Business Pitch Competition and Karl Gillard’s campaign for Marshal. We also started the year working with Sky Zone in Lafayette, Baton Rouge and New Orleans, which was a regional account I brought on originally in 2015.
• On successes: In January, Gracie and I worked on Sky Zone Lafayette’s Warrior Course. We lined up an influencer from South Louisiana who had appeared four times on American Ninja Warrior, had both live TV coverage and post-event print and TV stories, and we had all that success despite a totally unexpected ice storm in the area the same day. Although it was a challenge for everyone travel-wise and the fact that schools in Lafayette were closed due to the ice, it worked in our favor because we had more crowds there to enjoy the first day of the course.

Gracie

• On successes: I have been working to build up the Moxy Memphis Instagram account, and I’ve loved seeing how it’s grown organically. The hotel isn’t open yet, but we wanted to create a cool, hip and trendy Instagram account to introduce the brand to Memphis. The client asked us to hit 2,000 followers by August of this year, and we reached that goal! We received compliments from corporate on how the account has grown, which was a huge win.

• On growth: I’ve honed my skills in email marketing! I was able to do a lot of work in MyEmma, Constant Contact and MailChimp for various clients this year, so I’ve definitely gained knowledge on how to successfully run email marketing campaigns.

Carlee

• On successes: The client accomplishment that made me most proud was NCC’s Break the Cycle event. This event serves as one of NCC’s biggest fundraisers and gives donors and supporters a glimpse into the work done to fulfill NCC’s mission of breaking the cycle of generational poverty in Memphis. Overall, more than $125,000 was raised – $50,000 more than last year!
• On growth: I feel my growth has been all-encompassing in 2018. You learn a lot moving from intern to account assistant. If I had to pick just one thing, I would have to say I’ve grown a lot in the way I execute tasks and think about accounts. You always try to think a step or two ahead, looking down the pipeline at what’s next and planning for the future.

Murray

• On accounts: I’m proud of the work ServiceMaster by Stratos did this year. They started working with 45 Shelby County Schools, which equates to servicing 5.3 million square feet! To meet the demands of these facilities, Stratos worked very quickly to grow their service partner roster by 72 percent!
• On growth: I think my biggest growth area for 2018 would have to be media relations. By staying in the know on what reporters are writing about, I’m able to provide creative angles that I think will interest them. Granted, cool restaurants are an easy sell, but I do still have to think outside the box to garner continued interest!

Christina

• On accounts: I began onboarding new clients coming onto OPR’s roster. I enjoyed learning more about the process of getting acquainted with clients and getting to the roots of their needs and exploring creative ways to address them.

• On growth: I feel like I’ve grown as a manager and feel confident in working with clients and having honest conversations with them about their goals. Seeing them succeed motivates me to keep working harder.

Taylor

• On accounts: This year, I’ve taken on new accounts that I was previously familiar with. It’s been wonderful to support organizations whose mission I wholeheartedly support.

• On growth: I’ve had an up and down year! At times, I’ve felt fully in command of everything expected of me, and at other points, I’ve felt wholly overwhelmed. I think that’s where I’ve found growth. Learning to recognize where you are, taking on work when you’re on top of it and asking for help when you can’t manage everything on your own.