Vertical Marketing

08/17/2026

This is the last post in my OEI series this year - and I saved my favorite for the end.

At the 20th Okoboji Entrepreneurial Institute, I coached a marketing student named Mitzully Morales through her pitch for a business called Puente Marketing. It means "bridge" in Spanish, and that's exactly what it does. It helps Hispanic-owned businesses in northwest Iowa tell their story to an audience that might not share their language or culture, without losing what makes them distinct.

Coaching her through that pitch reminded me why I do this work. It's not about handing someone your playbook. It's about helping them find theirs, and then getting the hell out of the way.

I wrote about what last week taught me, about Puente, about coaching and about my own path back to why I started Vertical Marketing + Design in the first place.

If you caught my other two posts from OEI this year, thank you for following along. This one means the most to me.

Read it here:

How a college student's pitch called Puente is reshaping what it means to market Hispanic-owned businesses in northwest Iowa, and what it taught her coach along the way.

08/17/2026

Watching David grow into the person he is today has been one of my favorite parts of being his aunt. Getting to photograph this milestone made it even more special. Congratulations graduate!

08/13/2026

What if the best coaching advice you can give someone is no advice at all... just their own words, said back to them clearly? That's what I tried with 8 students in one afternoon. Two of their stories are still sitting with me.

Read more on my latest blog post:

A coach spent 2 hours with 6 student entrepreneurs using one method: reflection, not advice. It started at Sunday night's meet and greet — two of their stories are still with her.

08/11/2026

Sunday night I sat in what used to be Tom Bedell's home — the guitar maker whose father built an empire out of $50, some dog hair and a newspaper route.

I walked in knowing almost no one, then I found one face — a friend who pulled me in and made sure I was never standing alone.

It's the 20th year of OEI. Only my second. And, this week I get to coach a new group of students.

But, if I'm honest, I usually learn more about myself in the process than I feel like I'm actually helping them.

Read along this week as I share what OEI looks like from a coaching perspective. I hope it inspires you to step outside of your comfort zone too.

Say yes to something that scares the crap out of you.

Full story here:

Twenty years of OEI, my second year coaching. A night at Tom Bedell's former home, a family legacy, and what I hope to learn from this year's students.

07/08/2026

We are excited to announce Vertical Marketing + Design can now add YouTube Shorts, Google Business Profile posts, and TikTok to your social media plans! 🎉

Short-form video is where the attention is right now and we're ready to help you show up there.

If you are a current client, send us a PM and we'll get these added to your rotation and retainer contract.

New here? Message us to see what a full social plan could look like for your business and get you on our waiting list! 🚀

07/05/2026

My grandmother Helen was born in 1910 and passed away in July 1992. I've spent the past few months researching her story as we recently passed the anniversary of her death.

She could already read and write when she started country school in Sanborn at the of age five - in 1915.

She tied for valedictorian of her graduating class.

For reasons she explained to my youngest aunt, in terms of character and faith, my grandmother offered to take the salutatorian place instead. It was not the first time she put someone else ahead of herself - and it would not be the last.

I now have her Salutatory speech (in her own handwriting!!) and I'm working on a blog post about it. It's an impressive piece of writing for a young woman of her time. She went on to teach country school before becoming a mother of ten, my dad among them.

And what I didn't know until recently was that her own mother, Clara, was also valedictorian of her class - and also trained as a teacher.

The bar in this family was set high - and set early.

Her grandparents settled in O'Brien County in the mid-1800s and built a farm of more than 360 acres. This is going to be a deep dive - with lots of stories to share here soon.

I can't wait and I hope you will stay for the ride!

06/09/2026

I am constantly wowed by the depth of conversations happening in the classrooms at Iowa Lakes Community College.

I accepted an invite to sit on this panel with the Iowa Lakes Corridor Development Corporation, because I wanted to learn something for myself.

And I did.

It was a great place to practice speaking in front of a crowd, connect with colleagues in the industry and better understand what small business owners and rural developing communities are actually trying to accomplish in their own worlds.

Big thank you to everyone who came and asked the hard questions.

We closed with this - What do you think is the best tool today to market a business in 2026?

True to form - that answer takes me straight back to my first boss at Iowa Lakes Community College. She shared in quiet moments with me that her own personal goal was to lift all boats and if you have ever seen the ILCC logo, you know that was not just a philosophy, it was baked right in from the start. It wasn't just her idea, it was years in the making and success takes time and teamwork.

So here is everything I know - and it is free. Just like she gave it to me.

1) Show Up. Say yes when it makes sense for you and no when it doesn't.
2) Pay Attention. Listen with your heart. What is that person, business, or community trying to tell you they need or want from you?
3) Tell the Truth. When we are honest about our problems, the helpers magically appear and the resources follow right along.
4) Let Go of Outcomes. This was the hardest one for me and it is the truest thing I carry with me.... And that advice comes from a successful entrepreneur I worked under too. The little seed planted is growing.

Do you want to sell more widgets? Make more money? Or do you want to help your neighbor, your community, your kid get into the college or trade of their choice?

What is YOUR own personal motivation to help others? Lead with that.

That is how I think you market your business in 2026,

06/03/2026

See you tomorrow in Estherville at the Iowa Lakes Community College campus for Corridor Conversations with local marketing professionals and brought to you by our friends at the Iowa Lakes Corridor Development Corporation.

(PS - make sure to follow their pages if you don't already for the latest marketing classes and programs locally! So many FREE ones!)

05/29/2026

Next week I'm sitting on a marketing panel and I have some things to say. 😄

If you're a business owner trying to make sense of marketing, this is a great place to start. A room full of experienced professionals, an open conversation and it's free to attend.

I'll be joining Jill Harms, Joe Weber and Derek Baker on the panel. Between the four of us, we'll be covering marketing strategy, content creation, social media, branding, AI and more.

You've asked me how I land high-value clients and market myself on a shoestring budget. So I'm not keeping that to myself next week.

I'll be sharing what has actually worked for me, and no, it doesn't have to feel icky. Marketing yourself is just telling your story with confidence.

If I can do it, you can too.

We each bring our own niche and passion projects to the table. If you want to learn about non-profit and community development marketing, I'm your gal!

Wednesday, June 3 | 10:30–11:30am
ILCC Auditorium, Estherville

Registration is still open. 👇
https://f.mtr.cool/sxrjaukibl

MEET THE PANEL!!

We are so excited to bring together this group of talented marketing professionals for next week's panel! The Corridor region is very fortunate to have these experts sharing their insight and experience.

✨ Jill Harms - Blink Marketing 26
Founder of Blink Marketing, Jill brings 20+ years of experience in branding, research, and strategic marketing, with a passion for servant leadership and community involvement.

✨ Joe Weber - F8 Creative
Joe is co-founder of F8 Creative, a visual storytelling studio rooted in photography, video production, and creating sharp, impactful content that helps brands tell their story.

✨ Derek Baker - Mills Marketing
Derek brings a background in banking and strategic marketing to his role at Mills Marketing, where he helps financial institutions grow through creative strategy, strong client relationships, and a fast-paced, collaborative approach.

✨ Vanessa Moore - Vertical Marketing
With more than 20 years of marketing experience, Vanessa combines creative design, branding, and strategic marketing expertise to help businesses tell authentic stories and build meaningful connections with their audiences through Vertical Marketing + Design.

Looking forward to great conversations on marketing strategy, content creation, social media management, branding, AI, and MORE!

There’s still time to get signed up — visit https://f.mtr.cool/sxrjaukibl to register. See you Wednesday, June 3 from 10:30-11:30am at ILCC Auditorium in Estherville!

05/20/2026

Pssst. The RUMORS are true!!

We've spent most of the last 2 years heads down, building something new.

New process, new onboarding and yes, VIDEO content is finally coming!!

No, we didn't let AI write this.
Or strategy it.
Or feel it.

We use it as a tool, sparingly.

Because the thinking?
The relationship?

The four plus years some of you have been with us -- and the lift you're finally seeing!? That's not what you hired a machine for.

Every year we evolve.
Every year we get better.

We will never be the agency we were last year, because our clients aren't the same as last year either.

We launch and build together.
And, heck, sometimes, we have to take it back apart together, too.

That's the whole point.

More IS coming!

Stay tuned. 👀