OCT 05, 2022

Independent Agency Stoltz Marketing Group Looks Back on 25 Years of Changing How Business is Done

Stoltz Marketing Group, a woman-owned, women-led full-service agency headquartered in Boise, Idaho, USA, is celebrating 25 years in business. Stoltz were originally members of the Worldwide Partners (WPI) independent agency network from 1999 to 2010, and then rejoined again in 2019. We spoke with President & CEO Jaime Ekman about why they decided to rejoin, the importance of prioritizing people, and the meaning of “litera scripta manera.”

Stoltz 25th Anniversary

WPI >> What do you attribute to your agency's longevity? What principles/practices have led to your continued success?

Jaime >> First and foremost, I think it’s resilience. We’ve weathered ups and downs over the past 25 years, and I think a lot of that comes down to being resilient. Being willing to pivot, reimagine things, and get creative has helped us get through challenging times. 

We’ve also always prioritized people — from putting our employees first and viewing them as whole humans with lives outside the office to developing strong relationships and friendships with our clients — this has really driven us over the years, and continues to be the way we do business today. If you take care of your people, they take care of your clients and your business. 

WPI >> How has your agency changed/adapted over the years? 

Jaime >> My dad founded the agency 25 years ago, and I transitioned into ownership almost five years ago, shortly before he passed away. I see many similarities and differences between how my dad led Stoltz and how I do. He instilled a great deal of trust in his team and fostered a strong and independent team that was very family-like. He founded the agency with the intention to keep it simple and keep it small. I’ve tried to take the best parts of his leadership and philosophies and put my own spin on them. 

Our team today is very cohesive and collaborative. We’ve experienced a great deal of very intentional growth in the past couple of years, and we’ve worked hard to develop processes and policies that support the team as we’ve grown. Stoltz has tried to define what being woman-owned and women-led means to our team and our clients — and for us, it means that we get to change the way business has always been done. We support our team in ways that allow them to be themselves, have work-life harmony, and invest in their growth outside our walls — including growing their families, continuing education, and more. 

Stoltz Rafting Trip 2001Stoltz Rafting Trip 2009

WPI >> Companies around the world have learned the importance of prioritizing their people over the past few years, but you’ve been doing it from the start. Tell us more about how you support employees.

Jaime >> June 2022, Stoltz got the word out about something that was important to the team and to me with our commitment to reimburse travel and other costs associated with seeking reproductive healthcare not available in our state. 

We’ve also formalized Stoltz’ approach to philanthropy and its brand promise “We create because we care” with the 100 Hours Program to provide marketing services free of charge for a mission-aligned, Idaho-based nonprofit. This year, Stoltz is partnering with early childhood education center Giraffe Laugh and increased its commitment to 125 hours in honor of our 25th Anniversary. Past nonprofit partners include Style Her Empowered, Ronald McDonald House Charities of Idaho, The Closet, and Children's Home Society of Idaho, totalling more than 500 hours of in-kind donated services since 2018. We also believe that our employees should have time to support the community on their own time and terms, so we include a paid two hours of service per month for our team.

Our new We See Your Potential RETURNship, designed to empower individuals with a fresh start after taking a break in their careers, kicked off this fall.

WPI >> What services did you provide when you first opened? What services do you now provide?

Jaime >> We’ve always been a full-service agency, so our services today are very similar to the services we offered when we were founded, but we have expanded our digital and video production capabilities. Our expertise has deepened and our growing team has brought new perspectives, skills, and cognitive diversity to our client work.

WPI >> How has the agency grown over the past 25 years?

Jaime >> The agency started with just a couple of people and within the first year or two grew to 10–12 people. As mentioned previously, my dad wanted to keep the agency intentionally small, so for the first 20 years in business our employee count hovered between 13–15 people. 

Since 2020, we have grown from a team of 13 to 24. This growth has been intentional, and a lot of fun! We saw a huge amount of growth organically from existing clients and had a few key new business wins.

Stoltz Team

WPI >> A lot has changed for Stoltz and the industry in the past quarter century. Is there anything that hasn’t changed for you?

Jaime >> I think our core values of initiative, versatility, and passion have been there since our founding. Everyone who has walked through our doors, and continued to grow with the team has really represented these well. 

I also think we’ve always developed strong and lasting relationships with our clients, which has served us very well and been a catalyst for our continued growth. My dad always used to say that the reason he went into business was to, “Create great work, have fun, have a life, and work with the best to be the best.” That really holds true today, and I think we continue to deliver on that philosophy. 

WPI >> You had pretty big shoes to fill taking over the agency from your father. What initiatives or projects do you think he would be most proud of?

Jaime >> Stepping in as CEO at Stoltz was not something I dreamt about before. I remember someone telling me then that I had the opportunity to build a dream team and something that was reflective of my dad’s leadership and mine. Within the last 18 months we’ve gotten there, and we’re a super high-functioning and respectful team. That’s what I’m most proud of.

Jaime Ekman - Stoltz Marketing Group

One of my dad’s mantras was “litera scripta manera” (“the written word remains” in Latin), and I’ve really taken that to heart in my leadership at Stoltz (in fact our Creative Director, Crissie Hoskins, embroidered it on a sweater for me recently). This work matters because of the power that we can wield in the communications industry. I know it matters so much to the team, and it matters to me. Our ability to communicate  and get the word out about important things matters whether that’s through our clients or through ourselves. I think words matter. We have the opportunity to do good with our words. 

WPI >> You rejoined the network in 2019 after nearly a decade. Tell us why you decided to join again and how being part of the WPI network benefited your agency.

Jaime >> As an agency in a small market, we have benefited from expanding our footprint and our network across the globe. We’ve partnered with WPI agencies in pitches to new and existing clients, we’ve leaned on our partners for advice and deep insights, and we’ve learned an immense amount from attending the global conferences (and built incredibly meaningful friendships!). WPI helps us level up and scale no matter the size and scope of a project or opportunity. 

WPI >> What is your all-time favorite campaign or project?

Jaime >> Oh gosh, this is like asking to choose your favorite child! 

Our Stoltz branded #OwningUp campaign was a really meaningful one that a lot of the team is proud of, even if they weren't a part of creating it. It’s focused on raising awareness about gender inequality and the pay gap in the workplace. Overall, the clients that trust us to take risks, and stay with us for the long haul, often lead to the best campaigns.

“As an independent agency and a WPI agency partner, Stoltz embodies the spirit of our network,” said John Harris, President and CEO of Worldwide Partners. “Their creative and innovative work, prioritization of people and relationships, and commitment to collaboration and knowledge sharing is what we’re all about, and we’re proud to have them as members.”

Written By:
Angie Pascale

MORE ARTICLES

MORE ARTICLES