It was not just a stroke of luck for Mary Reagan Shapton when she left the corporate world and her former employer became the biggest client for her new marketing and design business.
She had set high standards for herself, backed by her strong drive and ability to envision and attain significant goals, the quality of her work and her interaction with clients — all of which carried over to her start-up business.
Founder of Reagan Marketing + Design (RM+D), Shapton leads by example. She encourages innovation, creativity and an ability to focus on the main message while taking care of the smallest details. And because her employees have a direct impact on the success of her company, Shapton nurtures their skills, motivation and loyalty. When the workload escalates, she procures the resources needed and often puts in extra hours alongside her staff.
Adverse circumstances bring out Shapton’s strengths as an independent thinker and risk-taker. When workloads are low, she engages her staff in finding new work or involves them in the invention and marketing of new products such as ReaganBridgeen, a line of products for milestone events including births and weddings.
RM+D’s charitable involvement is widespread, ranging from Gilda’s Club Grand Rapids LaughFest — for which team members created the yellow smile of the festival’s inaugural identity — to FitKids360, a community health initiative that focuses on childhood obesity. RM+D also donates to charity balls and other events.
Shapton serves on the boards of several community organizations including East Grand Rapids Schools Foundation, Grand Rapids Children’s Museum and Healthy Kent 2020. She is also on the advisory board of Syzygy Biotech and is an active volunteer at her children’s schools.
How to reach: Reagan Marketing + Design, (616) 459-4064 or www.reaganmarketing.com
