.floatimg-left-hort { float:left; } .floatimg-left-caption-hort { float:left; margin-bottom:10px; width:300px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;} .floatimg-left-vert { float:left; margin-top:10px; margin-right:15px; width:200px;} .floatimg-left-caption-vert { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; font-size: 12px; width:200px;} .floatimg-right-hort { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 300px;} .floatimg-right-caption-hort { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 300px; font-size: 12px; } .floatimg-right-vert { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px;} .floatimg-right-caption-vert { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px; font-size: 12px; } .floatimgright-sidebar { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px; border-top-style: double; border-top-color: black; border-bottom-style: double; border-bottom-color: black;} .floatimgright-sidebar p { line-height: 115%; text-indent: 10px; } .floatimgright-sidebar h4 { font-variant:small-caps; } .pullquote { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 150px; background: url(http://www.dmbusinessdaily.com/DAILY/editorial/extras/closequote.gif) no-repeat bottom right !important ; line-height: 150%; font-size: 125%; border-top: 1px solid; border-bottom: 1px solid;} .floatvidleft { float:left; margin-bottom:10px; width:325px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;} .floatvidright { float:right; margin-bottom:10px; width:325px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;} What were you doing before you joined 25Connections?

I previously worked for a leadership and organizational development firm (The Meyvn Group) in Des Moines. Prior to that I was finishing my degree and working the past two years in school at Ariel Capital Management, doing public relations and marketing for them.

How does that translate into what you are doing at 25Connections?

We’re essentially creating marketing strategy for our clients. The way we are doing it is different from traditional methods, which really was my background before that, but there are fundamental marketing skills that you need to really create an overall strategy for a company. What we do at 25Connections has really revolutionized how people traditionally view marketing themselves. Oftentimes marketing is viewed as a monetary amount, whereas we view marketing in terms of time. To us time is more important than money, and time is what it takes to develop relationships with people, and those relationships become incredible resources for a company.

How do you establish the relationship?

We meet with people most of our days and we establish relationships by asking a lot of questions of them. From those questions we are able to uncover opportunities that exist for them and then we follow up.

You were in more traditional marketing; what led you in this direction?

Des Moines is a different market than Chicago. Des Moines is much smaller and almost immediately upon returning I could see the value in building relationships with people in the community in order to help me grow both personally and professionally; that’s translated into why Adam’s business was so appealing to me.

How did you find out about 25Connections?

We met through my previous employer. They were looking to do a young professional leadership curriculum and took a meeting with Adam. It was me and one of the owners, and I was instantly impressed. I gained a lot of insight from that meeting, and we shared a common philosophy on business.

What is the common philosophy?

It goes back to those relationships; relationships are what drive a company’s profitability and growth.

Regardless of the widget or the service?

Regardless. You take our largest client, Bank Iowa, for example; the banking industry, especially in our current economic conditions, has changed. Banks are heavily regulated, and margins are squeezed by low interest rates, so generally speaking banking products have become commoditized. We work with their management team on an overall marketing strategy that focuses on adding value and service to its customers rather than promoting specific products. By doing so, the bank is able to create long-term sustainability by relying on customer advocacy rather than volatile markets.

What do you do for recreation?

I read a lot. I read a variety of blogs, business journals, publications and books. I’m currently reading “The Black Swan” by (Nassim Nicholas) Taleb, which is a book that speaks to human psychology and business. I actually went to Northwestern to pursue music, I grew up wanting to be a famous saxophonist. Until the end of my sophomore year at Northwestern, that’s what I pursued. I was doing a double degree. … I stay sharp in a local community band, and I teach private lessons. I am a part of some young professional organizations, like the Young Iowa Rotary for Emerging Leaders, and I spend time with my family, because that’s one of the reasons I moved back here.

What is it about the sax?

For me it was more than the instrument; it was the skill I that learned from it. I worked very well independently, I was very disciplined, I had a strong work ethic, but then I had to translate that into working with others, teamwork, working in an ensemble to create something bigger. That’s what I enjoyed.