Vertical Marketing

12/31/2025

Wrapping up 5 years.... 5 years ✅

Launching into year 6.

As Vertical Marketing + Design closes out 2025, I'm reflecting on a milestone year of growth – both for the communities we serve and for this business.

Five years in and the mission has evolved some. When I look back at 2020 I can see how we've gone from supporting small mom-and-pop businesses to partnering with economic development organizations, museum alliances like LAMA and really innovative non-profits whose work is shaping entire communities.

This year deepened partnerships with clients like Iowa Lakes Corridor Development Corporation and Spirit of Okoboji. It also brought some new firsts for myself including meeting (and learning from) entrepreneurial students at OEI, taking part in my first pitch competition, completing pro bono work with Arts on Grand as they moved into their next chapter. And getting through what was personally a milestone year while keeping this work moving forward.

And 2026 is already taking shape with new partnerships and projects coming aboard that we are so excited to help launch!

To my clients, past present and future: Thank you for trusting me to help amplify the work you're doing for our communities. Your missions matter.

To Kathy and Angie: Your collaboration makes the work better and the journey more meaningful.

To everyone following along: You're part of this journey too. Thank you!!

Here's to 2026 – year 6 and our continued orbit together!

– Vanessa

12/02/2025

This Giving Tuesday, we encourage you to give back locally - with your time, talent or money - to organizations and initiatives making a difference in our community:

Centers Against Abuse and Sexual Assault (CAASA)
CASA of Iowa
Shayla Bee Fund
Arts On Grand
Clay County Heritage
Spirit of Okoboji

Thank you to the administrators, board members and volunteers of these very special programs who keep them running all year long.

Thank you for Giving Back to the rest of us, the rest of the year long!

We appreciate your dedication to service to community.

Have a favorite entity of your own? Post it in the comments - let's all highlight the good things this community is doing 👇👇 Let's show the world our giving nature too!

11/24/2025

MISSION CONTROL launches tomorrow 🚀We are taking Marketing Mastermind online!

Business owners: tired of posting on social media with zero strategy behind it?

Join me for 15 minutes on marketing strategy that actually makes sense for small businesses.

Tomorrow we're covering:
✔️ What you're actually trying to accomplish (hint: not just "engagement")
✔️ Who needs to hear from you
✔️ What to say that makes them care
✔️ Where to show up (and permission to ignore the rest)
✔️ How to know if it's working

No fluff. No 40-page marketing plans.

Just a simple foundation you can use immediately.

Tomorrow. November 25 (4th Tuesday Monthly)
9AM via Zoom
Come and Go format

15 min + Q&A
Zoom link: Private message for link

See you in Mission Control.

11/19/2025

When safety equipment isn't designed for everyone, entrepreneurs like Bolu Ojo step up.

Today on Women's Entrepreneurship Day, I'm sharing why her SparkDefy story matters for our region.

Learn more about Bolu's story:

After meeting Bolu at OEI and watching her journey unfold this year—winning 1st place at the Global CEO Conference Pitch Competition in Tampa Bay, placing 1st in ISU's Pappajohn Fall Startup Pitch Competition, earning recognition at multiple events—I knew her story needed to be shared beyond jus...

11/17/2025

Very excited to announce our new

Monthly Mission Control Zoom Room

NO COST TO ATTEND!

Join Vertical Marketing and other business owners looking to connect through marketing on the 4th Tuesday of every month from 9-10am.

15-20 minutes of focused marketing strategies + live Q&A.

Free, actionable and designed for busy business owners.

We start Tuesday, November 25 at 9am—watch for details and PM us for the link!

11/11/2025

Had the absolute joy of capturing Ryonna's senior session this summer and fall—the latest of her family's chapters I've been honored to photograph over the years.

We didn't just pose in pretty spots. We revisited the places that shaped her: the Lakes, Arnolds Park adventures, the nature trails and backroads she's always loved, with her strong faith in tow. The places that make Ryonna Ryonna.

That's what I love most about photographing friends' kids—watching them grow into these incredible humans with their own styles, passions and incredible stories to tell.

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Looking ahead to 2026: We'll be limiting senior sessions again to just 4 slots and typically booked by March. If you know a senior who needs photography services but cost is a barrier, we operate on a quiet don't-ask-don't-tell policy. Just reach out.

11/03/2025

Personalized Workshops + Monthly Marketing + PR Sessions

We're evolving our workshop format to serve you better with two new offerings:

Personalized On-Site Intensives
Our full workshop team (Vertical Marketing, KBrand Marketing, and Suite Ghost) comes directly to your location for a customized workshop—100% tailored to your business and marketing needs. Flexible scheduling to fit your team's needs.

Monthly Mission Control Zoom Room - NO COST TO ATTEND!
Join Vertical Marketing the 4th Tuesday of every month from 9-10am. 15 minutes of focused marketing strategies + live Q&A. Free, actionable and designed for busy business owners. We start November 25 at 9am—watch for details!

A note: As we talked with clients, we realized there's a greater need for personalized, one-on-one support rather than group workshops. Combined with some personal health circumstances on my end requiring treatment over the next few months, we've decided to pivot to these formats that allow us to deliver more tailored value with flexibility.

DM me for details on the on-site intensives, or drop a comment if you'd like the Zoom room link!

10/30/2025

Back in 2021, Iowa Lakes Corridor Development Corporation partnered with us for a complete brand transformation. Their work supporting businesses across Northwest Iowa was incredible—but their brand wasn't telling that story.

Fast forward 3 years:
✨ Social media growth of 22.3% across platforms
✨ Attracted a top-tier CEO who was drawn to their professional brand
✨ $230M in projected business investment in our region
✨ Named Iowa's inaugural SourceLink Resource Partner of the Year

The best part? Their brand now tells the human stories of why people choose to live, work and build businesses in rural Northwest Iowa.

When local organizations can tell their story well, the whole region wins.

Curious how strategic branding creates real economic impact?

Read the full story:

See how strategic economic development branding helped Iowa Lakes Corridor attract top talent, grow 150% on LinkedIn and drive $230M in potential business investment.

10/24/2025

January 28, 1986 was my 6th birthday.

If you remember that date.... you'll understand why I named my business what I did.

If you've worked with Vertical Marketing + Design, you've heard me talk about brand transformations using space terminology: Launch Platform. Lift-Off.Brand Boost. Maximizing Orbit.These are deeply personal anchors, that aren't just catchy names for phases in our process and it's why helping organiz...

10/19/2025

Our busy summer is catching up to fall and we are excited to share some senior moments and what we've been working on the last quarter with local clients!

Watch our profile here in the coming weeks for senior moments and new blog posts where you'll learn what we've been working on behind the scenes with the Iowa Lakes Corridor Development Corporation and creative entrepreneurs who are making waves in Spencer and 'Boji!

09/24/2025

In 2023, we had the privilege of rebranding Iowa Lakes Corridor —transforming both their logo and brand system.

We're thrilled to continue our partnership with them today and excited to see their brand flourish!

Watch our blog series as we take a look back! 🎨✨

We've been a little quite lately - but doesn't mean we aren't doing big things!

We love seeing clients who understand aligning strategies, tactics and analytics to get our area on the map and in front of the eyes of investors, entrepreneurs and residents.

In the last year and half, Vertical Marketing has worked with the Iowa Lakes Corridor to develop their rebranding system, develop marketing tactics and manage their multiple social channels, and more, with a great group of marketing agencies walking along-side!

We've seen great successes and a few failures, but overall the path has been easy with clients who understand the importance of strategies and taking the time to find the Y for our area together! We aren't all experts in every facet of this new digital marketing landscape, but working together makes the entire process a concerted effort with real teeth! Pretty cool for an economic development corporation, right?

Is your own marketing model getting stale? We are working behind the scenes to further develop this type re-branding system product with other marketing experts to provide a full service marketing agency experience without paying agency prices!

Watch for future projects as we expand this new service line - we are super excited to see what the future holds!

09/15/2025

Thanks for sharing everyone.

The spot has been claimed so we are booked up on retainer clients again.

Additional projects are on case by case work as usual, please call or message to discuss your project scope and timelines.

We have an additional contractor covering the next few months, and I'll be looking again to hire likely in the spring.

Keep an eye out if you've been messaging me!