Star City Six – Mary Lafferty

No Regrets Marketing (noregretsmarketing.com) specializes in developing targeted marketing strategies while helping clients understand the best investment actions for their specific marketing goals. The company’s areas of expertise are brand strategy, campaign management, social media, websites, search visibility and content. Mary Lafferty is the owner of No Regrets Marketing.

Tell us a little about your business.

No Regrets Marketing is a marketing consultancy business. I help fellow business owners not only understand the wisest investment for marketing efforts, but how to make marketing work right, for their businesses, to accomplish their business goals.

How did you get started in the business?

I was most recently the VP of Creative and Marketing at a company out of Florida, Miller Heiman Group. After leaving there, I began to consult small business owners who had experienced frustration and regrets with their marketing efforts and investments. As I began to steadily grow my client base, it helped me realize the impact I was able to make with my experience. I’ve found it extremely gratifying to be able to help business owners on a one-to-one basis as an independent small business owner myself.

What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced professionally?

Leading a team through an acquisition of Kenexa by a company as large as IBM, especially knowing they had large contracts with some of the largest agencies in the world, was tough. Getting everyone through the murky, and sometimes scary, waters was a challenge—but one we overcame.

What has been your most important achievement professionally?

I led a creative team at Kenexa that grew from 4 to approximately 25 employees, globally. We nailed our target market and the creative packaging and impacted the value of the business so drastically that IBM bought us for three times the worth of the business as they saw a unique approach and solution to the HR market. Creating a high brand equity for our business through our marketing efforts was success that’s a source of great pride for me.

Tell us a little about your family.

I live in Sterling, Nebraska. I’ve been married over twenty years to Chris Lafferty, the owner of Laffman Hot Rod Garage—a business that restores/upgrades muscle cars, hot rods and classic cars. I have two girls, 12 and 14, attending Sterling Public Schools and they keep us busy!

What do you see as one of the biggest turning points in your life?

Honestly, when I started No Regrets Marketing. I feel like my previous twenty years in marketing have been training to do what I’m doing now.

What are you the most proud of?

Being a mom and a good role model for my two girls.

What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

Don’t be afraid to use your talents.

If you could choose only one descriptive word to be remembered as, what would it be?

Humble.

If you had a theme song, what would it be?

“Just Like Fire” by Pink.

Which talent would you most like to have?

I would love to be a gymnast!

What is your favorite movie?

Notting Hill.

If you could have dinner with one famous person from the past or present, who would it be?

Tim McGraw.

If our readers would like to contact you, how should they do so?

Phone: (402) 202-9015; Email: mlafferty76@gmail.com; Website: noregretsmarketing.com; Facebook: www.facebook.com/noregretsmarketing.