17 Years
If you think about the span of 17 years, a lot can happen. That’s the difference between birth and prom. A human being can grow from a cute, cuddly baby to a moody, brooding teenager in less than 17 years. I’m not a math genius but my calculations, 17 years is 10 years longer than The Seven Years War.
On September 16th, 2007, when I was only 39, I made the best decision of my professional life – I hired Molly Quarles as a Traffic & Production Manager at Madison+Main.
She was smart and friendly and eager to fix everything that was wrong. And at that time, we had a lot going wrong. M+M was a crazy, wild, unpredictable start-up. We were winning clients and awards, but it was almost an unmanageable enterprise. (Just like the agency founder.)
We were racing towards the end of our 2nd year in business when Molly joined our team. In the 17 years she’s been with the company a lot has changed. She’s got a new last name and a great husband, Lee Whitfield, although she’s still in my phone as Molly Quarles. She has three of the most beautiful and precocious girls you’ve ever seen. She’s moved 6 times in that span of time – with her career Army husband – and moved up from entry-level employee to President of Madison+Main. She helped Madison+Main survive the Great Recession, COVID-19, and countless obstacles. Today we are truly thriving, and the lion’s share of the credit goes to Molly Marie.
And although I aged a lot over the last 17 years, she did not. Molly is still the fresh-faced 20-something I knew back then. I have no idea how she does it all and I have no idea how she’s managed to stay the exact same age… it’s kinda spooky.
Molly is a friend and trusted advisor and one of the only people who has the gumption to tell me when I’m wrong. And she’s usually right about it.
What do you get someone on their 17th anniversary? Apparently, after a quick Google search, it’s furniture. Knowing Molly so well, I’m going to Ikea. She’ll love the fact that I didn’t spend too much and she’d rather build it herself.
Please join me in congratulating Molly (Quarles) Whitfield, President of Madison+Main, on her excellent 17 years of service and leadership. Send Molly a note here.
MONDAY:
GANG VIOLENCE PREVENTION WEEK
Monday marked the start of Gang Violence Prevention Week. We’re proud to work alongside the Office of the Attorney General for the Ceasefire Virginia campaign in their mission to reduce gun and gang violence in the Commonwealth. Together, we’re providing communities with the tools and resources needed to resolve conflicts and create safer neighborhoods. This week is about raising awareness, but for Ceasefire Virginia, it’s a commitment to building peace and keeping our communities safe. To learn more about your community’s resources, visit https://ceasefirevirginia.org/.
TUESDAY:
BELOW AND BEYOND
Account Manager Amanda Anderson and Account Executive Anne Bowers spent their Tuesday on-site at a photo shoot for our friends and clients, Carroll Plumbing and Heating. From crawling under houses to perfectly laying pipes 3 feet down, is there anything these two can’t do? A big shout out to these two ladies who always go above and beyond for our clients — well, in this case, below and beyond.
*Disclaimer: for legal reasons, they actually did NOT lay the pipes.
WEDNESDAY:
TWAS A FEW MONTHS beFORE CHRISTMAS
We are thrilled to announce that Madison+Main is sponsoring the drink cart for the Chesterfield-Colonial Heights Christmas Mother Golf Tournament, on October 7th at the Highlands Golf Course again this year. Don’t miss out on all the fun — grab some friends and register to play. It’s for a good cause!
THURSDAY:
500 PAGES
Thursday felt like 2019. The day was filled with the pre-Covid nostalgia. People filled the office and there were mounds of paper on the conference room table. VP Leanne Pillow, Accounts Director Allison Nida, and scores of other Madison+Main-iacs hosted clients for lunch and a year-long media-buying audit. And yes, we printed 500 pages of bills, run sheets, and insertion orders.
FRIDAY:
MAKE SOME PLANS!
It was back to the airwaves this morning at 8:05 am, as I let thousands of WRVA radio listeners hear my rough, scratchy voice. This cold hasn’t gotten the best of me yet, so I hope to actually do some of the things I recommended this morning.
ICYMI, here’s the segment (check out part 12 at the 8:12 a.m. marker).
St. Benedict Oktoberfest is running all three days this weekend. And if I’m feeling well enough I want to see Nataniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats at Iron Blossom Music Festival Sunday night!
A FEW OF OUR FAVORITE EVENTS
Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience
Now through October
From 10 AM – 8 PM
Location: Exhibition Hub Richmond Art Center, 12151 W Broad St, Henrico, VA 23233.
Tickets start at $29.90 for adults and $17.90 for children.
Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience is a 360º digital art exhibition in Richmond that invites you to step into the universe of the Dutch genius, Vincent van Gogh. This captivating experience, a previous winner of USA Today’s 10 Best Readers’ Choice Award, is brought to you by the organizers of a collection of widely successful exhibitions present in cities across Europe, Asia, and the Americas. Get tickets here!
Saturday, September 21, 2024
From 12 PM – 9 PM
Location: Chimborazo Park, 3215 E Broad St Richmond, VA 23223
The RVA East End Festival is a family-friendly event to support music and arts programs at Richmond Public Schools in the East End. Since 2016, the RVA East End Festival has raised over $450,000 to support music, visual arts, and performing arts programs at eight elementary, middle, and high schools in the East End communities of the Richmond Public Schools system. The free family event will feature performances by local professionals including members of the Richmond Symphony, as well as some of RVA’s most talented youth musicians, dancers, and visual artists. Learn more here!
“The whole point of loyalty was not to change: stick with those who stuck with you.” – Larry McMurtry