Finding Joy, Again: Why I Joined Quiet Light Communications
After more than 30 years in the advertising and marketing industry, I’ve learned a lot about what drives great work and what makes a career meaningful.
I started my career in Kansas City and eventually found my professional home in Omaha. Along the way, I wore a lot of hats: account service, traffic, production, media, management, and public relations. Each role taught me something valuable, but the work I loved most always came back to two things: building strong client relationships and breaking down big ideas into clear, actionable processes.
In 1996, I joined Anderson Partners Advertising. Over time, I became President and owner. Much of my passion and expertise grew in the food ingredient B2B space, a niche that isn’t always easy to explain to people outside the industry, but one I came to truly love. I especially enjoyed helping marketing and sales teams align, often within large consumer food brands that also had ingredient business units. There was something deeply rewarding about connecting strategy, people, and process in a way that created real momentum.
But after decades of building, nurturing, and leading, I reached an important turning point.
In 2025, I realized that my season at Anderson Partners had come to an end. Running an agency can be incredibly fulfilling, but it can also be equally lonely. I found myself missing something essential: a true thought partner. Someone to challenge me, explore ideas with me, and push me to grow. Without that, the work had begun to feel stagnant. So, I made the difficult decision to close the agency.
That decision wasn’t easy, but it was right.
What I knew almost at once, though, was that I wasn’t ready to retire. I briefly entertained other possibilities, maybe becoming a barista at a local coffee shop, maybe spending more time doing a little less. But deep down, I knew I wasn’t ready for the final chapter to be written. I still wanted to contribute. I still wanted to be challenged. I still wanted to be part of building something meaningful and celebrating hard-earned successes alongside a team.
That’s what led me to Quiet Light Communications.
Over the years, Quiet Light Communications’ owner Terry Schroff and I have crossed paths many times. We came from similar business backgrounds and shared a passion for B2B ingredient marketing, a field that’s surprisingly hard to find kindred spirits in. But more importantly, we shared a core set of values. We both believe in true partnership with clients. We both care deeply about outstanding service, honesty, compassion, and doing great work. We both see the agency-client relationship as something deeper than transactional. It should feel like being on the same team.
I had also competed against Quiet Light Communications over the years, and that only deepened my respect for them. I saw not only the quality of their work, but the integrity behind how they worked. Terry and I could talk for hours, sometimes six or seven at a time, and never run out of ideas, questions, or challenges to explore. That kind of connection told me something important.
This team was different.
In January, I had the privilege of joining Quiet Light Communications as Director of Operations + Strategy. Since then, I’ve felt something I didn’t expect to find again so clearly: joy.
I’ve found the collaboration I was missing. I’ve found someone to share ideas with, test assumptions with, and develop strategies alongside. I’ve found a team that is deeply committed to helping clients succeed. And I’ve found creatives who are, quite simply, truly creative.
