Wife and husband media marketers Carey and Chris Potter decided in 2005 to leave their busy lives in New York City and Richmond, VA behind, and reconnect with family and friends in East Grand Rapids in person. In 2009, Carey went through what many Michiganders have -- downsizing and job elimination -- so she launched
Brick House Marketing Group from the couple's brick home.
As the company added clients, such as Emergency Care Specialists and Fox Motors, and Chris quit his job and came aboard full-time, the need to separate the workspace from the home space became a necessity. In February, amid deep snows, the couple moved into a 650-square-foot office at 1514 Wealthy St. SE, above
Wolfgang's and
Sip Organic Juice Bar.
"Chris and I met in New York City; we were both working for
Katz Media, the largest media representation firm in the world," Carey says.
Chris chimes in, "Where we worked in the radio division, and repped radio stations for every market in America. We would fight for the business against each other," he says with a laugh.
Brick House specializes in strategic marketing, media planning and buying, PR, advertising, and event planning. They even provide sales training and coaching, a service not found at typical marketing firms.
"I developed a sales training program over all my years of sales management," Chris says, citing his experience at Katz, then running Richmond radio stations for
Cox Media, then management at
Citadel Broadcasting and
Clear Channel.
"One thing we always find, it's not about selling something, it's about people's needs and how do we address their needs," he adds.
"Moving back to Grand Rapids was an easy decision because of the growth and development that's happening in this town," adds Carey. "We want to be part of it and help change the landscape to help companies grow."
Writer: Deborah Johnson Wood, Development News Editor
Images courtesy of Brick House Marketing Group
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