Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Shavonnah Schreiber. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Shavonnah thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Getting that first client is always an exciting milestone. Can you talk to us about how you got your first customer who wasn’t a friend, family, or acquaintance?

I have always said business owners can go much further with partners than alone. We made our first official client dollar through a project I was asked to partner on with a friend who also owns a marketing firm. We decided to partner because I had subject matter expertise. After our second or third meeting with the client, my friend noticed the client and I really hit it off because we “spoke the same language” – meaning, because I had a technical background and this client was in a technical space, we were able to build rapport and trust quickly.

This client became the first “anchor” client for SNR Creative and remains a client to this day.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your background and context?

I am a native Houstonian. I graduated from the High School for Engineering Professions at Booker T. Washington High School. Since my first job was at Kids Footlocker in Greenspoint mall, it was evident I had a knack for effective communication. I was also blessed to have a fantastic manager who demanded excellence from all on his team and went out of his way to create a great work culture that still stands out in my mind. I excelled at storytelling and writing in high school and I have always had a vivid imagination. This all makes sense that I am a marketer now and it seems like I was destined to be a professional communicator – before I fully knew what that meant.

I started my education at the University of Oklahoma because at the time, I thought I wanted to be an engineer and OU has an excellent engineering program. OU, Public Speaking was a general education requirement and in that class I realized there was a scientific aspect to some of the communication skills that came naturally to me. I decided I was going to change my major and I started looking at universities that had nationally recognized Communications programs and Arizona was on that list. I transferred after my sophomore year and graduated from the University of Arizona with a B.A. in Communications and a minor in Journalism.

Following graduation, I worked on a Top-40 style radio program in Tucson as a morning show co-host. It was a great experience and lots of fun, but it didn’t take too long for me to see that’s not the side of the communication business I wanted to be on. I returned to Houston and worked in the energy industry for a short stint. About three years into that job, I was recruited for an international communication firm in the Galleria area. I went from consultant to business development executive in that firm – so from being the talent on the project to selling companies on hiring our firm for their projects. I also went to graduate school during my time there because I knew it would be a good idea to get an advanced degree and quite frankly, I LOVE reading and learning. I received an MBA from the University of St. Thomas-Houston and three months later, I was recruited away in a business development role at a privately held software company. It was at this software company that I had my first foray into professional selling.

At the software company, I gained a deep understanding of the linkage between sales and marketing and essentially served as a liaison between the sales and marketing. Fast forward seven years and I am having a coffee with a great friend who owns a PR firm and their client to brainstorm ideas for a project. The client tried to pay me for my time at the end of the meeting and I said it was free and she said it shouldn’t be…a few years later I formed SNR Creative. It took me another three years to begin working for SNR Creative full-time. I had a notion I would eventually give working for myself a go and a restructuring at a company where I was leading a global marketing team forced my hand. So just three years shy of the 5th year anniversary of SNR Creative’s formation, on August 1, 2017, I was officially 100% self-employed. And I have not looked back.

I am so very thankful for my path because a quarter of a century after my first job at Kids Footlocker, I have done some pretty amazing things and I believe I am just hitting my stride, which is exciting. To date, I have had the experience developing and executing holistic marketing, business development, and communications plans for companies – ranging from boutique to global Fortune 500. I have led global teams, managed marketing budgets in the millions, and have executed global marketing programs and campaigns in the Americas, Europe and Asia Pacific – with a proven track record for success. A far cry from selling kids sneakers in Greenspoint mall, but really in many ways some of the same sales and marketing motion – listening well – to what’s said and what’s not said – proposing creative solutions and constantly meeting customer needs.

As the Founder and CEO of SNR Creative, I have the privilege of leading a team of people in providing creative marketing and communication services to companies in industries such as aviation, energy, technology, and heavy manufacturing. SNR Creative also has two non-traditional practice areas – SNR Sports Management, which provides marketing services to athletes and athletic clubs, and then SNR Publishing, which provides marketing services for book authors. Whether working with construction engineers, athletes, or authors, the SNR team has a singular focus – helping their clients effectively brand, market, and position themselves, their services and/or companies to achieve greater success. So listening well, proposing creative solutions, and meeting needs…just like with kids sneakers.

Can you talk to us about your experience with buying businesses?

I have not purchased a business yet, but it is a part of my future plan to grow SNR Creative by acquisition. Prior to SNR Creative, I worked for a company that grew from a privately-held company to a sizeable publically-held company, and most of that growth was via acquisition. That company’s philosophy was to grow by acquiring the best-in-breed companies and optimizing them. I was fortunate to learn a lot from my time there – so I feel pretty certain growth by acquisition is the path I want to take at SNR Creative. Over the past three years, I have had a few conversations with potential targets but have yet to find the right one. I know it’s coming though, and maybe sooner vs. later. Stay tuned!

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

The one lesson I recently had to unlearn is I must use force to make things happen. As a driver, I have operated under the notion that if I wanted something to happen, I had to push it along. In and of itself being someone who “drives” things is not bad, but I think there is a point of diminishing returns. This year, and really the last three months or so, I have been working on using less force and more flow. So far things are working out well – and in some cases better than before.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.snr-creative.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/srobertsschreiber/
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/shavonnahrobertsschreiber
• Twitter: www.twitter.com/ShavonnahSNRC

Image Credits
Greg Hamill Photography on headshot