Thriving Media Company Gets Boost from Ohio’s Unique Work:Life Balance

Jamie McGann is the founder of McGann Media in Columbus, Ohio. With 25 years of industry experience, Jamie knows that the revenue numbers don't lie: the most effective tool to brand a business is advertising. She founded the company on the ideal that advertising is at the core of relationship-building for any business.

By successfully helping clients exceed their goals, McGann Media has grown to seven-figure billing. Jamie says that although the company has a firm focus on business fundamentals (i.e., competitive and consumer research, advertising ROI, etc.), collectively McGann employees are innovative and creative; they work on the philosophy that idealism is a reality away.

Recently, I had the opportunity to talk with Jamie about why she thinks Ohio is the state of perfect balance. She told me, “Ohio’s proximity to a number of large cosmopolitan areas is fabulous for business, and also valuable because the cost of owning a business in Ohio is comparatively low!  Additionally, the network of dedicated professionals helps businesses work together to meet common goals. The efficiencies in Ohio are great, and, I believe help Ohioans meet the optimal work-life balance.”

Click here to learn more about Jamie’s story.

An Ohio Story – RefCheck® Information Services

Zuni Corkerton is founder and president of RefCheck® Information Services, Inc., a leading national provider of reference interviewing and background screening services for a variety of clients in multiple industries.

I recently had the opportunity to learn about Zuni’s story. In the early 1980s, she was manager of associate relations at a major bank in Ohio. Part of her responsibility was to be present at employee termination interviews. In the middle of one of these interviews, Zuni asked herself whether the bank and the employee could have been spared this situation. What if the bank had known more about the employee's performance at previous companies? What if she could have learned more than simply whether the employee had a criminal record? This inspired her to found RefCheck in 1986.

As one of the oldest, most respected screening firms in the country, RefCheck provides added value, quality and expertise from being a human resource-based firm, staffed with seasoned human resource professionals with nearly twenty years of experience providing background and reference checking services to corporations and institutions large and small, and to families.

Zuni’s family came to Columbus in 1961 as refugees from Cuba. Her story illustrates the power and authenticity of the Ohio Promise.

Click here to read more about Zuni’s story.

An Executive’s Perspective on the Ohio Promise

Mark Kohoot is senior director of marketing and business development for ViaSat-ECC, a developer of innovative satellite and wireless technology for advanced broadband satellite and specialized military communications systems in Cleveland, Ohio.

ViaSat-ECC was founded with the goal of developing, manufacturing, and marketing advanced communications products and services. Employees include system engineers, digital design engineers, software engineers and ASIC support engineers with a range of experience in designing ASICs for high-speed modems. ViaSat has received national recognition for its record of growth, including three years of recognition on the Inc. 500 list of private companies, BusinessWeek “100 Best Small Corporations” and Forbes “200 Best Small Companies in America.”

Mark recently shared with me he believes in the Ohio Promise – the promise that you can achieve professional success within the context of a fulfilling life. Here’s part of what Mark shared with me, “I was born and raised in Ohio and graduated from Ohio State, which gave me the exposure to the wider world. That led to graduate studies in France and Fortune 500 employment in Europe for more than six years. With many doors open, at decision time, my family and I chose to return to Northeast Ohio for my son’s education, the arts and the overall quality of life.”

Click here to read more about my interview with Mark and the Ohio Promise.

Thoughts from an Ohio Executive

I recently spoke with John R. Nottingham, the co-founder and co-president of Nottingham-Spirk Design Associates, Inc., one of the leading new product and package innovation groups in the US with over 500 commercialized patents to date. Nottingham-Spirk product innovations have helped to create jobs and growth for Ohio companies and throughout the US for over 35 years. Notable design support projects include Crest SpinBrush®, Swiffer SweeperVac®, and Sherwin-Williams Twist & Pour® paint container.

John shared with me how his company benefits from the state's talented labor pool in the fields of product design, engineering and marketing. In addition, Nottingham-Spirk Design Associates offers an internship program for college students and new graduates.

The state of Ohio is committed to building, maintaining and retaining a talented labor pool that meets demands for Ohio businesses. From K-12 schools that challenge and inspire students to be both imaginative and analytical in their thinking, to postsecondary institutions that promote the development of moral character and produce highly skilled graduates, every level of Ohio's education and workforce development system is designed to create an educated, innovative and reliable workforce.

Click here to read more about my interview with John.

Attracting and Retaining Talent

Human resources experts will be the first to tell you that work:life balance is crucial to attracting and retaining new talent. Being in an environment that encourages you to balance life and work is critical. The Ohio promise is that you can achieve professional success within the context of a fulfilling life. One Ohio executive after another has shared their story how they – and their employees – have achieved work:life balance. Click here to hear from other Ohio executives.

Debbie Holy and Ellie Chalko know what it’s all about – people. They founded Cynergies Consulting, Inc., a privately held, nationally certified Women-Owned business, that sources and delivers the most critical component in the technology industry – human capital. Leveraging their backgrounds in human resources and operations management, Debbie and Ellie have found just the right mix of work:life balance for themselves and their employees.

I recently spoke with Debbie and Ellie about how their company has benefited from Ohio’s commitment to work:life balance.

Click here for the complete interview with Debbie Holy and Ellie Chalko.