Kristen Harris and Catherine Lang-Cline, co-owners of Portfolio Creative in Columbus, Ohio, have won numerous awards over the last year and below, they share how winning awards has helped them promote their business.

1. Your company, Portfolio Creative, has rapidly gained name recognition and notoriety as a leader in staffing for creative jobs.  Tell us a little about the business and how you got started.

Catherine’s response: Kristen approached me with the idea for the business. At the time I was working as a freelancer and she was curious as to whether or not I would use a service like this. And I had actually worked with a service like this in the past in a different city.  So with Kristen’s contacts, my clients and a couple of laptops, we opened the business. Our past experience allowed us to be specialists in this field as we knew all of the lingo and positions an art or marketing department might need.

Kristen’s response: I’d had the idea off and on for years, usually when I was desperate for help while I was an Art Director. It was really hard to find the right people quickly to come in and help with projects, and I didn’t have time to constantly recruit people just for the possibility I might need them in the future. When I started seriously thinking about starting this business (because no one else in town was), I talked to Catherine about it to get her feedback as a freelancer. As they say, the rest is history.

2. So in just a few short years, you have made quite a name for yourselves.  Can you share with us some of the major things you did that helped you become increasingly visible and reputable to your clients and creative talent?

Catherine’s response: As far as visibility, we had to focus on PR and Blue Tree Media has really helped us with that. But before even that we did as much as we could to get our name out there. As early as I can remember we began doing some sponsorships of events where the people we wanted to reach were congregating. We also got very aggressive in applying for awards that we met the criteria. Sometimes time consuming, but it really paid off because it not only gives you recognition, but more credibility. We are also very true to what we do. We want to be able to deliver and so far have a great reputation in doing so. Because sometimes you only get one chance to prove yourself.

Kristen’s response: From the beginning we have made a concerted effort to be visible where the people we work with hang out. This works for us in two ways. The more people see us and our name around, the more likely they are to remember us when they need help. And by actively participating in and supporting the creative community, we get to know people more personally and show them that we really care about the same things they care about. We’re not just a business drawing from the creative community, we support it and make it even stronger.

3. You mentioned winning awards as one of the ways you increased your name recognition, reputation and profile.  Tell us a bit more about that.  What was the first award you were nominated for (and/or won) and what did that do for your business?

Catherine’s response: I think the first award was Kristen being on the 40 Under 40 List with Business First. Then the first list the company made was the Fast 50. Those got us some name recognition as the PR was fantastic.

Kristen’s response: Actually, before we won any awards, we got ourselves on the Business First Book of Lists for our industry. We just had to apply on time and be willing to share our information, it gave some credibility to a new business to be on the list with all of those larger companies.

4. You have received numerous awards in the last year or so – almost too many to count!  Tell us about just a few of them and how winning them has been important part of raising your profile and attracting and retaining the right talent, clients and strategic business partners.

Catherine’s response: Being on the Inc 500 List really made us a contender for trying to get more work from corporations and large agencies. They are not going to invest their time and money with a company that might have a lot of risk attached. Making that list only confirms we can do the job because that is our track record in black in white, in a very reputable magazine. And this all means less risk for a new client. I’d also add winning the CEO Magazine’s “Best Staffing Company” award two years in a row really illustrates to both potential clients and candidates that we really have a great team to work with.

Kristen’s response: Making the Inc 500 List was really a big deal. Not only did new people notice us that never had before, but it also helped confirm our reputation with people and companies who already worked with us. I got a lot of comments like “wow, you guys are really doing great…I had no idea.” We definitely got some press and attention as a direct result. Being chosen as the Rising Star business through the Ohio Department of Development was fantastic in other ways. It was a real honor to be selected from all of the businesses in the entire state, and it has allowed us to make contacts with people in the Department of Development that will be valuable as we grow our business.

5. Some business owners are shy about nominating themselves for awards.  Have you nominated yourselves for any awards or have others nominated you?   What do you say to a business owner who may not be comfortable nominating themselves?

Catherine’s response: Do it. Toot your own horn. Think of it as a free PR move. It really doesn’t matter who does the nomination. And people are busy. So nominating you might not be front of mind for them even though they can’t live without you.

Kristen’s response: If you don’t enter, you can’t win! Generally no one cares who nominated you, people only know that you got the award. And if you do need someone else to nominate you, don’t be shy about asking. It’s such a simple thing, we’ve never had someone say no. One thing to keep in mind is that you usually have to reveal sales and growth figures. You’ll have to be okay with that being public knowledge.

6. Did you have a strategy about applying for awards?  How did you know which awards you wanted to be nominated for?

Catherine’s response: We have a staff member research and stay on top of the awards that are out there. If we seem to be a fit, we apply. What our research did find out was that we were eligible for more awards then we thought.

Kristen’s response: We always keep our eyes open for new awards and recognitions that we haven’t been a part of. It’s seem like new ones pop up all the time. We save the info and look into it the next year to see if we may qualify. It is time-consuming, so we don’t apply if we don’t think there’s at least a reasonable chance. You can tell a lot about what they are looking for by checking out the previous recipients.

7. What have you done to promote your awards?  Why is promoting your awards important?

Catherine’s response: We put the awards on our website and have them in our signature line. I think we once sent out an email blast thanking everyone for selecting us as “Best Staffing Company.” So not a ton of self-promotion, I guess. We are very proud of our awards but don’t want it to change us. When you get too caught up in the hype is when you lose control.

Kristen’s response: Yeah, we publicize them through our website, blog, Twitter, etc. Cheer a little, then get back to work! This year we brought someone in to help us with PR and media relations, she has done a lot as far as promoting our company and having awards gives her something to talk about. It’s definitely led to more articles and media exposure.

8. What did you do with your actual awards – plaques, vases, certificates, etc…?

Catherine’s response: They are in our lobby for us all to share. It’s a team effort.

Kristen’s response: Proudly displayed in our office. As they get older, we’ll keep just moving them down the hall.

9. What has been the most rewarding, surprising or unexpected award you won OR the most rewarding, surprising or unexpected thing about an award you have won?

Catherine’s response: As far as a “get an actual trophy” award, that would be The Keys to Success, Rising Star Award from the State of Ohio. It is a huge honor to get one of the Keys awards and very humbling.

Kristen’s response: Making it into the Inc 500 blew me away. I was fairly certain we would make the Inc 5000 list, it’s all numbers and you can do the math to see where you fall. But when we got the letter than we were #326 on the list…I think I fell out of my chair! The most unexpected effect of receiving an award has been all of the comments from people we work with every day. I never realized how much it would validate us to people who already know us.

10. Where can readers go to find out more about Portfolio Creative?

Online: http://www.portfolioiscreative.com

Find us on LinkedIn:  http://tinyurl.com/bnrgbx

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