West Nova News

Allison Shannon, owner and operator of 37 Media and Marketing Group, felt pride after she found out her company had been nominated for the Loudoun Chamber of Commerce’s 2021 Community Leadership Awards in the Small Business category.

“I have grown up in Loudoun County – I was born and raised here,” Shannon told the West Nova News. 

She said she still recalls when she and her father – Pat Fischer – would ride their horse to Kmart when everything was still dirt roads in the county. Not only does her father's professional football jersey number live on with the company – his was number 37 on the Washington Redskins – but also the core values that define 37 Media that he helped Shannon to create.

One of those core values is giving back to the community, Shannon said. That makes the nomination for two Community Leadership Awards – Shannon was also nominated individually in the Executive Leadership category – that much more meaningful to her.

“So, to be able to have a business here and to be able to give back to the community that made me who I am – it’s beyond words,” she said. “It’s just such a feeling of – pride. That’s what it is.”

As the proprietor of a full-service marketing company, Shannon said 37 Media and Marketing Group handles anything from graphic design and social media to building websites and handling search engine optimization. Yet, they have a unique approach that not only helps to keep employees happy and engaged, but also enables 37 Media to provide expert-level service to their clients.

Each of the 16 staff members at 37 Media is assigned to the works they are most passionate about, Shannon said.

“So, our graphic designers only do graphic design – they do what they love,” she said. “Our project managers are client-facing, they love networking, they do what they love. Our web developer, that’s all he does.”

While that means 37 Media has to have a larger staff in order to be full-service, it also means they can offer a level of quality that a team lacking specialization could not, she said. Permitting employees to stick to their niche also means each staff member is an expert in what they do.

“That’s why I think we’ve been so successful,” Shannon said. “My team is doing what they love most, and what they’re most passionate about.”

Adding to that passion for what they do is the shared values of helping small business owners make their dreams come true she said. Additionally, as a company that specializes in working with fellow small businesses, they have an appreciation for what an investment in marketing means for their clients.

That was especially apparent over the past year.

“This year, through COVID, if a client was struggling to get through, we realized the impact of COVID on their business, and we tried to do as much as we could without having to charge them,” she said. “We’re quick to make sacrifices for our clients.”

And that mindset is not unique to the current crisis, Shannon said.

“If a client decides to come to us – our type of client – we know that they’re making a sacrifice. So, their kid may not go to camp this summer,” she said. “And that’s an honor for us to be able to work alongside them as their team, and know the sacrifices that they’re making.”