Jacque McHugh, aka the "Marketing Mama Bear," is an experienced consultant, strategist and advisor. She is the CEO of the marketing agency Branding Bear, an author, trainer and speaker living near St. Louis, Missouri with her husband and two baby-bears. McHugh combines decades of work in marketing, sales and executive leadership with relentless optimism and a uniquely compass-driven stance on business management and market voice. She has a personal commitment to serve. McHugh built her company, Branding Bear, with a heartfelt mission, "...to connect the human community using empathy, kindness and cultivated happiness while supporting institutions that help others." In a time when we've lost our narrative, our unity and our humanity McHugh invites us to Evolve. Her bold and groundbreaking methodology calls on brands, businesses and leaders to Unite the Good. To realign goals and brand-voice with empathy and kindness to meet their audience where they are in this "next-normal." To take an honest inventory of systems and practices that need revision and bravely reset organizational mission and strategy with transparent and measurable KPIs/OKRs that everyone is aware of and accountable for. She maintains that this evolution requires brands to take a stand that: 1) Marketing will only be used for good. No tricks, no lies, no BS. 2) The inclusion and equity of people comes before profits. 3) The overall happiness, engagement and empowerment of a team can lead to radical change in the world. 4) Failure is not an option, it's a requirement. Nothing extraordinary has ever been accomplished on the first try. We have to get up... We have to fail-up. 4) Above all else, we choose kindness. This passion has made McHugh's thought and voice-leadership a beacon of hope in a broken world. Our paradigm has changed. Evolve with it. Connect with Jacque McHugh at https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacquemchugh/.

Samantha grew up in Washington, Mo, but now lives with her husband and step-daughter in De Soto, Mo. In 2015 she graduated with a Bachelor of Social Work degree from Fontbonne University. Since childhood, Samantha has loved to read and write. She is ever-curious about language and the power of words to capture emotions and bring people together. Samantha is passionate about helping others and spreading kindness. When not writing, Samantha loves gardening, practicing yoga, sipping coffee, and cuddling her Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Daisy. Samantha loves working for Branding Bear as the Marketing Director because she loves having the opportunity to grow - personally and professionally.

Most of her family call her Molly, as Molly is the Irish nickname for Mary. She has a bachelor's degree in Business Administration with a specialty in Finance from Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville. Mary will tell you that "numbers paint a picture of a different perspective." Originally from St. Louis, Missouri, Mary and her husband now live in Edwardsville, IL with their Caucasian Ovcharka (or Russian Mountain dog), Thunder, and a cat named Jazmine—Jazzy for short. Thunder is a unique breed in the U.S. He is 12, which is extremely old for his size, and weighs around 133 lbs. Mary does everything at Branding Bear from bookkeeping, creating procedures and policies, providing estimates to customers and so much more. She loves the flexibility and ever-changing lineup of tasks to learn and do.

Lindsay is a talented designer and digital storyteller, serving as Branding Bear's new Content Manager. She graduated from Mizzou in 2019. Lindsay enjoys spending time with her boyfriend and their cute Aussiedoodle puppy, Dublin. Lindsay loves using her creativity to bring life to a client's vision—ultimately helping to make their dreams come true. According to Lindsay, "Life is great, and Branding Bear makes it even better!"

Kaitlyn is Branding Bear’s Content Coordinator. She oversees the writers and designers while aiding in the creation of fresh content for our clients. In 2019, she graduated with a B.A. in Digital Storytelling with three minors in Psychology, Information Technology and Leadership and Public Service from the University of Missouri. Kaitlyn found a way to balance her personal goals and career interests by going into marketing and advertising; giving her the ability to continue pursuing her passions in her downtime. She loves all things that involve creating, traveling and cooking. Working as a Branding Bear team member allows her to explore new avenues of design and client work while learning advanced and innovative ways to tell the stories of others.

Arianna is Branding Bear's Junior Copywriter. She lives in Hendersonville, Tenn. with her husband and four children (Vera, Alex, Jonathan and Abby), who continually motivate her to be a better person. After starting a family at the age of 17, Arianna pushed herself to continue her education - obtaining a Master's of Business Administration from Middle Tennessee State University. Her experience includes managing social media pages for small businesses and serving as an administrator for a local family restaurant near her hometown. When she is not at the park with her kids, chances are Arianna is in the kitchen, whipping up some of her favorite Mexican dishes. (Bonus points to her for being bilingual!) One of the many things she loves about working at Branding Bear is that she can continue to grow professionally while still being present for her family.

Danielle was born and raised in Washington, Mo. After living in St. Louis and pursuing a career in kitchen and bath design, she decided to return to her hometown. In 2006 she joined the Washington Jaycees, a local non-profit organization, and found her passion for service. Through this passion, she became involved with Downtown Washington, Inc - an organization working to keep downtown as the heart of Washington. Her skills as a social media strategist were honed and crafted while working for Downtown Washington, Inc. Danielle looks forward to continuing to expand her knowledge and skill set at Branding Bear. "I am excited to see the growth of this company. It is amazing to work for a company and believe in every facet of the mission. I see great things for our future." Danielle lives in Washington, Mo, with her husband Mark and calico cat Sasha.

Cady originates from Southern Illinois and is currently living in Union, Missouri. At Branding Bear, she uses her expert organizational and management skills as an Administrative Assistant. Cady spends most of her time hanging out with her Boston Terrier, Bean, or reading - Vonnegut and Gaiman being two of her favorites. Cady enjoys the "nice change of pace" that has come with joining the Branding Bear team. Before this, she worked for 10 years in a management position at a restaurant. Cady loves Branding Bear's passion for helping communities flourish by assisting small businesses and nonprofits. She loves that every day presents new challenges and learning opportunities. Cady's hoping that working from home will help her accomplish her dream of giving a special needs dog a forever home.