Steve Shapiro Email & Phone Number

Sometimes a side gig, sometimes a main gig, I bring 25 years of experience to the marketing and PR world. Through writing, strategic thinking and marketing, I have helped companies and individual business people reconsider their approach and focus on goals more effectively. I have written books, corporate histories, brochures, web and blog copy, electronic newsletters and articles on behalf of many forward-thinking companies. Last year I completed a book on the 110-year history of a Minnesota business. As part of a project or a team leader, I bring this marketing and PR expertise to everything I do.

Deerfield, Il

In conjunction with my colleagues at EMS Communications, we have created a monthly electronic newsletter to help extend their corporate mission of "ridding the world of boring presentations, one speaker at a time." Jerry Seinfeld jokes that at a funeral, the average person would rather be in the box than giving the eulogy--this publication offers tips, analysis, advice and how-tos to help peole speak with more confidence and effectiveness. Check it out at http://www.presentationtrainers.com/Free-Stuff/Speakers-Digest.php

Bloomington, Minnesota

I help my clients find creative and strategic ways to incorporate branded promotional products into their operations. With over 700,000 products in my database, I can show you some of the most exciting ways that companies use promotional items such as apparel, trinkets, awards, gifts and incentives to enhance brand-building efforts. Check out www.getsyoupromoted.com

Minneapolis

The work of this small inner-city nonprofit organization never ceases to inspire me. I have proudly served on Hope's board of directors, including four years as chair, and remain an active board member. Hope Community is dedicated to making real change in people's lives through innovative community engagement and development of quality affordable housing. I have been involved in financial management, leadership issues, crisis management, programming and fundraising.

Greater Minneapolis-St. Paul Area

CRS is a family-owned, 30-year old equipment rental pioneer, with a warehouse full of well-treated equipment and a bench full of fine technicians. Thanks to many loyal clients, we handle events across the country and even beyond.With dozens of partners through our leadership in the International Technology Rental Association (www.it-ra.org), CRS has the capacity to handle computer and AV needs for events of all sizes. Additionally, we have a birds' eye view of what successful and innovative events look like, and bring new technologies to the table on behalf of our clients. As they look to us for big ideas, we consistently help them stay on the leading edge of breakthroughs that motivate and engage attendees.

As the company's first marketing resource, I helped The Bailey Group develop a strategy for structuring fees, identifying new products to sell, planning events, and promote their "leadership through personal growth" philosophy through writing.and website. As a highlight of this work, I ghost-wrote and helped to publish the company's core description of their leadership coaching process, a book entitled "Grown-Up Leadership: The Benefits of Personal Growth for You and Your Team" by Leigh Bailey and Maureen Bailey.

Together with my friend and colleague Paul Maccabee, we opened an upstart agency by bringing our cell phones to Embers and calling everyone we knew. My adventure with the company lasted six years, but I'm proud that The Maccabee Group continues to provide outstanding PR counsel and execution for a wide variety of clients.

My skills as a PR professional developed here as I learned to write, work with clients, manage media contacts and successfully lead projects. A highlight was an award-winning international campaign for the Minnesota Department of Transportation's Road Research Project, which earned twelve cover stories in industry magazines and 60 different stories overall. And this was pretty much before the internet, folks!