About me.
I wave goodbye in Zoom Calls.
I’m Reeder. I live on an island off of Seattle. Thanks again for stopping by. If you have any questions or would like to talk about working on a project together, developing an idea session or to learn more in general, please don’t hesitate to drop a line.
Smiling Lions Values
Smiling Lions was founded to be a different kind of marketing company. I celebrate the customer above all else. I believe in the power of creativity, technology and storytelling to help inform and transform the brand and customer relationship. My ideas and work will be grounded in optimism, empathy and courage and will make a positive impact in the communities we all share while driving value for likeminded clients.
Courage
I got into this to be able to make marketing more humane. As such I will act on my beliefs and values, always. I will always focus my efforts on the needs of clients but know good work means aligning with their customers.
Empathy
I’ve done this for 20 years, but not a day goes by I don’t learn from someone. I acknowledge the limitations of my experience and background. I actively look for different points of view and context to evolve my thinking and actions.
Optimism
I embrace alternative views, seek new ideas to innovate and constantly look to improve my insight into the different kinds of lives that exist outside of my own experience.
What’s in a name?
The first time I heard the name “Smiling Lion” I was commuting on the ferry with my four year old son. He was playing with a stuffed panda named Peter who had a big smile. I was assigned the lion that did not. So, he (I) was dubbed, Grumpy. The goal was to make Grumpy (me) smile. When I did, I became the Smiling Lion. Joy ensued and we played it again (and again).
Fast forward (and it has been fast), that kid is 17 and I’m now launching Smiling Lions in the same spirit as those games on the ferry. Did you know that smiling is an emotional contagion and that when you can make someone smile, they’ll want you to do it again (and again)? And the lion is obvious, but when I think about what I hope to do here, I also like the notion of courage and pride it evokes.
This is the spirit with which I am creating Smiling Lions, to work with like-minded organizations to create work grounded in the emotional contagion of smiling and the courage of the lion.
Smiling Lions, that’s the story.