Problem solving is something of an addiction with me. I have been told I am a good listener and love to use that superpower to help people find their passion and tell their stories. Keeping up with current trends as well as the technology necessary to create effective online marketing content is mentally stimulating and fun. The advantage of working with me is based on a combination of my passion for what I do combined with my eclectic interests and varied experiences. I have learned much from working with each of my clients over the years, which has provided insights into a broad spectrum of business challenges and solutions from a wide array of industries and market segments.
My personality requires diverse input with varied activity. This allows me to shift seamlessly between consulting with a solopreneur service provider looking to define and express their unique position in the marketplace then getting into the nitty gritty of producing podcast or video content that provides internal or external communication for a larger organization.
In the end it is all about finding the right media to communicate an effective message that will encourage prospects to engage with my clients for the purpose of creating a mutually beneficial relationship.
An OVERVIEW
Reno Lovison has years of sales, marketing & communication experience working with businesses large and small, and has been involved with video production for over 25 years as well as personally conducting hundreds of sales & marketing training programs involving thousands of salespeople.
There are any number of marketing and video production companies that can help you produce your needed communications content but not many bringing a wealth of general business, sales, marketing, and training experience to the process, contributing to your ability to meet your specific objectives. Reno Lovison Marketing is interested in helping you utilize the entire spectrum of communication media to achieve your goals.
The JOURNEY
After opening a store in Milwaukee on behalf of a Chicago retail company, then leaving his position as store manager to pursue other interests, Reno worked as a freelance window decorator, and independent sales rep covering most of the Midwest in his yellow Volkswagen before beginning his first business at age 25 along with two friends. Together they designed and manufactured a boutique apparel line that was successfully sold nationally in Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s, Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus and other upscale retail stores. This early experience provided life long lessons, insight, and experience into the entire business process from raising capital to design, materials procurement, manufacturing, warehousing, distribution, sales, marketing, credit, collection and overall management. “Our products were featured on the cover of a leading industry trade magazine, inside Playboy magazine, and on a popular sitcom. We attended 15 to 20 trade shows a year, had showrooms in five cities, manufacturing contractors in three locations plus a warehouse and central office in Chicago. Whether it pertains to my business or the business of a client, hardly a day goes by that I do not draw on something I learned (the hard way) during this period in my life,” says Reno.
Looking to expand the company’s markets, Reno stumbled upon an opportunity enabling him to procure an order to manufacture thousand of aprons, napkins and oven mitts as part of a promotion for a major spaghetti sauce brand, launching him into the promotional products business for several years. It was during this time that he began cultivating an interest in helping entrepreneurs to promote their brands. This phase expanded his knowledge of computer graphics and printing as well as providing opportunities to include his love of video production into the marketing mix. This was first achieved by partnering with a Chicago production company to produce short promo videos for local businesses that were broadcast along with trivia questions in bars and restaurants around the city. Additionally at this time Reno was moonlighting at a Spanish language TV station as part of their ENG (electronic news gathering) team to gain some broadcast experience.
Working as a marketing consultant for the urology department at a major children’s hospital in Chicago, Reno had the opportunity to help them write a best selling book on the topic of enuresis (a/k/a bedwetting). Since that experience Reno has content edited and contributed to several books while working with numerous fiction and non-fiction authors helping in their promotion and marketing efforts including the production of nearly 100 book video trailers and several audio books. As part of this effort he established AuthorsBroadcast.com to display and promote book trailers and producing “Author’s Showcase” a monthly cable TV show all about new books and authors. He is himself the author of “Turn Your Business Card Into Business – Fundamentals of Building Entrepreneurial Business Relationships” which has been repurposed as an online video course at Udemy.
Aside from producing business videos, for several years Reno has provided local on-site event management for nearly every major pharmaceutical company; and designed a popular sales training program, which he personally conducted, over a three year period for virtually every major hotel brand nationwide including Hyatt, Hilton, Four Seasons, Ritz Carlton, Holiday Inn, Sheraton and others. Concerned about travelling during the SARS outbreak in 2002, Reno found himself on the cutting edge, quickly providing an early version of an online “webinar” of his program for a hotel client in Toronto where the outbreak first hit North America. As they say, “Necessity is the mother of invention.”
Reno has also produced promotional videos for about 100 “mom and pop” or independent lodging establishments, primarily in the popular Door County, Wisconsin tourist area. He used insight gained from working with the big brands to provide added value to their projects at prices they could afford.
Reno says, “I worked over ten years with one client in the travel industry to develop a robust online local tourist destination directory that has generated over a million dollars in revenue. Aside from general business consulting and video production services I assisted them in the development of a mobile Smart Phone Application, and the production of a Chicago cable TV show.
My wife is a piano teacher and through her I created a 25+ year relationship as a marketing consultant to a piano music publisher. My interest in music has allowed me to work on a dozen music videos and many music performance videos.
Another client came with an unusual service idea. I said, “If you have insight into the industry and see a problem that needs to be solved then let’s make this thing happen.” While working with them as a general business consultant, I created my first online video training series showing their clients how to use the company’s proprietary database program that I helped to develop. Over several years I contributed to the growth of this small lean company, going from zero to over one million dollars per year in revenue until it was successfully sold 15 years later when the owner retired.
One business friend whom I have known since the late 1990s asked me to assist his not-for-profit organization to achieve some of their marketing objectives and manage some special projects. Aside from a number of graphics related projects (two new brochures, postcards, posters, street banners, window graphics and a new website) this included helping his pre-school teachers produce about 50 short video lessons to be used during the COVID-19 stay-at-home pandemic as well as a video public service announcement, a number of event videos and a series of training videos for their staff. We decided that the appearance of the organization’s property is part of the marketing mix, so I acted as project manager for the rehabilitation of the outside of one building (utilizing reclaimed slate roofing tiles) and the reconstruction of a new environmentally friendly parking lot utilizing permeable pavers and environmentally friendly landscaping.
As a child I was professional actor, attending a local theater school and becoming a member of Actor’s Equity by age ten. I mention it here because that experience and early training informs much of what I do as a producer and director of short promotional videos. I seem to enjoy working within a prescribed area, whether it is a stage, a store window, camera lens, or video frame.
It’s difficult to mention all of the interesting projects and clients I have had the pleasure of working with over the years. I’ve been lucky to have many repeat clients. I value my long term relationships and derive my greatest enjoyment from working with leaders of growing businesses, who have a proven product or service, with strong desire to succeed.”
OTHER INTERESTS
Reno enjoys technology, staying up-to-speed on his video and graphics software as well as WordPress and other programs used to assist his clients. Over the years he has been a member of the Board of Directors of the National Runaway Switchboard; President of the Chicago Uptown Lions Club; District 1-A Chairman of the Peace Poster Contest and Public Relations Chairman of the District 1-A Lions Clubs representing about 100 clubs in Cook County; Recipient of the Melvin Jones Fellowship; Vice-President of Public Relations of a local Chicago Toastmasters Club; Vice-President and Outreach Chairman of Midwest Writers Association; and founder of the Business Card to Business Networking Group. He has also written local theater reviews for Chicago Theater and Arts which he has also recorded and presented as a podcast at ChicagoBroadcastingNetwork.com. When “the spirit moves him” and he feels there is something he wants to say or share, Reno produces short videos for CANTV on a variety of timely topics. He plays the guitar and sings, mostly ballads, occasionally at various open-mic clubs around the northside. His COVID-19 awareness parody “Don’t Spread it Around” produced in conjunction with his wife Julie at the piano, was broadcast on cable TV over 500 times. On a challenge he learned a Chinese folk tune “The Moon Represents My Heart” that he performed in Mandarin at a local Asian event.