Take a look at the exciting designs from our magazines this month! View our favorites hand chosen by our designers.
Meet Tara Schwan
Where are you from?
Bismarck, ND
Tell us a little bit about you.
I moved to Fargo, ND 2.5 years ago and have enjoyed experiencing Fargo’s local restaurants and establishing roots, and becoming a part of the community in Fargo.
If there was a movie about your life, who would play you and why?
Will Ferrell from Step Brothers
What is your favorite thing to do in your spare time?
I am an avid reader, and I enjoy traveling, yoga, attending concerts, and spending time with friends and family.
What’s a ridiculous fact about yourself?
I wear black every day.
What part of your position provides the most value?
Performing detailed operations analysis, documenting processes, and being able to explain difficult concepts/platform functions to non-technical users in the company.
Tell us about your experience.
I came from years of previous law experience where I practiced knowledge and understanding of legal terminology, procedures, substantive law, and the preparation of legal documents.
What part of your job do you believe makes the most impact?
I am looking forward to collaborating, working within a team on projects while helping to organize and grow the companies’ capabilities for our clients.
Why does our community matter to you?
It cultivates a “sense of place” that attracts people and opportunity. Vibrant communities are cool, unique, and create a sense of belonging.
What are some of your goals at Spotlight?
– Evaluating business processes, anticipating requirements, uncovering areas for improvement, and developing and implementing solutions.
– Leading ongoing reviews of business processes and developing optimization strategies.
– Improve day-to-day operational tasks as needed to help drive scalability and business growth.
Meet Meagan Stock
Where are you from?
My hometown is Mahnomen, MN.
Tell us a little bit about you.
I grew up on the east coast in a DC suburb, but always loved coming home to the MN farm. Growing up I always loved helping my dad on his custom harvest crew, he travels from OK to northern MN. I would help by driving tractor, semi, and the combine. It taught me a lot about hard work and long hours, that I like to incorporate into the work I love to do now.
If there was a movie about your life, who would play you and why?
Very tough, but I would have to say Sandra Bullock, I have just always loved her movies and her attitude.
What is your favorite thing to do in your spare time?
My favorite things to do in my spare time are cuddle up and watch movies if it is cold, and be outside as much as possible when it is warm. Hiking, boating, farming, or going to the beach.
What’s a ridiculous fact about yourself?
I was an actress on a TV show called Americas Most Wanted, when I was in High School.
What part of your position provides the most value?
I am excited to bring my social media experience to Spotlight and grow with them.
Tell us about your experience.
I have always had a talent with communication and building bonds with customers. My last job was working at a jewelry store, helping clients find their forever jewelry or creating pieces that would be handed down to family. It was there that I was given the opportunity to take over their social media platforms and help them grow and reach more clients. After working on social media I found that it is a true passion of mine, and wanted to peruse the job more and it brought me to Spotlight.!
What part of your job do you believe makes the most impact?
Building relationships with clients and helping them better their business by getting their vision to the public through social media.
Why does our community matter to you?
I am very family orientated, and I believe that family are also the people that live around me. Keeping the community safe and happy is important, a simple smile is contagious and a great start.
What are some of your goals at Spotlight?
Some of my goals at Spotlight are to help educate clients on the importance of using social media to expand their business. Build cliental, and have long term bonds based on trust and experience.
Meet Jessica Mullen
Where are you from?
I am from Merced, California and I moved to Fargo, North Dakota when I was 10 years old.
Tell us a little bit about you.
I am a recent graduate from the University of North Dakota where I received a degree in communications and leadership. While in college I had the opportunity to study abroad at the University of the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia. My favorite things to do are spend time with my family and friends by cooking, traveling, playing games, and attending events in my community.
What is your favorite thing to do in your spare time?
In my spare time I like to watch true crime documentaries on Netflix, go to hot yoga, or try out a new recipe. My top two favorite things to make are zuppa toscana or spicy penne pasta!
What’s a ridiculous fact about yourself?
As a kid my parents would bring us to the beach on the weekends and apparently my mom would catch me every so often eating handfuls of sand. Don’t ask me why…I must have thought it tasted good as a toddler.
What part of your position provides the most value?
In my position as a marketing coordinator on our client relations team, I have the opportunity to collaborate with our clients throughout the design and collection process of their print and digital advertisements. I also work closely with our internal departments, vendors and oversee our mailing and distribution team which allows me to have a broad scope of responsibilities.
Tell us about your experience.
With my education background in communications and leadership, after graduating I worked for a local non-profit organization as a placement specialist helping people with disabilities and other barriers secure employment opportunities. Through the skills and knowledge I gained from that position, I decided to expand my experience to the marketing and advertising industry which is when I discovered an opportunity with Spotlight.
What part of your job do you believe makes the most impact?
Through building strong and lasting relationships with our clients, community, and vendors my role creates a high impact for the success and growth of other businesses which is pretty amazing to be a part of.
Why does our community matter to you?
Our community is important because it is a way for us to feel connected, through creating unity, reaching goals, developing a sense of safety and security, and ultimately having the opportunity to be a part of something greater through shared passions of continued learning and improvement.
What are some of your goals at Spotlight?
Some of my goals include expanding my knowledge in the marketing and advertising industry, developing relationships with other businesses and individuals in the Fargo-Moorhead community, and overall providing a positive and valuable impact for the Spotlight Media team.
Meet Grant Ayers
Where are you from?
I grew up in Forest Lake, Minnesota, before moving to Fargo, North Dakota, for college.
Tell us a little bit about you.
I just graduated from NDSU with a Journalism degree and minor in Business Administration. I fell in love with the Fargo area so much that I decided it was too soon to leave.
If there was a movie about your life, who would play you and why?
I feel like there are a lot of sides to me so it depends on the genre we’re aiming for. Lucas Hedges or Timothee Chalamet for a drama; Chris Hemsworth (if he didn’t eat for a month) for an action flick; Will Poulter for a comedy. I’m a versatile guy, so I need some versatile actors.
What is your favorite thing to do in your spare time?
I love working out, golfing, concerts and going out to local events in the F-M area.
What’s a ridiculous fact about yourself?
I’ve had more injuries and hospital visits than anyone I know, yet somehow have yet to break a bone.
What part of your position provides the most value?
Having such a wide-reaching voice at Spotlight gives this position value. Nearly everyone has something of value to say, but it doesn’t matter if they don’t have a platform for others to hear.
Tell us about your experience.
After noticing my passion and skill for writing, I switched from Architecture to Journalism during my sophomore year of college. I started contributing to our school newspaper and worked my way up to one of the lead editors of the staff. I also interned as a lead editor of RSG; a record label based out of Atlanta, GA. All of this experience has prepared me for Spotlight’s multi-faceted business operation.
What part of your job do you believe makes the most impact?
Being able to see others’ perspectives in the F-M community and beyond, and having the voice to share their perspective even further makes the greatest impact in my opinion.
Why does our community matter to you?
The Fargo-Moorhead community is one of the most tight-knit areas I’ve immersed myself in. The community comes together like none I’ve seen before, and being able to reciprocate even a fraction of that positivity and belongingness means the world to me.
What are some of your goals at Spotlight?
I want to help build the editorial team to new heights and expand our readership and awareness further than we could have ever imagined.
Meet Kodi Geris-Schroeder
Where are you from?
Alexandria, MN
Tell us a little bit about you.
I am married to my husband Craig and have three children; Carter, Sophie and Gracie. Also, we have a dog named Murphy and a cat named Bella. I enjoy spending my summers at the lakes near Alexandria, MN with my family and taking trips to warmer places in the winter.
If there was a movie about your life, who would play you and why?
I would love to have Reese Witherspoon play me, because she is one of my favorites and seems to be a great mom, and being a mom is most of my life story!
What is your favorite thing to do in your spare time?
I like to bake, golf, hangout at the lake and spend time with my family and friends.
What’s a ridiculous fact about yourself?
Four out of five of my family members are born in the same month! It’s a busy month!
What part of your position provides the most value?
I feel that being here to help everyone (old & new) at Spotlight with questions and concerns will provide a lot of value.
Tell us about your experience.
The Spotlight Team has been great and I am looking forward to getting to know each and every one of them better!
What part of your job do you believe makes the most impact?
I think that being available to help where needed and having the ability to answer most of the team’s questions and help troubleshoot will be most impactful.
Why does our community matter to you?
My family has only been a part of this community for about 12 years and have found it to be very inviting. The area truly cares and watches out for its own.
What are some of your goals at Spotlight?
To be flexible with my position, help where and whenever I can and grow with the company.
Meet Devan Maki
Where are you from?
I am from Spooner, WI – a small town that most people have never heard of.
Tell us a little bit about you.
I grew up in small town Wisconsin, but I have lived in a lot of different places (British Columbia, AR, TX, KY, IA, ND). I’m a big hockey fan – I played as long as I could to avoid college and still skate as much as I can today. I have degrees from three different colleges (Williston State, UND, University of Arkansas at Little Rock), but attended a few others along the way. I love to travel and being outdoors as much as possible when the weather is right.
If there was a movie about your life, who would play you and why?
I have no idea. I enjoy watching movies, but I can’t tell you who most of the actors are or anything about them.
What is your favorite thing to do in your spare time?
I love traveling and experiencing new places with my fiancé and dog. We have friends all over the country and beyond, and that’s only because we’re always open to an adventure.
What’s a ridiculous fact about yourself?
I am from Wisconsin and……I don’t like cheese.
What part of your position provides the most value?
(I read this as the same question as two lower? If you mean something else by it, let me know and I can give you an answer.)
Tell us about your experience.
I got my start in collegiate athletics while completing my MBA at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. From there, I became a General Manager for Peak Sports MGMT at Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi and later at Murray State. My role included oversight of the athletic department’s sponsorship revenue as well as being the primary seller of corporate advertising for the department. After almost six years in collegiate athletics, I took a leap of faith into pro sports with the Iowa Wild. Unfortunately, this wasn’t long before COVID devastated the sports industry, especially the minor leagues. That’s when my fiancé and I decided it was a good time to get out of sports and we moved to Fargo to be closer to our families. For the last year I worked at Tellwell as the sole outbound business development representative.
What part of your job do you believe makes the most impact?
Creating and providing solutions for businesses’ and individuals’ problems is really important to me. I feel that through creative and strategic marketing, you can help others overcome whatever challenges lay before them. I believe the most rewarding feeling is providing a solution to others and being able to see the results and success afterwards.
Why does our community matter to you?
I haven’t been in Fargo for very long, but I have really enjoyed my time here thus far. From social and networking events to walking down the street and participating in recreational activities, everybody has been super warm and welcoming. Not everywhere that I have lived has felt like this, so I want to contribute and make others feel as welcomed as I do.
What are some of your goals at Spotlight?
I want to help continue to grow Spotlight and reach businesses and organizations in new markets and industries that we’ve never thought of before. This will allow Spotlight to continue to grow as we continue to help more organizations succeed and achieve their goals. At the end of the day, my goal is to help others, and I want to do that by providing them with results.
Check out Spotlight’s New Office!
Our Team Recently Moved To South Fargo
Take a look inside of our new office with us!
Check out the November Mags!
The November magazines are in! Grab them all and see which one catches your eye.
