2020 Economic Impact Awards 8-15 Years in Business Honoree: Mostly Serious LLC

Mostly Serious LLC has made people a core focus.

President Jarad Johnson says the website design and digital marketing firm shifted its priorities in 2016 and developed a new organizational strategy with six core values: devotion, accountability, community, collaboration, integrity and grit.

Since then, Mostly Serious has grown its staff, developed partnerships with national brands and increased sales by nearly 200%, he says. Last year, Mostly Serious also was named Small Business of the Year by the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce.

The company’s focus on community starts on an individual level, Johnson says, adding the majority of Mostly Serious’ employees sit on local boards.

“Because it has been so intentional as an organization for us to hire people who independently care about the community, we’ve seen a lot more results than if we just decided to donate to a nonprofit,” he says.

Mostly Serious gives back to the community through pro bono work with Boys & Girls Clubs of Springfield and is soon reworking the website for the local chapter of the NAACP free of charge, on top of $2,000 raised for the chapter through an Instagram campaign earlier this year. In 2019, the company also committed nearly 3% of its revenue as charitable contributions to area nonprofits such as Springfield Women in Technology and events such as the Boys & Girls Clubs Steak & Steak Dinner and Court Appointed Special Advocates of Southwest Missouri’s Smash the Cycle.

As for paid clients, Most Serious has worked with CoxHealth since 2013 on its website and several other tools to improve access to health care, Johnson says. The firm also works with Burrell Behavioral Health, Jordan Valley Community Health Center and Mother’s Brewing Co.

Johnson says he was initially worried the coronavirus pandemic would have a negative effect on Mostly Serious’ caseload, but he says it actually has solidified the company’s client relationships.

“We expected a pretty severe downturn as companies figure out how they’re going to move through the pandemic. What we found is that our clients reached out to us really quickly for help with responding, and it brought new projects up,” he says. “We’re looking at the question, as a company and with our clients, ‘How do we come out of this crisis better than we went in?’ Six months from now, you don’t want to … just be starting on initiatives that your customers, users and patients need.

“While health care workers are saving lives, we want to bring products to life that are going to help the community.”

While he’s unable to disclose details yet, Johnson says a recent partnership with Jordan Valley Community Health Center aims to help the organization reach underserved populations through a website and other communications.

The company also is completely serious about its employees’ health. Its benefits package includes flexible hours, unlimited paid time off and a policy that allows employees to work where they are the most productive. The company also offers a comprehensive health care package, a 3% match on retirement savings and a profit-sharing plan.