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SBJ executive joins Classy Llama team

Marty Goodnight becomes the firm's first director of digital marketing

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After four years at Springfield Business Journal, Marty Goodnight left his associate publisher job to start a newly created position at digital commerce firm Classy Llama Studios LLC.

Goodnight began working Jan. 4 as director of digital marketing for the Springfield-based firm. He joined SBJ in June 2016.

Goodnight said he wasn’t actively seeking a new position but noted the opportunity came about from discussions he had this fall with client and friend Kurt Theobald, CEO of Classy Llama.

“The company created the position to continually invest in digital marketing services for their clients,” Goodnight said, noting he works directly with the firm’s six-person digital marketing team. “Personally, I had in the back of my mind that I would like to grow my experiences in the digital world. But I’ve loved the time and the work that we’ve all done together at SBJ.”

Goodnight has over 20 years of media sales experience, including positions with The Kansas City Star, Springfield News-Leader and 417 Magazine. He said the new job at Classy Llama remains centered on helping clients.

“The mission is the same – to be ultra-focused on the client, their results and designing solutions,” he said.

Classy Llama provides e-commerce website development, marketing and digital consulting services. Theobald said digital marketing has been a part of its business model for the past eight years. He said Ashlee Colliver previously managed the team but was promoted to grow the firm’s e-commerce consulting services.

Consulting, search engine optimization, paid searches and marketing audits are among the firm’s digital marketing services, according to its website. Classy Llama’s website highlights project work for Tombow USA, for which the firm helped the arts and crafts supplier boost the return on its Google ad spends, and a digital marketing overhaul for solar energy equipment supplier Northern Arizona Wind and Sun.

“We really want to drive that business unit forward,” Theobald said. “We have the foundation necessary to break out to the next level, but we need the leadership to support that move. That’s where Marty comes in.”

He said Goodnight’s creativity, drive, focus on innovation and ability to operate in undefined spaces made him right for the job.

“He believes in producing outcomes,” Theobald said. “It’s really important to have that attribute.”

At the firm, Goodnight joins a staff of roughly 70 people, Theobald said. According to past SBJ reporting, Classy Llama employed 60 in April 2020 and had annual revenue of around $8 million in 2018, the most recent year available. Theobald declined to disclose 2020 revenue.

New roles
A newly created position also brought Goodnight to SBJ, as he was hired as chief revenue officer. Publisher Jennifer Jackson said he was promoted in 2017 to associate publisher, another first-time role with the 40-year-old company.

“Marty came to SBJ at a key time in our organizational growth,” she said. “He brought with him a wealth of experience in management at larger publishing organizations.”

Jackson pointed to Goodnight helping SBJ during a period when the print edition had a refresh in 2016, moving from newsprint to a bright white paper and a more modern printing process. The publication’s website, SBJ.net, also was upgraded the following year.

“I saw his role as very critical at that time, and I credit him with seeing us successfully through those big projects,” she said, declining to disclose annual revenues in that time.

Goodnight said he’s proud of the staff’s work during his tenure, which also included relaunching email newsletters and revitalizing events the company organized in the community. He most recently served as host of SBJ’s 90 Ideas podcast, which launched Dec. 28.

“It made it very difficult to leave SBJ and the role that I’ve had and the people that I’ve worked with and work we do,” he said. “After five years of great work, I’m OK with being open to new opportunities and new pathways. Getting the opportunity to work with a company like Classy Llama that is nationally recognized as an e-commerce agency is very appealing.”

Looking ahead
Theobald said it remains to be seen if any other new employees will join the digital marketing team this year at its Chesterfield Village office. He declined to disclose department sales or client growth projections. SBJ reported in April 2020 the firm had 110 client accounts.

“We put goals out there, but the more important thing is are we serving our clients really well? Growth will happen as it should if we’re focusing on the most important things,” he said, declining to disclose a current count of clients.

Jackson said she’s excited for Goodnight’s new opportunity, adding he left the company “on great terms.” A decision on how best to fill his role in the company is still under consideration, she said. For now, Jackson is providing direct oversight of the four-person sales team. She declined to disclose sales goals or projected 2021 revenue. The company’s 2019 revenue was roughly $2.4 million, according to SBJ list research.

“Until I really determine what the organization needs today and for the foreseeable future, I’m not seeking to find another Marty,” she said. “It’s not necessarily a role I seek to refill at this time, simply because our needs have changed.”

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