OUR STORY

I've been asked countless times, "What is it like to start your own business?" I usually say it's exciting and scary at the same time. That's been true since the beginning. Here's the whole story...

When we say there's nothing more powerful than idea, it's because I've seen it firsthand. A. Bright Idea emerged in August of 1996 with my desire to start a public relations and advertising firm near my home in Bel Air, Maryland.

I enjoyed public relations, telling the story of the under dog and pleading my case. Undergraduate professors inspired thoughts of a law or teaching career. Although I initially disregarded my father's suggestion of pursuing public relations, I eventually came to the conclusion, he was right.

My career began as a government public affairs contractor. I spent my
days writing and collaborating with various graphic artists on logo concepts, newsletters, brochures and exhibits. I found myself lost in a large corporation with it's own language of acronyms. Although I'd always
enjoyed writing, I yearned to paint and create. Since I didn't possess the skills to paint, I decided to apply my talents to verbal
and visual communication.

I bought my first Mac just before the birth of my daughter, Madison. My husband, T.J., and I were excited to have that Performa 6200CD and tinkered around with this new thing called AOL, e-mail and surfing the web. I often kept the baby beside me while I was on maternity leave, working on design projects for graduate school and watching it snow outside.

Upon returning to work, I spent nine of twelve weeks on the road, away from T.J. and my new little girl. With a new baby, a new house, and working towards a Master's degree in publication design, starting a business seemed like a crazy idea. However, encouraged by my family, I left the safety net of a salaried position and A. Bright Idea was born!

I'd given notice with no real plans in place because I thought the lack of a safety net would force my success. I transformed an upstairs bedroom into an office, bought a file cabinet from Staples and a desk and bookcase from Ikea. My new office and phone line made A. Bright Idea a business from day one.

210 Archer Street, Bel Air, MD

I managed progress slowly and grew A. Bright Idea from a home-based business that used freelance support to a full-service agency located in Bel Air, complete with a staff of employees. My husband joined the firm in June of 2005 as the new Vice President of Client Services. T.J. brings experiences from a 15-year career in radio and television sales and sports marketing with Infinity Broadcasting and the Baltimore Orioles to offer sports marketing ideas and corporate sales support to sports properties.

Our office at 210 Archer Street sits on the outskirts of downtown Bel Air and is within walking distance of Main Street and Business Route One. Just look for the Cape Cod trimmed in the firm's signature colors of purple and silver. Inside, you will find a talented group of public relations, graphic design, advertising and sports marketing professionals who don't take themselves too seriously, but understands the power of ideas.