Who We Are
We call ourselves Mottis.
This is a name we created that we believe uniquely expresses who and what we are. And where we’re going.
We think success is a reflection of adaptability. Transforming into what our clients need us to be. Not us shoe-horning them, and their work, into a narrow definition. The lines blur too quickly these days to bother with that.
Mottis is motion.
It’s energy with direction. Progression with purpose. An unapologetic rejection of the tired, the cliched and the expected. This is who we are.
Team
Shelley Kelly
CEO
Music is the soul of her days, the pulse, and at Mottis, Shelley conducts a song. Beginning in 1996, she’s built the place into something powerful, both in culture and substance, which breathes life into the ideas that help our clients reach their greatest potential. A graduate of N.C. State University, Shelley has been awarded Top 40 Under 40, Top Women in Business, and was named a national Stevie Award Finalist. Shelley sets the tone for this group of innovators and the music continues.
James Kelly
CFO | CTO
A Wolfpack tailgate is where he likes to be. Surrounded by family and friends, the crowd celebrating a common goal, excitement in the air. At Mottis, it is not too different. Jamie founded Mottis with his wife, Shelley, in 1996 and handles accounting and IT for the agency. An N.C. State University graduate, he is our leader and problem solver, bringing a realist’s voice to a building of dreamers.
Mariryan Starr
President
Mariryan is a professional juggler. She will bag lunches for three little ones and manage a client project in China—all while this hemisphere sleeps. She does it all with a smile. At Mottis, she manages client relationships and leads internal mentoring programs. Mariryan guides the staff on client service, planning and career development. An N.C. State University graduate, she has no degree in juggling; she just picked that up after school.
Brandee Hedding
Creative Director
Brandee is multi-faceted. A SoCal girl whose interests are broad and varied — kayaking, gardening, cooking, painting, weightlifting, tattoos and music are just a few of her favorite things. She challenges what’s common. She’s different. Smart advertising is what she loves, and with experience on accounts from big trucks to big banks to big healthcare, she breathes life into our work every day.
Cameron McLauchlin
Director of Account Service
Cameron relishes organization, details and processes. She thrives on bringing order to chaos. Yet despite her appetite for stability, she has a soft spot for a huge, slobbery bulldog named Bella. This contrast between a love of the controlled and Bella’s playful personality represents this business, the mixing of strategy and creative, protocol and imagination. A graduate of the University of North Carolina, she escapes from work with a good book on a comfy couch, with Bella nearby.
Shari Becker
Director of Account Service
If it’s a board game it’s Risk, not Candyland, because when Shari does something she likes to think it through. This is what makes her an ally for clients — simply rolling the dice and hopping three squares forward doesn’t excite her. She wants to think, plan and make calculated moves so details fall into perfectly thought-out places. She graduated from N.C. State University, where she studied communication, and she received a Master’s in public relations from Boston University.
Kristin Bradley
Account Manager
Kristin will sit for hours in a museum accompanied only by the echo of footsteps on marble and read the plaques no one reads. She’ll stand before a building somewhere overseas with a guidebook and read about its origin. She’ll read anything. Kristin likes to learn and it’s how she drives clients. She knows their business, their goals. She’s the guide because she’s studied. After graduating from John Carroll University in Cleveland, Kristin worked in communications halfway around the world in Germany before landing at Mottis.
Laney Tipton
Account Coordinator
Laney grew up a tomboy in a small mountain town, but she was drawn to the sparkle of the big city where passion thrives. That’s because Laney is always in search of adrenaline, whether it’s from a horror flick, a Patriots game or her next Diet Coke. Creativity, positivity and energy drew her to Mottis and drive her client relationships each day. A graduate of the University of North Carolina with a degree in journalism, Laney recharges with Netflix, her black lab Izzy at her side.
Cayce Dunn
Project Coordinator
Someone who remembers film nuances appreciates details — characters, story lines and soundtracks. And a person who loves movies believes in the power of a story and the weight of a tale well told. This business is like making movies, crafting stories people will listen to and feel attached to. Cayce, a graduate of N.C. State University, brings her love of film to Mottis, where she supports creative and account projects to make sure the show goes on without a hitch.
Brad Crowell
Associate Art Director
“Mr. Reliable” is one way you can describe Brad when you’re in a pinch to get the job done. Drifting south from the mountains of West Virginia to be closer to his family and roots, Brad has returned to North Carolina with an array of design experience, from Fortune 500 companies to small local businesses. A graduate from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte with concentrations in graphic design, marketing and advertising, Brad prides himself as a wearer of many hats, and he fits in perfectly in our ever-changing environment.
Toni Chester
Senior Designer
A good story captures the heart. From rooting for Tim Riggins on Friday Night Lights to reading a novel as fast as the page will turn, Toni dives into meaningful tales. She focuses that love of narrative into creating unique designs that evoke passion from others. Her work includes interior and environmental design, because designers don’t solely think flat. A graduate of N.C. State Universty in graphic design, Toni is probably off somewhere with her Polaroid camera looking for stories.
Bethany Grabe
Administrative Assistant
Hailing from Iowa, Bethany has come south with her husband to see new faces and hide from the swaying oceans of corn. She’s a social media buff, which makes sense for it’s the people from small towns who most want to connect with the world. She and her husband are here on an adventure, determined to hike every trail the area has to offer. A graduate from Iowa State University with a degree in marketing, Bethany came here to build new relationships, help our clients make connections, and Mottis couldn’t be happier.
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