Dan Soldner - Not Your Typical Inbound Marketing Agency Director

Dan Soldner is not your typical agency director. I’m not going to tell you why by comparing him to other agency directors because, “The greatest leaders don't care what the competition thinks," Simon Sinek, author of Leaders Eat Last says. "They wake up with an obsession to make their own companies better than before."

Rather, I’m going to tell you what makes our inbound marketing agency leader unique through stories of his actions and words of those he inspires. (Also, please be prepared for a lot of wisdom from Simon Sinek – one of our favorite inspiration leaders.)

The Leader of Our Inbound Marketing Agency

Dan is a leader, but he also leads. I’m going to defer to Simon on this one: “Being the leader means you hold the highest rank, either by earning it, good fortune or navigating internal politics. Leading, however, means that others willingly follow you—not because they have to, not because they are paid to, but because they want to.”

Michelle Pape, business development consultant and coach, and founder of Next Monday, describes Dan’s ability to both be a leader and lead as follows:

Dan has both passion and giftedness in leading and inspiring people. I call it his zone, sweet spot, his ‘why’; I believe Dan was born to lead. He also has a passion, knowledge and thirst to learn specifically around sales and marketing which make him uniquely qualified to lead an agency. He also understands numbers and is a strategic and visionary leader.

In the Very Beginning

Dan initiated Leighton Interactive and earned his rank as the leader. What started as a way to “do more” and add value to his current work as an Account Executive at Leighton Broadcasting, is now today a full-service Inbound Marketing Agency. Stephanie Theisen, Sales Manager at Leighton Broadcasting, said of Dan’s time as an AE:

He could never just leave it at radio. He wanted to develop brands and integrate his clients through all media. Dan would have succeeded in selling radio – he was doing great when he decided to go down a new path; however, it wasn’t what his heart wanted. He wanted to lead and do something different, something NEW. Inbound and Leighton Interactive is really perfect for him.

Challenging & Accepting Challenges

Dan challenges everything with a fierce purpose. He doesn’t challenge for the sake of an argument; rather, he challenges to encourage growth. He challenged radio sales with websites and online advertising. He challenged traditional marketing methods with inbound. And he challenges every day decisions for personal understanding and growth.

He also openly welcomes challenges. Brandon Philbrick, Director of Creative Services at LI, says, “Dan asks for input and ideas and is always learning and growing. He doesn’t think he knows it all and he looks and listens to those around him so we all can move forward. We have a good idea of who Leighton Interactive is, and where we are going, but that that idea is always susceptible to change. As a team we strive for change and challenges.”

Lora Huhn, Administrative Assistant at LI, adds, “Dan values your opinion and wants to hear it, even if it doesn’t align with his. I’ve worked for and with plenty of leaders that only want you to validate their opinion, not challenge them on it. Dan couldn’t be more different. He likes to be challenged (in the right way) and welcomes everyone’s opinion.”

Creating a Team of Believers

“The role of a leader is not to come up with all the great ideas. The role of a leader is to create an environment in which great ideas can happen.” – Simon Sinek

Dan, our fearless leader, has executed this flawlessly within Leighton Interactive. He has built a team of believers. What started as a team of two quickly grew to three, and just a short six years later Leighton Interactive is a team of 16, with future growth already in the works. Once again, Simon says it best, “If you hire people just because they can do a job, they’ll work for your money. But if you hire people who believe what you believe, they’ll work for you with blood and sweat and tears.”

Barry Opatz, Vice President of Marketing at Marco said, “Dan has been able to build a very smart young team of professionals and developed a culture that keeps them motivated."

Michelle Pape also observed, “Dan is an inspiring, highly ethical, visionary leader who knows how to invest in his people so that they can deliver excellence to clients.”

Committed to Growth

The best way to explain Dan’s commitment to growth, for the agency and his people, is through the thoughts of others:

• Michelle Pape: “When it comes to clients and staff, Dan will do whatever is in his power to help people succeed in whatever is important to them.”
• Lora Huhn: “What I appreciate most about Dan’s leadership is his authentic interest in helping you become a better person. He has a hands-off management style, not micro-managing or telling you how to do your job. He has a talent in steering you and helping you when you need it, as you need it.”
• Stephanie Theisen: “Regarding leading a team, well that leads back to the care that Dan demonstrated with his clients as an AE. I see that same care in developing people at L.I. He wants to help others become leaders and be successful in their personal lives and careers.”

As the leader of Leighton Interactive, Dan works to grow the agency – in terms of dollars, knowledge and skills. He leads us by continually reminding us why we do what we do, through his decisions and actions. Through all of this he strengthens himself, the transparent tribe and LI clients.