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Founder and President | Coverdale Consulting
“Driven” is nearly a cliche when describing entrepreneurs. But how else to describe the ambition of Rachael Coverdale? She launched her own marketing company in 2015, which has grown without taking on debt. During the first year of the pandemic, revenue grew 30%. The next year? 40%. She puts a high value on company culture, mentoring and leadership programs. Clients include multimillion-dollar companies, syndicated radio shows and political campaigns, and creativity leads the way. “I’ve brought some crazy ideas to clients, and when we do something together, as a team, really impactful things happen,” she said. Oh, and she moonlights. She worked from 2020-2022 as a contract chief marketing officer for a large regional construction firm, and she is now a contract chief marketing officer for a building project management company.
Getting here: All her jobs have involved strategy, marketing and business development, whether as an account manager at a marketing firm or a sales manager at an e-commerce company.
First job: middle school cheerleader coach
Mentor: Lori Winkler, who was Coverdale’s first boss out of college at marketing firm The Sanders Group and later at Winkler’s own firm. “She valued my ideas and treated me like a peer,” Coverdale said. “Her mentorship set my entire career up for success.”
Givebacks: Coverdale sits on the board of Nickel Plate Arts and the gala steering committee for The Center for the Performing Arts and was the former board president of the Hamilton County Leadership Academy.
Self-realization: “Part of being successful is about the simple stuff—show up, meet deadlines, be positive, share good ideas, and cheer for other people.”
Advice: “Managing people is not the epitome of success in a career. Some people are meant to be managers, others aren’t. Just because you aren’t doesn’t mean that you are less than. Instead, get really good at your craft and focus on being the best at what you do.”•
Check out more Forty Under 40 honorees.
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