Lori Highby
President and owner
Keystone Click
Milwaukee
www.keystoneclick.com
Employees: 8
Lori Highby, president and owner of Milwaukee-based Keystone Click always wanted to own her own business. In 2008, she took a risk by quitting her full-time job and opening Keystone Click, an internet marketing and digital advertising agency, out of her basement. Four years later, she has hired eight additional employees and moved her offices to Milwaukee’s Third Ward.
“This is our fifth year in business, which is extremely exciting,” Highby said. “We’ve had positive growth every year since we started.”
Highby’ strives to add value to the business through education.
“I try to make sure my staff is up to date on current industry trends so we can provide our clients and prospects with as much information as possible to help make their business a success,” she said.
Her passion and dedication for the industry is reflected in the business.
Greg Brey, a colleague at Keystone Click and Highby’s nominator for this award, said Highby’s passion and personality translates into the voice for the company.
“Our team loves to see other businesses succeed,” Brey said. “I personally have never seen someone who can care so much about clients. She follows up on a regular basis to make sure they are doing the most to improve their business, and I’ve actually seen her turn down bigger business deals because it wasn’t the right direction for the client. She is truly an inspiration.”
Highby hopes to continue to grow her business and improve her processes to reflect changes in the marketplace. The company has successfully added additional clients and has continued to add larger accounts, she said.
“Right now we’re heavily focused on the manufacturing industry and e-commerce websites,” she said.
Highby also plans to grow her staff to 12 within the next year or so.
“I love my team,” she said. “I’ve put together a really strong team, and having a really good team next to you through this process makes doing business a lot easier.”