It’s never a dull day in the Mainland office for Lauren Moorman. Mainland offers a variety of services ranging from marketing and advertising to telling stories on behalf of its clients. For the past five years, Moorman has been able to use her public relations prowess, digital media expertise and content capabilities to help Mainland succeed and stand out from other agencies.

Moorman was introduced to Mainland by CEO Nick Powills––who just so happened to also be a close friend. In her first job after grad school, Moorman first met Powills working in a PR consultancy wherein they were desk mates—and soon, friends. After Powills realized that his dream for a new kind of omnichannel agency would take making some big changes, he left the role and moved to Atlanta in 2008. He began firing up the foundation that would lead to Mainland in 2008—originally called No Limit Media Consulting. Once Powills brought the business back to Chicago, he knew just where to look for help in growing his team.

Moorman came onboard in 2014, a few years after No Limit Media Consulting grew into No Limit Agency following the introduction of two digital magazines, 1851 Franchise and ESTATENVY.  Her first day on the job, Moorman walked into Powills’s office to see him working on a press release. At this point, Powills already had several media relations professionals on staff.

“This is why you need me,” Moorman laughed. “Because your team should be writing press releases, not you.” Powills agreed.

Moorman quickly dove into positioning Powills’s team for success and turning press releases into the bread and butter of No Limit Agency, with Powills as the driving force.

While many have horror stories about working in a professional environment with a close friend, Moorman wouldn’t want to be the right-hand support for anyone else. If Powills has a vision, Moorman is there to help bring it to life. Their trusting relationship is a huge reason why Moorman values her position at Mainland; because she “wouldn’t have the same supportive relationship anywhere else.”

Powills’ endorsement of Moorman clearly reflects that he believes in her just as much as she does in him, and in the future of Mainland.

“There are two big factors that go into a promotion like this: loyalty and belief in the vision of the business and flawless execution,” said Powills. “Lauren has been diligent in both categories and has worked hard to continue to progress as a leader and as a strategist for both our internal team and our clients.”

It’s perhaps uncommon for employees to form a close relationship with a company’s CEO, but Powills’ open-door policy allows Moorman and other Mainland employees to pop in and brainstorm podcast plans, pitch story topics and voice their unique ideas. Moorman and Powills’ friendship is an accurate representation of how close the office is, which usually isn’t how a typical PR agency operates.

“We’ve been friends for 10 years and because of that, it’s easy for me to voice my opinions and give him my insights,” said Moorman. “I’m thankful I have the freedom to openly communicate with my boss, let alone the CEO.”

Powills values Moorman’s insight, explaining that, when it comes to being innovative in business, it all comes down to trust.

“In order to accomplish great things, you have to be surrounded by great people who you trust are in it with you,” said Powills. “Both of those traits make it enjoyable when working on this crazy growth and improvement journey the business is on. And that’s Lauren.”

Along with the chance to learn from Powills, Moorman has had the opportunity to grow along with other long-time NLA veteran, Vice President Lauren Turner.

“When I first met LM, she was actually my client,” said Turner. “We had coordinated a segment for her former company at WGN in Chicago, so I met her at the studio. I was honestly a little intimidated when I first met her, but we got along fine.”

Fast forward to 2014, when Moorman came onboard at No Limit Agency.

“After she joined, I obviously got to know her much better and to work with her closely. Lauren has been a positive influence in my career, pushing me to be my best and also helping guide me when I've needed help. Over the years, we've shared so many memories and had fun together on work trips, from eating beignets together in New Orleans to feeding animals in Texas when at client conferences. She's been my cheerleader and helped give me confidence over the years, and we have had the pleasure to share many wins together.”

As for Moorman, even with such an impressive track record, she’s still constantly growing. With her recent promotion to Senior Vice President, Moorman says, “There’s not a day that goes by” where she’s not learning.

“I’ve been in basically every department, so it’s been incredibly valuable to take the skills I’ve learned throughout my time here and apply them to different positions,” said Moorman.

Moorman is excited to fulfill her new role as SVP and continue to make Mainland a welcoming, inviting and comfortable environment for everyone to work in. She may have already made an impact, but she plans to continue elevating Mainland’s offerings.

“When you think of a PR agency, you think of a stuffy corporate entity, but that’s not how we operate,” said Moorman. “You’re able to express yourself and ideas freely and be heard. You won’t find that in every company. I look forward to being a part of Mainland for years to come.”