The only constant is change.

Jeff entered the world of advertising in 1990, helping clients like Lotus Development Corporation and Hyatt Hotels best spend their multi-million dollar media budgets. In the flood of media, audience and market data that came with those decisions, Jeff recognized opportunities for change. In 1996, he started the interactive division of Boston-based agency CGN to help national brands leverage this 'new thing called The Web' as a marketing channel. In 2002, with the support of his loving wife, he and Mike Connell started Small Army to take the lead in a transforming advertising industry. In 2007, following the birth of his two beautiful children (Josh and Julia), and the tragic loss of his business partner to cancer, new life perspectives caused him to start Small Army for a Cause (a 501c3) as a way to give back. Today, Jeff continues to provide perspective and insight to lead Small Army, its clients, his family and the community through never-ending change.

Everyone loves a great story.

Steve started his advertising career on the west coast creating award-winning work at FCB and Ketchum on automotive accounts. Then landed a record deal and left advertising for the open road in a big ol' tour bus. Couple of songs hit the Billboard charts and the Dixie Chicks recorded one of his tunes, "Desire". Returned to advertising as creative director of JWT in Atlanta for seven years. Small Army became his nesting ground when he married his scientist sweetheart, Dr. Valerie Cullen. Steve enjoys telling stories by putting ad-like things where you don't expect them. Hatch, MITX and Effie awards later, he's making a comfortable home here in Boston.

Dreams last more than a lifetime.

In the early days at Small Army, people often gathered around the office of Mike Connell to listen to his amazing stories. He was not only the consummate storyteller, but also the consummate listener. In 2007, we lost our beloved friend and colleague to a long and valiant fight against cancer. But, today, his dream of telling and listening to amazing stories remains at the heart of the agency he co-founded in 2002.

Don't judge a book by it's cover, unless the cover says 'Twilight'

Ben Alvord is a New Hampshire native with over ten years of experience using a wide array of interactive technologies. Ben began his career working for PixelMEDIA in New Hampshire, before making the move to Boston in 2007 to work at Small Army. If you Google 'Ben Alvord', you'll probably be confused to find out that 'Benjamin Alvord' was a Brigadier General during the Civil War, and also that he is dead. But that guy's not the Ben Alvord that works at Small Army. That's just some old dead guy. The living Ben Alvord writes for and directs a sketch comedy troupe called Fists of Joy. He also enjoys working with all of the creative folks at Small Army and helping to bring their creations to life.

In a world full of duds, be a firecracker.

Born on the 4th of July, Monica has been a firecracker since she Yankee-Doodled into town. And not only is her personality dynamite, but her background is too. From conducting market research in China for Maui Jim Sunglasses to handling public relations in Las Vegas for several high-profile clients including The Palms and The Chippendales (her all-time personal favorite), Monica's spark for life and curiosity for learning has taken her on a journey around the world and back, bringing her to her ultimate destination - Small Army. Now enlisted in the ranks, she can be often be found igniting ideas and having a blast in the world of strategic marketing and advertising.

A creative soul in a nerd coated shell.

A rabble-rouser by trade and a curmudgeon by choice, Brandon was raised on the mean streets of suburban Northern Virginia in the shadow of the worlds largest single floor outlet mall. Possessing an insatiable sense of lowbrow humor and being an illustrator at heart he recklessly disregarded his mother's wishes and pursued design. (Despite a silky-smooth baritone and piercing blue eyes, the hallmarks of fame and fortune.)

After festering in the sweltering summers of the south for three decades he was lured to Boston by tales of a jovial citizenry, to whom red lights are merely suggestions, and streets overflowing with chowder and baked beans. He packed up his belongings, drove up the east coast, received his city issued Red Sox hat and Tom Brady portrait at the last toll on the pike, and parked his car on the streets of Boston to collect orange envelopes stuffed with love letters from his new city.

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.

Luckily for Michael, the advertising industry is one in which the words 'work' and 'play' are commonly interchanged. He recognizes that his passion for the field not only translates to a happier well-being, but contributes to his delivery of the highest quality of work for his clients. Michael first became interested in the field when he realized that it is a perfect blend of his interests in psychology, communications and creativity. At Small Army, Michael helps to manage many of the agency's key accounts and greatly enjoys contributing to efforts in brand planning, social media strategy and website development. Outside of the office, you can also find Michael shooting photographs with his DSLR camera and playing tennis on the courts.

If you're not having fun, you're doing it wrong.

Paul Dome is a Chicago-born account guy now living among Red Sox nation. He prides himself on being a Cubs fan no matter how poorly they play and a Bears fan no matter how dated the Super Bowl Shuffle is.

Paul began his career in marketing as a 22 year-old single guy managing a daily email recipe program. From there, it was an upward trajectory. He worked at Circle.com, now EuroRSCG 4D, on digital initiatives for many brands under the Campbell's Soup umbrella. He then moved to Arnold Worldwide on Royal Caribbean and ESPN, managing campaigns for both digital and traditional channels. Paul then had a brief stint on the "client side" at Bose Corporation managing retail marketing programs.

Outside of work, Paul is an improv comedy actor and can be seen performing around the Boston area. Paul's most inspirational quote comes from Wayne Gretzky: "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take".

Everyone has a story. You just need to listen.

With over 10 years of marketing experience, Claire has worked on brands throughout the automotive, technology, fashion and architecture industry. She started her career at Arnold Worldwide, launching the first integrated advertising campaign for EMC. She went on to create experiential marketing programs for TRUTH, Jones New York and Easy Spirit. After a quick stint in NYC, Claire then moved to Los Angeles where she worked for smaller shops on brands such as KIA, Suzuki and Thermador. Claire then left the agency side to become the Marketing Director for an architectural manufacturer, spearheading product launches, advertising and web. Now back in Boston, Claire has come home to Small Army, where she's discovered that all of her clients have a fascinating story to tell.

It's okay to be the black sheep.

Allison was born and raised in rural mid-Missouri, running around barefoot with the understanding that cream cheese has a place in every recipe. As much as she loved her family (and cream cheese) Missouri did not offer the urban lifestyle she craved, nor the graphic design opportunities that a large city could offer her. In 2004, Allison packed her bags and headed north to attend The Illinois Institute of Art - Chicago for graphic design. Chicago was a great place to call home, but Allison's love of nature and new experiences brought her to Boston in 2008. She, her husband, and two miniature dachshunds happily live on the beach at their home in Hull, MA. When she's not doing design work, you can find her baking bread, cat-shaped cakes, or any other special request from the Small Army office.

You're never too old to become younger.

Sam's design career started when his 10th grade art teacher gave him a bunch of wooden slabs to make parking signs for the school lot. From there, he started his own sign painting business out of his mother's garage, painting signs and trucks for local businesses at 17 years old. A few years and a few design awards later, Sam now leads the design department at Small Army, helping to create sparkling advertising, branding and interactive experiences. Before Small Army, Sam did stints with regional boutique firms, Plainspoke, Catapult Thinking and Eymer Design. When he's not designing anything that gets in his way, he's enjoying his downtime fishing, driving his kids to sporting events and writing and playing music with his band.

A finished person is a boring person.

Small agencies, medium agencies, big agencies—Allison Reilly has been there. Project management, relationship cultivation, new business development, advertising research, marketing development, copywriting—Allison is known for wearing many hats. For Allison, her life story is about 3 ingredients: Change. Challenge. Growth. She is never comfortable when life gets too easy. Whatever you throw at her, she'll find a way to figure it out, give it her all and keep a focused attitude. Her career began working on clients such as John Hancock, Cellular One and AT&T. More recently, she was a partner in an ad business fostering accounts such as the Anti-Defamation League, Global Signal and the Boston Convention Exhibition and Convention Center. Allison has found no matter what the client or industry, she is happiest when she is learning and being challenged—an attitude that is integral in helping clients carve out the most effective messaging. With many Tuckerman's Ravine ski trips, hikes up several of the 4,000+ foot mountains in New England, 2 Boston Marathon's under her belt (one while pregnant), a long marriage to her college sweetheart and 4 kids who span from Kindergarten to college, Allison knows how to make sure life stays interesting. So where's Allison's story taking her now... Small Army... Bring it on...

Belief is everything.

Whether it be ink, pixels, wood, or steel. I design, I build, I create. I am a maker. A possibility seer. The work I am most often associated with was done while working for the Discovery Channel. As well as several special events and more SharkWeeks than I care to remember, I also shaped the initial launches and subsequent brand development of The Deadliest Catch, Man vs. Wild, and Dirty Jobs franchises.

My approach to advertising is simple. Make people think, laugh and hopefully believe. Look, if the product can't do something, don't say it can. Instead let's figure out what it can do and promote that. The most successful products stand above their competitors for one reason. They have created legions of believers. When people believe, they buy more, pay more and above all... advocate the products to others. Belief is everything.

Creativity is not optional.

Rachel attended the University of Michigan and began her career in advertising as an Account Coordinator at JWT Technology, but soon realized she'd rather be coordinating color schemes than client schedules. Inspired, she migrated south to attend Creative Circus Portfolio School in Atlanta, where she sipped sweet tea, won multiple creative awards and landed a coveted internship at Crispin Porter + Bogusky - where her standout work helped win two pitches. Loving being an art director, Rachel coasted east to Boston to work at MMB, where she completely mastered the five-dollar-footlong dance in order to create some of the most impactful Subway commercials ever produced.

Rachel has worked on a wide-variety of clients, including Subway, Carrabba's Italian Grill, Tractor Supply Company, the ACLU, Volkswagen, Hulu, Guitar Hero, Burger King, Coke Zero and CDW.

In her spare time, Rachel co-founded and regularly blogs for DesignSeedz.com, a DIY crafting website that fuses urban-inspired design with easy-to-make projects. She also adores Words with Friends, paper art, and vintage furniture.

Do the best you can, with what you have, where you are.

Amy has a very "colorful" background, but most recently she spent over 13 years as the Operations Manager for CA-based Mad Dogg Athletics, Inc (MDA), the inventors of Spinning®. With MDA, Amy worked closely with the executive team to develop and manage global marketing efforts; hire and manage a growing staff; participate in the development and coordination of global education material; manage trademark protection and policing; and take out the trash. She even helped open offices in the Netherlands, Italy and Switzerland as the company experienced global expansion. Every day was different - an environment that she loves - as they introduced the products to new customers and emerging markets.

At Small Army, Amy keeps another fast moving ship above water and heading in the right direction. From finance and human resources to vendor management and information technology, Amy has her hands involved in everything that keeps the agency moving forward.

In her spare time, Amy loves spending time with her gem of a husband and two terrific kids. She keeps her sanity by running as the sun rises.

If you still haven't found the treasure, dig somewhere else.

Kaelan's advertising story began at a small shop in Minneapolis working on local and national brands. After one not-so-balmy winter, he moved back to Boston and signed on with Arnold to write for clients like Royal Caribbean, Vonage and truth. Along the way, Kaelan was recognized at the Kellys, Andys, London International Awards, Clios, Hatch and Minneapolis Award Show.

Now at Small Army, Kaelan continues to dig in unique places to find treasures for our clients.

Be a shot heard around the world.

Bri might be new to the world of advertising, but it was love at first story. A recent graduate of Salve Regina University with her MBA and a BS in Marketing, she has quickly found that the intrinsic nature of the field suits her character perfectly, and Small Army's dedication to storytelling parallels her own. Not one to believe in the '9 to 5' attitude, organized creative chaos, four cups of black coffee, and constant multitasking define her ideal ten-hour workday.

Growing up amongst generations of entrepreneurs, she's a business-minded girl with a big personality and innate desire for success. Her past experiences in marketing span across diverse industries, including grocery retail, real estate, and insurance. Her passion for discovery in all aspects of life is translated in her work and varied personal interests - which include traveling, old-time hockey, classic comedies, intelligent conversation, and music. With unwavering work ethic, a little Irish wit, and a positive attitude, she's always up for a challenge.

Bri is confident that the best chapters of her own story have yet to be written, but she's certainly happy with the intro.

The creative adult is the child who has survived.

Daniel happily embraces the world with open arms. Born in New Jersey just outside the frenetic pace of New York City, Daniel moved to Beantown in 2006. His passion for advertising comes from his parents (both psychologists), his interest in film, and his influential college marketing professors. Daniel started his advertising career at Marcel in Paris back in 2010. After returning stateside, Daniel joined the Small Army team in the summer of 2011. Daniel helps manage the agency's non-profit, Small Army for a Cause, which has raised almost a half-million dollars in the fight against cancer.