Larvetta Loftin, founder and CEO of full-service influencer marketing and communications firm The L3 Agency, has coined a motto that guides how she approaches her career: “Doing what you love with kindness, grace, and excellence.”
The Polsky Small Business Growth program alum launched her firm nearly 20 years ago after spending the first decade of her career in media relations and advertising and marketing firms.
She was compelled to open her own shop because she felt limited and undervalued in her corporate career. She had a goal of creating a space where women of color were heard and celebrated and where holistic stories of marginalized communities were told.
“I loved working at agencies and learned a lot,” Loftin said, “but I didn’t know where to fit it – they didn’t see me for the creative soul that I was.
“I wanted to design a space that would be suitable for the way I speak and create, and I wanted to bring young creatives, young women to the table and give them support and make them feel like their voices were heard.”
Over the years, Loftin and her team have executed marketing and branding campaigns for Fortune 500 companies including Verizon, Bacardi, Toyota, McDonald’s, and CVS Pharmacy, as well as municipalities, energy companies like ComEd, and nonprofits such as The Chicago Community Trust. Her team also partners with small businesses to help them build their brands and develop a marketing strategy.
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This story was first published by UChicago's Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation.
