From working on her parents’ farm to raising a young family while building a business, Linda Lovgren, President and CEO of Lovgren Marketing Group, is no stranger to hard work. Lovgren started her career as a copywriter and producer at Omaha radio station KRCB before moving to a small advertising agency. Several years later, with a new baby, the support of several clients, and a Creighton University intern, Lovgren decided to go into business for herself.
“My mom and dad always said go after whatever it is that you want to do,” says Lovgren. “And I think to some extent that attitude permeated a lot of my thinking in terms of if you don’t try it, you’ll never know if you could’ve done it, number one. And, number two, it would be better to be making tracks on the trail than to be following tracks on the trail. I think it was that seed they planted that made me feel like I could try everything. If it didn’t work or I failed, that was okay too. What did I learn from it? How would I change things? That philosophy has definitely influenced me as a business owner.”
“We kind of laugh about it, but Linda always looks at the glass half full,” says Lovgren Advertising Business Accounting Manager Donna Maxey. “Even if there’s a bump in the road—let’s say something is happening with a client—she doesn’t look at the negative side. She’s always looking for the bright spot and somehow pulls it off. She’s very energetic,” Maxey smiles. “She just goes for it.”
Lovgren likes that her work keeps her life exciting. “I really enjoy having a challenge, and finding a solution to that challenge,” she says. “I enjoy getting up every day because no two days are ever the same. And generally by 10 o’clock, the day I had planned isn’t the same. I enjoyrthat flexibility.”
That knack for flexibility and desire to explore new opportunities has served Lovgren well. She’s found great success and satisfaction carving out a niche working on government affairs and election campaigns.
Lovgren says she’s especially proud of the work she did on the bond issue for the Omaha convention center and arena, now the CenturyLink Center Omaha. “I think it made a very big difference in Omaha on a lot of levels. It provided more entertainment and economic development,” she explains. “I’m passionate about the idea that what we can do to help our clients will help the bigger community be a great place to work and raise a family. And to grow a business.”
Lovgren also played a role in helping to bring the National Space Symposium to Omaha in 2003. It was among the first major international meetings held here, she says. Lovgren’s career was flying high. That same year she was elected as the first chairwoman of the Omaha Chamber Board of Directors. “That was a very exciting year to learn the inner workings of the city and the many, many things that go on to make this city great.”
Another highlight came in 2012 when Lovgren was named to the Omaha Business Hall of Fame.rShe attributes a central part of her success to surrounding herself with the right people. “I think the best advice I’ve gotten over the years is to do what I do best and surround myself with people who complement those skills. No one can know how to do everything,” Lovgren says. “I learned that lesson extremely early on, and I’m glad I did.”
Networking has been an important factor, too. “It’s a really vital part of growing,” Lovgren explains. “You have to find the business. It doesn’t come to you just because you have a name on the door. All of the networking and the decisions you make about how you want to spend your time are really important in determining how that business will grow.”
Her attention to relationships doesn’t go unnoticed, says Ann Pederson, Director of Public Relations at Lovgren Marketing Group. “Linda works very hard to build and then maintain excellent relationships in developing strong, long-lasting friendships,” Pederson says. “That speaks very highly of her as an individual.”
Outside of her office, Lovgren has a long history of involvement in professional and civic organizations. She was appointed to the Nebraska State Fair board when the event moved from Lincoln to Grand Island. She’s been heavily involved in education-related causes and currently serves on the Partnership for Kids board.
Lovgren also started a non-profit that combines her passion for making a difference with one of her favorite hobbies—fly fishing. She founded the Nebraska chapter of Casting for Recovery in 2011. The organization takes breast cancer survivors on an all-expenses-paid fly-fishing trip on the Snake River outside of Valentine, Neb.
“It really makes everything worthwhile to know that you’ve made a difference.”
That drive to make a difference is the key to Lovgren’s success, she says. “If you’re passionate and you love doing it, it will make you happy,” she says. “And if it makes you happy, you will be even better at it. I think that’s so true. When your whole heart is in it, you can overcome a lot of adversity and a lot of challenges.”
