To leave a legacy…
Leaving a legacy is something we all strive for in both our personal and professional lives. Everyone leaves a legacy, but what type of legacy you leave depends on the impression you make on others. At Southern Legacy Marketing and Design, we can help your business ensure it is making the right impression so people will remember you for the best reasons. Whether you are a new business looking to build a brand, need better exposure for your brand, or want a complete rebranding, Southern Legacy can help. Let us help you start leaving a legacy today!
Emily Hayles
CEO
Cell: 256-590-2411
Email: emily@southernlegacymarketing.com
Emily started Southern Legacy Marketing & Design based on her love of agriculture and creative marketing.
The Inspiration behind Southern Legacy
My name is Emily Hayles, owner of Southern Legacy Marketing and Design, and it’s time to share with you why I started this company. I promise I won’t tell you a long story, but anyone who comes in contact with my business needs to know the story behind the name.
It all starts with a man. A great man. A man that could work a room in less than 30 minutes and come out with everyone knowing his name. A man who shaped my passions, and one who especially shaped my dream of starting my own business.
This man I am referring to was named James Thompson. During his short time on this earth, he was many things to many people. He was a loving husband, a proud father, son, brother, friend, salesman, livestock feed aficionado, hardworker, and lover of Willie Nelson and Gary P. Nunn. But to me, he was the greatest dad anyone could ever have….and the reason I am the way I am.
I realized I had been following his lead for a long time when I noticed the legacy he left behind after losing his battle with cancer.
After high school, I attended Auburn University (just like he did) and earned a degree in agricultural communications. About halfway through my time at Auburn, I realized I wanted to enter into the field of graphic design for the agricultural industry. That’s what he did, and that’s actually who I learned my trade from. We shared a love for design and marketing in the agricultural industry, and we got to work together on several different projects while I was at Auburn. It didn’t take me long to think to myself, “I want to do what dad does, for the rest of my life.”
After I graduated from Auburn, his illness began to take its toll. When he couldn’t drive himself to see his customers or go to meetings at the feed mill he worked for, I drove him to where he needed to be. It was through that tough time my respect for him grew, and I felt envy and complete joy for his great work. I was fortunate enough to be able to work alongside him, and bring his ideas for the next great feed bags to life.
It wasn’t until he was gone, that I realized my dad had left one hell of a legacy. To some a legacy is having your name in big lights or having a library or coliseum named after you, but not to me. My definition of a legacy is something you leave behind without trying. It’s a feeling you leave with people, and a sense of pride and trust that stays with someone forever. James Thompson left his mark on many people, whether it was from his feed customers across the Southeast or simply the folks that knew him in our small community. He truly defined what leaving a legacy means.
It was him who inspired me to start my own agricultural marketing and design business. I’d like to think he approves of what I’m doing. As I sit here writing this, while working on several projects, I can’t help but tear up and think about all the great memories I created while getting to work with him. But then I can hear him saying “dry it up girl, you’ve got work to do.”
I know he’s with me all the time, whether that’s in the office or out on a farm shoot. He taught me to always hold myself to a higher standard and speak to everyone with the utmost respect. It’s that kind of hard work and dedication I strive to insert into my business everyday. Whether it’s through email, text, phone call, or a face-to-face, I want you to feel 100% comfortable with trusting me with building your brand.
It likes the great Randy Travis once said, “it’s not what you take when you leave this world behind, it’s what you leave behind when you go.” I want you to help you leave a lasting effect on the products you work hard to produce, cattle you raise, and the customers you work with. Whether that be in a form of a new logo, informational brochure, easily accessible website, or photos of your farm that say a thousand words – I am here to help you. The purpose of Southern Legacy Marketing and Design is to guarantee you “Always Leave a Legacy.”
To learn more about the services offered by Southern Legacy, click here!