BY ANDREW SCHWEIZER
Lynne Fruehling is president of Red Lizard Creative, a marketing communications firm that offers branding, advertising, public relations, interactive, and graphic design services.
RESUME
Name: Lynne Fruehling.
Company: Red Lizard Creative.
Title: President.
Education: Bachelor of Arts in English, UC Davis; master’s in marketing and media relations, San Diego State University.
Birthplace: Troy, Pa.
Age: 49.
Current residence: La Jolla.
Family: Husband, Bill, and cats, Zoe and Franny.
BUSINESS PHILOSOPHY
Essential business philosophy: Stay true to your own brand, work with people you like and have fun.
Best way to keep a competitive edge: Do for yourself what you do every day for your clients.
Guiding principles: Passion, and listening to my gut.
Yardsticks of success: Successful clients.
Goals yet to be achieved: Red Lizard Creative makes the cover of Advertising Age, nationwide.
JUDGMENT CALLS
Best business decision: Re-branding the agency and working on the client side to better understand their business.
Worst business decision: Not letting an unproductive employee go soon enough.
Toughest business decision: To let go of a client/income when the relationship is not working.
Biggest missed opportunity: None.
Mentor: My father and my mother’s mother.
Word that describes you: Savvy.
TRUE CONFESSIONS
What you like best about your job: Inspiring great work that sells product.
What you like least about your job: Having to let someone go.
Pet peeves: Incorrect grammar, people who don’t listen.
Most important lesson learned: Yelling at people gets you nowhere.
Person most interested in meeting: Julia Child, but I will wait until it’s my time.
Three greatest passions: The marketing communications business, sitting on the beach, and cooking.
First choice for a new career: Chef.
PREDILECTIONS
Favorite quote: “Insanity is doing the same thing and expecting a different result.” , Albert Einstein.
Most influential book: “Romancing the Brand,” by David N. Martin.
Favorite status symbol: My “RD LIZRD” license plates.
Favorite restaurant: My own kitchen and Les Halles in New York City.
Favorite place for business meetings: My office, because people get to see what we do.
Favorite vacation spot: Paris.
Favorite way to spend time: Chopping, dicing and cooking for friends.
