As published in the March 2002 Edition of The Northeast Pennsylvania Business Journal
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Devoting time and energy to nurturing her personal happiness is the best possible thing that Bonnie Longbotham does for her business, said the owner of Longbotham Strategic Marketing, a full-service marketing, advertising, promotions and public relations firm in Pittston. “I’ve come to understand that that sense of well-being really radiates outward, touching everything we do,” she said.
Balancing her worlds doesn’t seem to be much of a problem for Bonnie, and the past 14 years in business have seen many of her contacts evolve into close personal friends, she said, pointing out, “Building that camaraderie and working with such a great network of people is not only good business, it’s fun too!”
However, that’s not to say that things don’t get complicated in her life. “The most phenomenal aspect of our business is that it’s incredibly diverse and truly global in nature,” she said. “Hour by hour, our activities can change dramatically and though it can be easy to let the business monopolize my time, every day I try to do something meaningful for myself and my family.”
Bonnie founded her company as The Alexander Ad Agency in 1988 and has been the sole owner ever since. A few years ago, the name was changed to Longbotham Strategic Marketing to more accurately reflect the character and focus of the firm.
Bonnie is a strong believer in the value of intuition and advises young business women to listen to their “gut.” In addition, she espouses and maintains a personal code of integrity, noting that in life in general and business in particular, it’s important to stick to ethical behavior. “There is no substitute for integrity,” she said, “It’s not just what you do that defines you, it’s what you choose not to do.”
As for breaking into the field, Bonnie advises young women to “seek out exemplary mentors and pay attention, learn at every possible opportunity.” She attributes the quality of empathy as one of the most valuable personality traits for success in business. “You’ve got to be able to put yourself in the other person’s shoes,” she said.