Who We Are

In 2009, we formed a unique partnership that focused on branding innovative organizations. Our individual skills brought together the best of account planning, design, and storytelling to form Synergy Leadership Group. The three managing partners engage, as needed, a small army of skilled professionals, each

with unique talents specifically suited for the work at hand.

All three managing partners are graduates of the prestigious University of Wisconsin - La Crosse (ranked 14th by US News and World Report among all public and private universities in the Midwest).

All three, at one time, worked for innovative, entrepreneurial, ad agency Ovation Marketing. All three are extremely passionate about branding; and all three are driven to perfection in a way that doesn't impede progress.

Julie Hatlem, Managing Partner. Julie combines her outstanding natural talent as a premier designer with a long time passion for branding to communicate the brand's essence and make an immediate emotional connection with its customers. Julie is a conceptual thinker, whose creative and strategic insights have driven the development of many successful marketing and creative campaigns. Julie is the creative energy behind Synergy's design excellence.

Julie serves as the marketing director for the La Crosse Fitness Festival and formerly led Ovation Marketing for 14 years as its agency creative director. She received her B.S. in fine arts from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. Julie is a past Pump House board member and served on the marketing committee for the Boys and Girls Club of La Crosse. Julie is committed to giving back to her community and currently serves on the board for the La Crosse Children's Museum and La Crosse Fitness Festival.

Julie enjoys running the trails and kayaking on the backwaters of the Mississippi River just miles from her home. She and her husband own Hatlemphotography.com and share their passion for the area's natural beauty through photography.

Julie has most recently been leading photography shoots in Europe and Canada and helping to deliver what one top 50 global brand leader called "Amazing creative work." Like the other Synergy managing partners, Julie is a bit of a perfectionist and will continue to steer the creative toward a successful conclusion.

Cheryl Dutton, Managing Partner. Cheryl has over 20 years of experience in marketing and sales management spending much of her career leading marketing efforts at well-known brands in the outdoor recreation market.

Drawing on her diverse background, Cheryl applies analytical skills and significant marketing and business experience to Synergy's brand expertise. She earned her B.S. in marketing from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.

Cheryl is active in the community serving as past president of the Great River Festival of Arts, a former United Way board member, and former marketing committee member for the Children's Museum. Cheryl is an active member of the downtown Rotary Club and is Vice President of the board of directors of the La Crosse Area Hunger Task Force.

Cheryl's incredibly positive approach toward life, attention to organizational detail, and marketing insights keep Synergy successfully focused. Cheryl is a soccer mom with two daughters age 10 and 13. Her eldest is a member of the West Salem Middle School Football team, comprised of all boys and one daring young lady, who receives a part of that adventuresome spirit from her mother who enjoys motorcycling, sailing, and scuba diving.

Cheryl excels in her ability to listen and identify client challenges and present the best solutions needed (in writing) so that our marketing efforts are focused on solving the desired challenge identified by our clients during initial introductory meetings. Cheryl presents the marketing solutions that will best tell the brand story. Clients who wish to prioritize, especially our initial efforts, can choose where they want to start in the process and how far and fast they want to proceed with their brand story and marketing efforts. Cheryl can help you deliver it all in a desired time frame, or she can help select where to begin in the process.

Ralph Heath, Managing Partner. Ralph is an experienced marketing and leadership author whose best selling business book, Celebrating Failure: The Power of Taking Risks, Making Mistakes and Thinking Big, was published in 2009 by Career Press. Time Magazine embraced Ralph's book and encouraged readers "to take this smart book off your shelf." He also writes a blog called "Thoughtful Leadership and Marketing."

Ralph serves as Synergy's storytelling copywriter that believes in the power of an authentic story presented in a concise message that gives customers the benefits and features of the product or service being sold. Great copy and story is the result of diligent and repeated editing that makes an emotional connection succinctly.

Ralph is a keynote speaker that engages audiences about his real life experiences on "Thoughtful Leadership" and "Health and Wellness in the Workplace." Ralph was founder and president of ad agency Ovation Marketing for 30 years. He earned his B.S. in mass communications from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. Ralph is a four time Triathlon All-American and two-time finisher of the Hawaii Ironman.

Ralph is currently president of La Crosse Promise, an organization working to economically transform the City of La Crosse by providing scholarships to all students living in the school district of La Crosse in exchange for their city residency commitment. Ralph served as president of Mississippi Valley Conservancy for five years, helping MVC permanently protect scenic landscapes, while doubling their membership. MVC was named "Land Trust of the Year" in Wisconsin during his final year as president. Ralph is a founding member and former president of the sustainable trail building organization Human Powered Trails. Ralph has been an integral part of helping establish and brand the La Crosse Fitness Festival and La Crosse Promise. In 2011, Ralph received the "Jim Gokey Model Citizen Award" from Chileda Institute.

The Power of Storytelling
Synergy believes in the power of storytelling to convey a brands image. Author Ralph Heath serves as Synergy's lead writer. Book reviewers praised Ralph's storytelling ability with the release of his first book, Celebrating Failure – the Power of Taking Risks, Making Mistakes and Thinking Big. Senior editor at Soundview Executive Book Summaries said of Ralph's storytelling, "It’s obvious that the hours Heath spent constructing the perfect piece of copy to fit a particular product gave him a keen sense of how to convey a message. Heath's tenure with Ovation provided another hidden benefit, it made him an excellent writer. Heath deserves praise for understanding the power of a story as a means to capture the attention and the necessity of brevity in maintaining attention."