ChangeMaker Spotlight: Mary Hoffman's Journey from Corporate Leader to Community Champion

How one entrepreneur pivoted her business to serve small business owners during uncertain times

When Mary Hoffman stepped into majority ownership of Faucet Head Creative last year, she brought more than two decades of retail leadership experience to the Delaware, Ohio-based branding and web design agency. But what truly sets Mary apart isn't just her business acumen—it's her unwavering commitment to making business deeply personal and values-aligned.

From Corporate Retail to Creative Entrepreneurship

Mary's journey to entrepreneurship wasn't traditional. After decades in retail training, development, and market introduction for new brands, the 2020 furloughs became a pivotal moment. Instead of taking time off, she dove headfirst into growing Faucet Head Creative, the agency her husband had founded 25 years earlier.

"I started digging in to see what I could do to actually help grow Faucet Head and look at it from a business perspective," Mary explains. "Creatives are amazing, but they have a tendency to have a hard time with the background of the business."

Her strategic approach paid off. Mary gradually bought into the company and became majority owner in 2024, transforming the agency into what she calls "an amazing resource for small businesses."

The Power of Visual Storytelling

At Faucet Head Creative, Mary and her team specialize in what she calls visual storytelling—creating websites and branding that immediately communicate a company's mission, values, and energy.

"Our true North with any one of our clients is to provide the ability for a customer to land on their webpage without even meeting anyone from the team and get a sense of their mission, their values, their overall energy," Mary shares.

This isn't just about templates or quick fixes. Mary's team conducts deep discovery sessions, asking questions that might seem unrelated to web design but are crucial for authentic representation.

Pivoting with Purpose During Uncertain Times

When the current volatile market began affecting their traditional client base of law firms and manufacturers, Mary made a strategic pivot that aligned with her values. Rather than simply cutting costs, she saw an opportunity to serve her community differently.

"What this has done is inadvertently pushed me even quicker into the community and making a difference," she explains. "Not necessarily for the big corporate law firms and huge manufacturers, but making a difference for those of us—because I consider myself a small business owner, an entrepreneur—but those of us that are really struggling."

The result? Signal Tower Microsites, a new division offering affordable, professional one-page websites for small business owners who previously couldn't access professional marketing services.

Building Culture Through Professional Relationships

As an ALC student, Mary has found particular value in the Managing Professional Relationships course, which she's implementing across her team.

"This is a tool that I wish I would've had because I think that I can reflect back on some situations that I had in the workplace or with specific team members that I wish I would've had this knowledge," she reflects.

Mary plans to have her entire team take the course, recognizing that strong professional relationships aren't just for managers—they're essential for anyone working in teams.

Making a Difference Beyond Business

Perhaps most inspiring is Mary's commitment to community impact beyond her business. She's partnering with the Ohio Prison Entrepreneurship Program to mentor women inmates, helping them develop business skills and life tools for successful reintegration.

"I know that sometimes we wanna just hide under a rock during hard times, or we just throw our hands up and say, there's nothing I can do," Mary says. "But I started digging and figuring out ways that I could get out there and do something that I felt that I could make a difference in."

Key Takeaways for Fellow ChangeMakers

1. Pivot with Intention: When market conditions change, look for opportunities to align your business more closely with your values.

2. Invest in Relationships: Strong professional relationships are the foundation of effective teams and sustainable businesses.

3. Make It Personal: Authentic branding and marketing come from deep understanding of values and mission, not just surface-level design.

4. Find Your Community Impact: During challenging times, look for ways to contribute beyond your business—it often leads to unexpected fulfillment and growth.

5. Never Stop Learning: Whether it's formal education or informal mentoring, continuous learning keeps you adaptable and effective.

Mary Hoffman is CEO and majority owner of Faucet Head Creative and a graduate of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Program. Learn more about Signal Tower Microsites at signal-tower.com or connect with Mary through LinkedIn and faucethead.com.

Ready to strengthen your own professional relationships? Explore ALC's Managing Professional Relationships course at jennifersconyers.com. Designed for teams and individuals looking to build stronger, more effective workplace connections.