Stephanie Riel started what is now RielDeal Marketing at the age of 22, before she even finished college.
Between school and internships, she created her first LLC and took on marketing consulting work to support small businesses and startups with their storytelling. She continued building the business while working full time in the corporate world. In 2019, she took the leap and left her full-time gig to go all in on RielDeal Marketing.
Since then, Riel has grown the business from a side hustle to a full-service marketing firm, helping build brands for small businesses all over the United States. RielDeal Marketing has shown 30%-plus growth year-over-year and has grown from a team of one to a team of six.
The company has driven record numbers of leads for client campaigns. It created a proprietary Pinterest marketing process that drove visibility for one client from 100,000 to 1.6 million impressions in 18 months, generating nearly $30,000 in brand partnerships. The company merges creative branding with marketing data and science to get the best results for its clients.
“I founded RielDeal Marketing to be a partner for our small business clients — giving them access to resources and expertise that’s typically reserved for major corporations with deep pockets,” Riel said. “At RielDeal Marketing, we’re invested in our clients’ success and get connected to our clients’ mission.”
In the next five years, the firm aims to double its staff and more than double revenues. The company expects to open office space for team training and client meetings and support small businesses in need and nonprofits at a reduced rate.
Riel was recognized as a Top 40 Under 40 Entrepreneur by Phoenix Entrepreneurs Magazine in 2021. The magazine also honored RielDeal Marketing as a Top 10 Marketing Agency in Arizona. Since 2020, Riel has been published in countless local, regional and national publications, including Thrive Global, the newest venture from Ariana Huffington, where Riel has contributed multiple articles on business topics from Instagram for business to public relations and branding.
“One of the best things I’ve learned as a leader is the importance of putting your people in a position to succeed,” Riel said. “This comes in many forms and has been instrumental in how I have built my business. This includes robust training resources, collaboration and transparency, allowing me to lead my team and stay true to who I am as a person.”
