Smart & Bold Insights

The Mills Story

Written by Ryan Pleggenkuhle | July 18, 2025

Celebrating 50 Years of SMART and BOLD Financial Marketing.

On June 1, 2025, Mills Marketing officially turned 50! To commemorate our milestone anniversary, we’re excited to share our history through a series of short stories as recalled by Mills founder and CEO Becki Drahota. Enjoy!

 

Part 1: A Story of Serendipity

“I was living in Denver, loving my job, then we decided we’re moving back to Iowa … That’s when my largest client said, ‘If you have to go back to Iowa, start your own company, and you’ll be our agency.’”
– Becki Drahota, Mills CEO

(1972-1975) A fresh college graduate and newlywed, Becki Drahota’s professional journey began in 1972. Becki had leveraged her Drake University education and skills she’d attained while interning with the Iowa Credit Union League into a full-time marketing role at a Denver-based ad agency. After several years of serving as the account executive for a large credit union, she decided to relocate back to Iowa to start a family. When she attempted to transition that client to another manager, they respectfully declined – and suggested she start a firm in Iowa and that they’d be her first client. So she did … and Mills Marketing was born in Storm Lake, Iowa, on June 1, 1975.

 

Part 2: The Early Days of Business

“Every 30 days, we’d create and print 10,000 newsletters in Storm Lake. I’d load them into my car, put them on Ozark Air Lines, and they’d fly with me to Denver.” – Becki Drahota, Mills CEO

(1975) Mass production of printed newsletters and regular air travel was the way of business in the early years. Each month, Mills produced and printed 10,000 newsletters for its credit union client. After printing, Becki would load them into her car and drive to the Sioux City airport for a flight to Denver. The newsletters traveled with her to Denver, where they were then mailed to members. Her travel was for more than delivery – Becki would spend the day strategizing the upcoming month’s marketing plan before flying home the same evening. The strength of this relationship, coupled with securing a second client, allowed Mills to turn a profit in its first year.

 

Part 3: It’s Time to Grow … Introducing Cindy

“I needed someone who was practical and talented. Cindy’s the quintessential balance of creative and procedure skills. I realized within weeks that she was an absolute treasure.” – Becki Drahota, Mills CEO

(1982) With experience under her belt and a strong reputation in the industry, Becki landed Mills’ third client, a credit union in Colorado Springs. As business demands increased, the need for a skilled artist (and one with a strong work ethic) became clear. In January of 1982, Becki hired Cindy Suhr. Today, Cindy serves as our Brand Director.

 

Part 4: Still Growing … Introducing Cheri

“I interviewed Cheri when I was in labor with my second child. The fact she didn’t just run out the door was amazing. What is so fabulous about Cheri is she’s unrufflable. She’s as solid as they come. We relied on and trusted each other at a high level, right off the bat.”
– Becki Drahota, Mills CEO

(1982) Business was steady, and Mills needed an “anchor.” Cheri Wiese was hired in June of 1982 to be just that. She was tasked with bookkeeping, human resources, and account management responsibilities, providing Mills with the structural piece it needed. Today, Cheri is our Executive Vice President.

 

Part 5: Surviving and Thriving … Introducing Joni 

“We used Joni for everything, because frankly, Joni is gorgeous, perfect, and professional. Joni was on billboards across the country … She’s just one of the most wonderful human beings on the planet.”
– Becki Drahota, Mills CEO

(1991) Business remained strong for Mills, despite a run on banks in the 1980s. Tension between financial institutions and consumers was palpable, in some cases leading to violent confrontations. Despite this, Mills never wavered from its singular focus to serve the banking industry. In fact, Mills knew its clients needed help effectively communicating and marketing themselves at that time more than ever. And in April of 1991, Mills strengthened its team further by adding Joni Sievers. Joni became Mills’ Swiss Army Knife, handling everything from proofreading copy to managing finances and modeling for billboards. Today, she’s a Senior Vice President.

 

Part 6: We’re not just creative. We are banking knowledge … Introducing Rhonda

“What I loved about Rhonda is she was an experienced marketing officer at a local bank, so she knew the industry well. I could take her to meet with clients and she would speak their language and earn their respect. She is my objective thinker and forever friend.”
– Becki Drahota, Mills CEO

Today, our brand is: “We Know Banking (SMART). We Love Marketing (BOLD).”

(1993) Mills knew early on that to be a trusted partner with financial institutions, creativity alone wouldn’t cut it; we had to speak banking fluently. So, in August of 1993, Mills welcomed Rhonda Handy to the team. Rhonda embodies the “We Know Banking (SMART)” spirit of our brand. After college, she started in the banking world where customer service, marketing, and compliance became her specialty. Rhonda joined Mills as an account executive. Today, she’s our VP, Risk and Compliance.

 

Part 7: Business As Usual

“We turned the porch of our office building into our own sound booth, so we cut our own radio ads and did a lot of our own mixing on site. Very little was outsourced, and every day we each wore a lot of hats. It was so much fun!” – Becki Drahota, Mills CEO

(The Early Years) While monthly newsletters remained a key component of production, Mills’ resources were growing. In addition to an art studio, Mills had its own sound booth for recording radio ads. Creating TV commercials and voiceovers become important business lines for Mills.

 

Part 8: Awards and Recognition 

“I think we’ve been instrumental in helping banks understand the power of marketing in migrating the function from an expense to a value center.” – Becki Drahota, Mills CEO

(Awards and Recognition) We’re beyond grateful for the opportunities we’ve had and the lasting relationships we’ve built through collaborations with leading trade associations. These include the Independent Community Bankers of America® (ICBA) since the early 2000s, the Iowa Bankers Association (IBA) since 1999, and many other state and national financial industry organizations. Throughout the years, Mills’ expertise has been honored with numerous industry awards and invitations to lead presentations at top conferences.

 

Part 9: Opening Our Des Moines Office

“We had leadership both in Storm Lake and Des Moines. And, frankly, the primary reason we went into Des Moines was that we needed a larger talent pool.” – Becki Drahota, Mills CEO.

(Des Moines) In 2014, Mills expanded its operating base beyond Storm Lake for the first time by opening a Des Moines office in an architect-redesigned carriage house. Although the location had some acoustic challenges, it served a dual purpose – providing Becki’s daughter and former Mills President, Sarah Bacehowski, a space to work for Mills after moving back from Oregon and helping to grow Mills’ talent pool. Today, our Des Moines office in the East Village is home to nearly half of our team.

 

Part 10: COVID Prompts Remote Work

“I think it (remote staffing) works for us better than most companies because of the kind of people we have and the work we do. I think it’s a real compliment to the integrity and the mutual respect of the team.”
– Becki Drahota, Mills CEO.

(Remote Staffing) Like countless businesses around the world, the COVID pandemic in 2020 prompted Mills to adapt. After decades of in-office, in-person collaboration, the team embraced new ways to balance on-site teamwork with remote communication. While most of our staff continue to work primarily from our Storm Lake and Des Moines offices, today much of our digital team is based in the Chicago area. Our creative director, content manager, compliance specialist, and a design team member work from various locations across Iowa. We have a senior graphic designer in Minnesota as well!

 

Part 11: Where We Stand

“In the community banking and credit union space, we are a top-tier resource because that’s where our focus has always been. As the industry continues to consolidate and megabanks are coming back to understand that banking is local, we’re going to be smarter than they are. We’re going to be a fierce competitor for them.”
– Becki Drahota, Mills CEO.

(Today) From creative development to strategic planning and digital marketing, we serve as a top-tier marketing resource for community banks and credit unions across the country. Our focus has always centered on the financial industry because we believe community banks and credit unions are the backbone of America. Our mission is to champion our clients, advocate for their success, and ensure they are competitively positioned for sustainability.

 

Part 12: Where We’re Going

“It’s exciting, it really is. I just smile all the time about our future and that excitement is all based on the foundation that’s been set.”
– Becki Drahota, Mills CEO

(The Future) In 2024, Mills officially became an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). As Becki puts it, “When you have independence, you have power. With 100% employee ownership, we have the right team and the right position in the market to grow and preserve our culture of excellence and commitment to the community banking industry.”

Strategic and planned growth is key to continuing as the strong partner our clients need. The vision we’ve had since 1975, powered by a relentless focus on client success and evolving market strategies, will allow us to remain a trusted financial marketing resource for the next 50 years and beyond!

 

 
View full post