Hello! My name is Marnie Beltz and I head up CM’s Marketing/Communications, Advisor support/Customer Service. My journey with CM started in March of 2000, when I signed on to create the Creative Memories website. In a few months we took it from three pages to 150 featuring products, ideas and more. From there I had the privilege of spearheading a variety of projects and departments over the years, including creating Persona Imprinting and leading Branding, Digital, Business Development, Research and Communications.
We were deep in the pain of winding down the former business when Caleb asked if I would help design the Advisor compensation plan for the new CM. What a joy it was to work on building something new, fresh and simple. We took lessons from the industry and the past but our focus was on the future, Advisor profitability and long term sustainability. Having a group of committed Advisors as part of the process was priceless.
To work alongside such high caliber, deeply good people like the Advisors who weighed in, Caleb, Mark, Shari (and more of the team members you’ll be meeting as we go) to design and build this business, then seeing Advisors and customers loving the results has been one of my most gratifying professional experiences. Additions to the team like John and Diane make me even more excited about the future as we continue to grow.
Outside of work, my favorite thing to do is spend time with husband BJ, son Connor (a Senior this year) and our beloved animals, Mandy (deaf), Belle (blind), Obi (a doofus) and Louis the cat. BJ & I met in Alaska several decades ago and though we moved to Minnesota (I needed seasons after growing up in AK), he still works there two weeks on and two weeks off, so I am a part-time single mom. We’re a hockey family, and last year made a big move into town so Connor could be part of a better school and hockey program. It paid off and his team made the MN State HS Hockey Tournament, a bucket list goal for him – and a ‘big darn deal’ if you know anything about the State of Hockey. ;)
In whatever free time that’s left I love spending time with friends and traveling. Am also a big reader and love adrenaline of any kind, so am looking forward to doing more driving fast, rollercoasters and skydiving as an empty nester.
Connor & Marnie in Wisconsin
BJ & Marnie sailing off the coast of Maine
Connor on the Jumbotron at the Xcel Energy Center
That jumbotron picture is awesome!! I am loving these blog posts. Thanks! Fun to “meet” you, Marnie!
Very nice to meet you and your family Marnie. If you every get to Santa Cruz, California you will have to ride our Roller Coaster. It is rated one of the best in the world.
Just want to say “Hi!” to you, too, Linda! So glad we are still in this together!
I love meeting you all on “Meet Us Monday”! Great pictures – it’s nice to see who you are talking about. Thanks, Marnie!
I’m excited to read about you!! I came
to Kodiak to visit my sis in ’47 at age 18
& never left AK. Married, then moved to
Anchorage in 84. Still love it here!! I
signed with CM in ’93 & except 4 a
brief time out, I continued with them.
Love the new Company- so glad Caleb
took over. At 87, I am still with them I
Just. don’t do many activities.
Where were you raised in Alaska?
June Juelson
Love learning more about you and your family, Marnie!! We definitely share a love of fur-babies!!
I’m excited with the new products CM has come out with! I was devastated when it seemed like CM was going to go out of business! I hope you have a long, profitable future, so I can keep enjoying great scrapbook products. Do you have an idea submission form where we can suggest products we really want to see? I have several ideas.
First off is a border punch that says “Merry Christmas”. I have the old “You and Me” border punch from CM, and I have a “Happy Birthday” punch from Martha Stewart. I love them both and use them. The birthday punch gets used more than the You & Me punch. After all, I have four children, and lots of relatives, and they all have birthdays every year! In fact, if you came out with a Happy Birthday border punch that was different from your competitor’s, I’d probably buy that, too!
But I really want a Merry Christmas punch – and I don’t want it to say “Happy Holidays”. I think you could probably market punches that were unique and specific to the various faiths – like “Happy Hanukkah” etc.
I have other thoughts and suggestions, but don’t want to spam your webpage. But if you have a “customer suggestion” box – I’d like to know where to put in my two cents! Thanks for the great scrapbook layout ideas.
Please email cmproductsuggestion@outlook.com with your suggestions!
It was great reading about you and your family… As a goaliemom and Adviser, how about some Hockey related stuff? There is not much out there and being with CM for over 17 years, makes me leery about competitors quality. Thanks!
I, too, enjoy meeting the Home Office staff via this friendly venue. It’s nice to find out how people live their “real” lives, outside of the work hours. We have some relatives in MN, too (Warroad, known as the Hockey Capital of the World) and know how important hockey is up there. How exciting that your son could have his picture on the Big Screen and that he could be part of a state championship!! Thanks for all you do to keep us going!!
Thank you Marnie for sharing about your life with cm & outside of cm.
Hi Marnie,
Where do we go when we need product help? I’ve emailed Advisors here but they do not have the answers I need. One is willing to bring over an Teal album, which is very green in color on the website. The Seaglass looks perfect on the website but… is described as green in the writeup. Where do I find answers as what I want is tourquoise! Since it is for a wedding album, the album cover color is VERY important.
Incidentally, it was CM scrapbooking and crops that helped me through a period of health problems, back in 1995. LOVE all my finished CM albums and all the others done for relatives and friends. Thanks,
What a WONDERFUL story!!! Love that you guide us so easily in the HO and your presence on FB is always so helpful too! Your family is AWESOME, and the jumbotron photo is ALSO my FAVORITE!!!! THANK you for ALL you do. See you on the pages!!!
Hi Marni, My name is Susie Miller, I am with PBS Kids in the Twin Cities. I had attended many Creative Memories parties in the past. I feel like there would be a natural fit for Creative Memories to share information with the many moms that enjoy PBS programming with their children every day. I have not been able to find a good contact for you with Creative Memories, but loved reading your post as I am also a hockey mom who attends the state tournament every year!!! Would I be able to buy you a cup of coffee to chat about opportunities further.
Thank you!
Susie Miller
612-590-3445
samiller@tpt.org