Red Shoes Inc. honored as 2026 Small Business of the Year

Meghan Diemel

Contributor

April 6, 2026

APPLETON – Red Shoes Inc. –  a woman-owned, full-service marketing and PR agency based in Appleton – has been named a Heart of the Valley Chamber of Commerce’s 2026 Small Business of the Year.

According to the chamber, the award recognizes locally owned businesses operating for at least three years that go beyond “business as usual,” demonstrating strong performance, standout customer service and meaningful community involvement.

Chamber leaders said the honor highlights Red Shoes’ communications expertise and its commitment to delivering exceptional value through a people-first culture.

Red Shoes President Maria Nelson said the award reflects the agency’s core identity – a commitment to doing things differently, “staying curious and making a meaningful impact.” 

“It means a lot, which is a trite thing to say, but we feel great about the work we do and our culture,” she said, “but it takes it to another level when you see it recognized publicly by other businesses. To be able to share [that excitement] with all the award winners and just celebrate who we are and the work we do, day in and day out.”

Valuing the whole person, not just the employee

Nelson said Red Shoes offers clients a wide breadth of expertise in communications and marketing, including internal communications, PR and media relations, government and community relations, as well as crafting marketing strategies that hit target audiences across traditional and digital marketing advertising and social media.

Branding, design, website and content development, she said, are also part of its forte, as is crisis communication.

Nelson said clients depend on Red Shoes for 24/7 support, covering crisis planning and response, as well as media training.

The agency’s culture, she said, is what sets them apart, creating a space where employees and clients feel valued, supported and inspired to push boundaries.

Nelson said the business stands behind its people-first philosophy, stating it fosters a culture of curiosity, creativity and resilience, empowering team members to think differently and approach every project with fresh ideas.

This supportive environment, she said, helps ensure employees can balance their personal and professional lives, enabling them to deliver their best work.

Nelson said she credits the creation of this operational philosophy to the visionary and driving force behind Red Shoes – Owner/CEO Lisa Cruz.

She said Cruz always wanted the business to be different from a cultural standpoint. 

Though many workers today enjoy greater flexibility in the post-COVID era, Nelson said that wasn’t always the case – noting Cruz was ahead of her time.

“Lisa really baked that into the culture of Red Shoes,” she said. “It’s something we’ve continued to focus on as we evolve.” 

In the agency’s early days, Nelson said Cruz – a working mother herself – was adamant about supporting the women on her team, a philosophy that continues two decades later as employees are recognized not just for their work, but for who they are beyond it, mothers, spouses, daughters and community members.

“It’s not always easy to do that, both from a colleague standpoint and employer standpoint,” she said, “but when you make that commitment to do it…, you give employees a chance to really shine when they can both be on the receiving end of support, but then to [also] step up when a colleague needs support… [That is] a wonderful place to be.”

Keeping pace

With the rise of social media – and the rapid spread of information and disinformation – Nelson said marketing and public relations agencies must remain hypervigilant for their clients.

As a result, Nelson said crisis communication response has become an accelerated need for clients because of how quickly things can get out of hand. 

“Businesses need to react faster,” she said. “Some of the tenants – the foundational pieces that apply in crisis communication – apply regardless of where the issue is or where people are talking about it, but social media really heightens the ability to move fast, because if you don’t, it can spread out of control really quickly.”

Crisis communications has been a focus for Red Shoes from the start, Nelson said, and remains an area where the agency excels.

She said the rise of AI is reshaping the landscape for businesses, presenting both opportunities and challenges.

At Red Shoes, Nelson said the team leverages AI to boost productivity, while also helping clients navigate its benefits and potential risks. 

“It’s definitely something we utilize to make us work faster, to make us think a little differently, but it’s layered in with heavy, critical thinking by humans,” she said. “We haven’t perfected it yet – and I mean that as not just a Red Shoes ‘we,’ but I think a cultural ‘we.’”

Nelson said the human element remains essential given AI’s current capabilities.

At Red Shoes, she said the technology is used as a starting point – a way to get ideas on paper and build from an initial prompt – with the team exploring its potential in areas like writing and image generation.

Though the possibilities are vast with AI, Nelson said its use must make sense from a time and business standpoint.

At Red Shoes, she said the goal isn’t to use AI for the sake of it, noting it’s easy to go down a rabbit hole – spending 30 minutes on something that could be done in 20 the old-fashioned way.

With AI here to stay, Nelson said the agency will use it deliberately – relying on its team’s expertise to ensure it adds value, not noise.

The Red Shoes team, she said, is working in step with the broader industry to optimize how AI is used for both the agency and its clients.

“You have to be smart about it,” she said. “We’re definitely looking at ways to make sure it’s keeping us efficient and producing high-quality, error-free work.”

A full-circle moment

As Red Shoes looks to the future, Nelson said the agency remains committed to its mission of growing and protecting brands, supporting its community and inspiring the next generation of leaders.

She said she and Cruz have worked together for nearly two decades, alongside many long-tenured employees who have not only excelled professionally but also built families and shared some of life’s biggest milestones together.

Beyond personal growth, Nelson said the team has built generational knowledge and lasting institutional relationships over the past two decades, as well as strong, enduring partnerships with clients. 

“It really makes a difference when you’re able to partner with people who have a similar approach to business and to life…,” she said. “You work so much better for clients when you feel like you’re a part of something.” 

Nelson said the recognition at the chamber’s annual gathering last month marked a full-circle moment for Red Shoes.

“We do a great job celebrating each other and lifting each other up internally, but to have that be shared externally just adds another layer to the happiness and joy we get in our work,” she said.