Sept. 26, 2022

This paid piece is sponsored by Click Rain.

A career in account service is not for the faint of heart.

Balancing diverse client needs with team capacity; establishing and maintaining project expectations; mediating communication; managing others’ workloads, calendars and timelines — the list goes on as does the list of skills needed to succeed in the field.

In the case of Jodi Janssen, newly appointed director of account service at Lemonly, one skill has been particularly crucial: perseverance.

After earning a degree in public relations at Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa, Janssen secured a PR internship that evolved into an account service role at a full-service ad agency. This led her to Click Rain in 2017, where she worked in the account service department for 5 1/2 years as an associate, strategist, executive and finally lead account executive.

“I worked with great regional brands and loved my role of getting to know clients, their businesses and how Click Rain’s services could help solve problems,” Janssen said. 

New agency, same team

When the director of account service role opened at Lemonly, Click Rain’s sister agency, Janssen quickly was identified as a strong candidate for the position and hired shortly thereafter. She has been with Lemonly in this official capacity since Aug. 1.

“I worked with several ‘Lemonheads’ on cross-agency projects during my time at Click Rain,” Janssen said, “so I knew I was onboarding to a great crew. And because Lemonly is a smaller team, making connections is simple and exciting.”

Janssen’s recent transition has evoked applause from colleagues and clients alike, many of whom she served throughout her entire tenure with Click Rain.

“Jodi has been an integral part of the account team at Click Rain over the past five years,” said Rachael Weiland, director of account service at Click Rain. “She has contributed to refining and streamlining processes, has led and grown large client accounts and has been a wonderful mentor within this discipline.”

Click Rain’s acquisition of Lemonly in 2021 opened new doors for cross-agency collaboration, like enhancing infographics with analytics or sharing copywriters when schedules demand. But Janssen’s cross-agency promotion may be the most significant instance of talent-sharing to date.

“One of the advantages of having two agencies is the wider range of opportunities it allows our team members within the organization,” added Natalie Eisenberg, CEO of Click Rain Inc. “Jodi excelled in multiple roles at Click Rain, and we were delighted when she expressed interest in an open leadership position at Lemonly.”

Sweet visual content, straight ahead

In her new role, Janssen will lead Lemonly’s account team, grow relationships with existing clients to elevate their brands with visual content and work alongside the leadership team to set and meet Lemonly’s company goals.

“I’m thrilled to call Jodi a Lemonhead,” said Amy Moore, co-founder and executive creative director at Lemonly. “We have been able to work together over the past year on a few cross-agency projects, and I have been so impressed with her expertise, strategic mindset and the care she brings into every interaction. It’s always exciting welcoming a new team member into the mix, and I cannot wait to see all that Jodi brings to the table.”

After more than a year of remote and hybrid work, the Click Rain and Lemonly teams are set to reunite under one roof this month. Their new office building, located at Seventh Street and Nesmith Avenue in downtown Sioux Falls, has been under renovation since last fall.

Almost 10 years into her account service career, Janssen is gearing up for a promising new chapter with Lemonly.

Her favorite part so far? The people.

“Being on a team full of genuinely good, kind people is absolutely the best part of this job. I’ve admired the Lemonly team, culture and work from afar for a long time as part of the Sioux Falls marketing community. I’m excited to understand how we do what we do and explore continued growth while staying true to Lemonly’s core values.”