About Us

A note from the Founder

Hello Friend,

Leading Riley Hayes has been one of the great honors of my life. Given the impressive clients we serve, the good people I work alongside and great work we have done, it is no wonder that “joy” is such a central element of who we are.

Three and a half decades ago, we began in a world that didn’t have email and cell phones were a status symbol. So much has changed. But in those 35 years, it has been my job to make certain that a number of things have remained the same:

- Put others first.

- Act like mom is in the room.

- Charge into the arena.

- Think anew and act anew.

- Create with joy.

These guide posts are not only the right thing to do, they are the foundation of the relationships we enjoy with our clients and with one another. It is those long-standing partnerships that have sustained us through all these years.

My hope is that seeing our work, understanding our purpose, appreciating our capabilities and feeling our joy will lead you to consider us for your next project or take a step of getting to know us better. Serving clients is a great joy for us, so reach out and we can create joy together.

Tom Hayes
Founder
thayes@hellorileyhayes.com

So, what about Riley?

I am often asked, “Who is Riley.” The fact is, that Riley is my mom’s maiden name. Over the years I have claimed the following:

  1. Adding her name is a way of looking twice as big as we really were at the time.

  2. It was a great way to double down on the Irish.

  3. It is like a Good Housekeeping seal of approval. During her lifetime, Riley Hayes is the only agency she endorsed. 

  4. She licensed the name to us on the condition that everyone picks up after themselves.

  5. When she was promoted to our guardian angel, it was a great way to honor her.

Creative philosophy

Our job is to bring humanity to humanity. So we believe that great creative starts with empathy: understanding the customer’s needs, emotions and motivations. Then, we mold our client’s messaging with words, graphics, sound and motion to address the customer’s wants with our client’s product or service as the solution. The two most notable outcomes are meaningful results and a feeling of joy for ourselves and our clients.


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Want an agency that’s less virtual and more real? Visit our office.
111 3rd Avenue S, Suite 240 Minneapolis, MN 55401

Hey-o. Hi. Hello. Howdy.

Hey-o. Hi. Hello. Howdy.

Let’s create some joy together.

To discuss a potential partnership or to learn more about our agency, hit us up at howdy@rileyhayes.com.