Celebrating Two Promotions at Green Apple Strategy

kayla reyes and courtney butler working together

Strong client partnerships start with strong teams, and we’re thrilled to celebrate two of our own. Green Apple Strategy is proud to recognize the promotions of Kayla Reyes to Senior Project Manager and Courtney Butler to Senior Client Relations Specialist — a reflection of the dedication, talent, and heart both bring to their work every single day.

kayla reyes with puppy

Kayla Reyes | Senior Project Manager

If you’ve ever wondered how Green Apple keeps so many moving parts aligned, projects on track, deadlines met, and teams coordinated, a big part of that answer is Kayla.

Kayla joined Green Apple in 2021, drawn to the agency’s client-centered approach and collaborative culture. Starting as an Assistant Client Relations Specialist, she quickly made her mark through exceptional organization, attention to detail, and a natural ability to keep projects moving with purpose. Her strategic mindset led to a promotion to Client Relations Specialist in 2023, a transition into Project Management in 2025, and now to the role of Senior Project Manager in 2026.

In her new role, Kayla works closely with both our internal teams and Orchard members to oversee project execution, streamline processes, and ensure that every strategy gets carried out effectively and efficiently. Kayla is the kind of person who builds effective processes and systems that help the whole team thrive.

As an Enneagram One, Kayla brings intentionality to everything from budget tracking and timeline management to client meeting preparation and cross-functional coordination. Her colleagues know her as someone who gets ahead of challenges before they become issues and who genuinely cares about the success of both clients and teammates.

Kayla earned her bachelor’s degree in business management with a minor in entrepreneurship in 2018, and her path to Green Apple included hands-on experience in content writing, social media management, and client communication — a well-rounded foundation that continues to shape how she approaches her work today.

courtney butler

Courtney Butler | Senior Client Relations Specialist

Courtney has always had a drive to achieve, excel, and lead. Her promotion to Senior Client Relations Specialist is a natural next step for someone who brings that level of energy to a small team.

Since joining Green Apple in 2023, Courtney has been a steady, strategic presence for clients. As a Senior Client Relations Specialist, she leads client communication, guides marketing strategies from concept to completion, and ensures that every client feels heard, supported, and set up for long-term success.

Originally from Waynesboro, Mississippi, Courtney earned both her bachelor’s degree in marketing and her MBA from Mississippi State University (Hail State!). It was during her MBA consulting course that she knew a client-facing role at a marketing agency was exactly where she was meant to be, and Green Apple has been lucky to have her ever since.

What Courtney loves most about marketing is the creative journey: taking an idea and guiding it through every stage of development until it becomes something real. That passion shows up in the intentional, creative work she delivers to clients every day. A true Enneagram 3, she’s motivated, focused, and always looking for ways to raise the bar.

Courtney’s promotion reflects not just her professional accomplishments, but the genuine relationships she’s built — with clients, with teammates, and with the Green Apple community at large.

Growing Together

At Green Apple Strategy, investing in our team is one of the most important things we can do for our people and for our clients. When our team members grow, our clients benefit from deeper expertise, stronger relationships, and more thoughtful strategy. If you’ve worked with Kayla or Courtney, you already know what we mean. Together, they’re a great example of what makes our model work: a Senior Project Manager who ensures flawless execution and a Senior Client Relations Specialist who leads with strategy and heart. 

We’re so proud to have Courtney and Kayla on our team and can’t wait to see what they continue to build in this next chapter! 

Why Industry Awards Still Matter (And How to Use Them Strategically)

gold trophy

Every year, when the Nashville Business Journal releases its latest list of influential leaders or an industry report recognizes outstanding companies, a familiar thought crosses the minds of many leadership teams: “Our team is doing incredible work; shouldn’t we be on that list?” 

They’re not wrong. Local and national recognition can make a difference for a company. But here’s the reality—submitting for awards without a strategy rarely leads to meaningful results.

At Green Apple Strategy, we’ve integrated award submissions as a strategic pillar for many of our clients’ PR plans, and the results speak for themselves. Last year alone:

In this blog, we’ll explore why industry awards remain a vital component of a modern marketing strategy and offer tactical insights on how to leverage recognition to build long-term brand leadership.

Why Industry Awards Still Matter

In a digital PR landscape often crowded with pay-to-play schemes and self-proclaimed experts, third-party validation is a powerful differentiator. Here is why earning a spot on the podium is worth the effort:

1. Building Instant Credibility

An award acts as a seal of approval from an objective authority. It signals to prospects that you don’t just claim to be the best—the industry agrees with you. 

According to a study by the Best Practice Institute, award-winning companies can see a 37% increase in sales growth compared to their non-award-winning counterparts. When a potential client is choosing between two firms, that “Best in Business” logo often tips the scales.

2. Increasing Visibility and the Network Effect

Awards often lead to far more visibility than the trophy itself. Think of an award as a high-level introduction to people who wouldn’t otherwise have your brand on their radar. 

According to Global Recognition Awards research, winning industry awards can increase brand awareness by an average of 37%.

When your name shows up on a prestigious list, it creates a ripple effect. Media outlets look to winners for expert commentary, event organizers scout winners for speaking opportunities, and potential partners see a vetted ally.

3. Cultivating Internal Brand Equity 

We often focus on how awards look to the outside world, but their impact on internal culture is arguably more significant. Celebrating a win builds immense employee engagement and pride. 

Research from Gallup indicates that companies with a culture of recognition (including pursuing external awards) experience 31% lower voluntary turnover. Awards can serve as a public “thank you” to your team for their hard work.

4. Enriching Your Brand Story 

Awards provide fresh, high-quality content for your marketing channels. They allow you to tell a story of growth, excellence, and consistency without sounding boastful. Instead of saying, “We are a great place to work,” you get to say, “We are honored to be recognized by our peers for our commitment to our people.” It shifts the narrative from self-promotion to community recognition.

How to Use Awards as a Smart PR Strategy

Winning doesn’t happen by accident. It requires a disciplined, tactical approach that aligns with your overall business goals. Here is how we help our clients navigate the process:

1. Take a Disciplined Approach 

Many companies miss out simply because they start too late. Annual award nominations are predictable, but the window for submissions can be short. This is where rigorous project management is essential.

Client Example: Maxwell Roofing has maintained a dominant presence in our local market by staying ahead of the curve as a trusted third-generation family business. Their commitment to the process led to their inclusion on the NBJ’s 2025 list of the Largest Privately Held Companies in Nashville, and their CEO, Kathleen Maxwell, was recently honored as a Nashville Business Journal 40 Under 40 winner for 2026.

2.  Keep Your Storytelling Stats Accessible 

The most prestigious awards require more than just a well-written essay; they require hard data. Whether it’s safety records, revenue growth, or community impact hours, keeping this information organized and accessible is the difference between a winning entry and a rejected one.

Client Example: When Crain Construction applied for the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) project awards, our team had to track down specific safety metrics and complex project milestones. This meticulous data-gathering directly led to their recognition as ABC’s General Contractor of the Year.

3. Tell a Fresh Story Every Year

Many of the most valuable awards are annual. To win multiple years in a row, you have to be able to tell a fresh story every time. You can’t simply copy and paste last year’s entry; you must show evolution.

4. Align Awards with Your Business Goals

Not every award is worth your time. The best opportunities are the ones that directly support your business objectives. Whether you are trying to break into a new market, highlight niche industry expertise, or bolster a massive recruiting push, your award strategy should mirror your business plan. Being selective allows you to focus your energy on the awards that will move the needle for your brand.

Client Example: United Communications’ mission is deeply rooted in providing a better internet experience for Middle Tennessee. By focusing on awards like the BBB Torch Award for Ethics and other national industry honors, they’ve positioned their brand as a beloved local provider and a national leader in the telecommunications space. Their awards are evidence of their mission in action.

Make Awards Part of Your Marketing Plan

Local and industry awards are still one of the most effective ways to build credibility, strengthen your brand, and create meaningful visibility. But they only work if you treat them as part of a bigger strategy.

At Green Apple, we help clients identify the right opportunities, craft compelling submissions, and turn recognition into real momentum. From local honors to national industry awards, our team works alongside clients to make sure these wins actually support long-term growth.

If you are thinking about how awards could fit into your marketing and PR strategy this year, we would love to talk.

Is Your B2B Brand “AI-Visible”? Why Google Business Profiles Are Your Most Overlooked Opportunity

google search screen on tablet

If you feel like searching for information on the internet has changed lately, you aren’t imagining it. Whether you’re asking Siri for a recommendation while driving on the highway or using Google’s new AI-driven search to find a vendor, traditional search is officially taking a backseat.

There has been a significant amount of buzz in the marketing world about how Google’s AI (and other LLMs) are pulling data. We are seeing that Google Business Profiles (GBP)—formerly known as Google My Business—are becoming the primary source of truth for these AI responses. If your profile is thin or outdated, you might be invisible to the AI that is trying to recommend you.

The data backs this up. A recent study found that 73% of B2B buyers now incorporate AI tools into their purchase research. Furthermore, research from Backlinko suggests that businesses with complete Google Business Profiles are 2.7 times more likely to be considered reputable by search engines.

For Nashville’s B2B landscape, making sure your profile provides sufficient context is now a fundamental part of your digital foundation.

How to Optimize Your B2B Google Business Profile for AI-Driven Search

Here are five ways to ensure your B2B brand stands out to Google’s AI:

1. Contextualize with Images and Video

For artificial intelligence, images provide critical context. Uploading a video tour of your facility or photos of your team on a job site helps Google’s AI verify what your business actually does. It turns abstract services into a tangible reality, which builds the trust that AI needs before it recommends you to a high-value prospect. AIs prioritize profiles that are regularly updated because they show that a business is operational. Regularly adding new photos to your profile is a great signal that your business is active and busy. 

2. Make Your Profile Even More Specific

Google’s AI can’t recommend a service it doesn’t know you provide. Many B2B companies fill out their name and address on their Google Business Profile and stop there. To win in AI search, you must list every specialty—whether it’s “design-build services,” “compliance auditing,” or “24/7 emergency repair.” If a prospect asks an AI for a “commercial electrician in Nashville who handles retrofitting,” and those words aren’t in your profile, the AI will skip you for a competitor who was more descriptive.

3. Treat Reviews as Content Fuel for AI

Google’s AI doesn’t just look at your star rating; it reads the text within the reviews to understand your reputation. When a happy client mentions “excellent project management” or “seamless HR implementation,” the AI notes those keywords. Encourage your clients to share testimonials and be specific in their feedback. When a new review comes in, make sure you respond professionally. This constant stream of fresh, positive data is like high-octane fuel for AI visibility.

Inside Look: Take a look at how our team helped The Gardner School increase Google reviews through a creative, compelling campaign. 

4. Bridge the Gap Between Site and Profile

If Google’s AI can’t crawl or understand your website, it won’t trust your Business Profile. Focus on creating content-rich pages where the most important information is visible to a reader—not hidden behind complex buttons or slow-loading graphics. When your website and your GBP tell the same story, the AI feels confident enough to put your brand at the top of the search results.

5. Ensure Consistency Across Your Platforms

Google’s AI is a fact-checker. It pulls data from your website, your GBP, and dozens of business directories. If your phone number is different on LinkedIn than it is on your website, or if your suite number is missing on Yelp, it confuses the AI. This data friction can hurt your authority. Consistency across the web signals to Google that you are a stable, reliable business.

The Bottom Line

AI is becoming an increasingly important factor for B2B growth. Google is leaning into AI results that pull directly from your online presence. If your profile isn’t fresh, full, and consistent, you are quietly losing ground to competitors who are playing by the new rules.

The good news? You don’t have to spend your weekends manually updating these profiles. At Green Apple, we help our clients ensure their profile stays active and optimized so they can focus on running their business.

Ready to future-proof your digital strategy? Connect with the Green Apple team today or sign up for our monthly newsletter, The Core, for more timely insights into the evolving world of B2B marketing.