Meet your Focus Marketing Group, Inc. team! We are dedicated to top notch customer service. Contact any of us with any questions you may have and to schedule video shoots, picture shoots or any print or web design. We would love to work with you!
Kyla Copeland
Business Manager
Field Staff
Print Division
785-213-5435 – cell
575-633-2700 – office
kyla@gotfocus.co
Hi y?all! I?m Kyla Copeland, I grew up on a farm in rural Baltic, South Dakota. For a brief period of time (when I was very young) we milked dairy cattle and ran a commercial beef herd. We dispersed the dairy herd and concentrated on the beef herd. My love of cattle started very early. I started exhibiting cattle at a young age and competed at a local, state and national level. A big thanks goes out to my parents who put up with me and let me go after what I loved. I also owe so much of my knowledge for the show cattle world and a lot of what I know about cattle in general to a wonderful man who took me in at a young age and showed me the ropes. He was my second dad for a big part of my life (and he is still a very influential man in my life), Ron Bruns. Without him, I?m not sure what I would be doing at this point in my life for a career. But because of him I?m doing something I truly love and have so much passion for. If you are ever around the Baltic, South Dakota area, stop in and see Ron and talk to him, his knowledge is astounding.
I graduated from South Dakota State University in 2003 with a degree in Ag Journalism and a minor in Animal Science. In January 2004, I started working as the editor of the Maine-Anjou Voice, the American Maine-Anjou Association?s publication in Platte City, Mo. (just north of Kansas City). I also helped out with the various shows / events put on by the AMAA. Again, I owe a lot of growth and knowledge to that job and to John Boddicker (CEO of the AMAA). John is someone else I really look up to and is so well respected in this business.
From there, I worked with Mark Sneed and Maximum Exposure for a little over a year. Mark taught me a lot in this business and I really appreciate him for that. I then decided to move on from there and start my own business, Focus Marketing Group. I currently live in Nara Visa, New Mexico (we are located about 90 miles northwest of Amarillo, Texas; 40 miles southwest of Dalhart, Texas and 40 miles straight south of Clayton, NM) with my husband Matt. We live on the family?s ranch, Copeland & Sons LLC where we run commercial and registered Hereford cattle and black club calf cows. I absolutely love living on a working ranch where they do things ?the cowboy way?.
Call me anytime with any questions you may have regarding Focus Marketing Group and let me know if there is any way we can help you. I feel we have as strong of a team with Focus as we possibly could and we are very diversified. Also call me if you have any questions regarding Copeland & Sons Hereford cattle or Copeland Show Cattle.
Have a great one!
Kent Jaecke
Field Staff
405-408-2440 – cell
jaecke@gotfocus.co
Howdy Friends! I’m Kent Jaecke, most everyone in the livestock industry that knows me, calls me ?Jake?. I was raised on 400 head commercial cow/calf operation near the Flint Hills of Kansas, in Chapman, Kansas. My love for livestock and animal agriculture came at a very early age, I loved everything about the cattle business from calving to working the cattle, and from evaluating livestock to later on in life showing steers and heifers. It was in my blood then, and remains passionately there today. After graduating from Kansas State University with an Agricultural Degree in Animal Science, with emphasis on Communication, I was hired by the High Plains Journal, Dodge City, Kansas, where I cut my teeth working the ring at sales in Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri and Oklahoma under such great legendary auctioneers such as George Morse, C.K. ?Sonny? Booth, Bruce Brooks, Jim Birdwell, Jim Baldridge, Skinner Hardy, Ken Trout, Ray Sims and the incomparable, Stanley Stout.
In January of 1985, I was hired by the American Polled Hereford Association, where I traveled the great Northwest representing breeders from Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Montana. Two years later, Dr. Roger Hunsley hired me to travel the entire U.S. for the American Shorthorn Association, where I served as the activities director of the Association and publisher of the Shorthorn Country magazine. In 1992, I moved to Oklahoma where I worked as a field representative for the Western Livestock Journal in Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas. Since 1995, I have owned and operated my own livestock marketing business, J Bar Livestock, where I work nearly 100 sales annually all across the country from California to North Carolina and from Minnesota to Texas.
Through all my travels, I was contacted a few years ago my Mark Sneed, Maximum Exposure, to do some contract videoing for his company. Mark gave me the opportunity to learn on the job training videoing cattle of all breeds across the country. Knowledge and experience that I have taken to offer professional and high quality services through Focus Marketing Group. At Focus Marketing Group, our team of professionals all share one common interest. We love what we do. Marketing livestock is in our blood, we enjoy marketing livestock from all segments of the industry, purebred, commercial and the show industry of all species.
I live in Oklahoma City, but travel extensively throughout the entire country, no job is too big or too small for Focus Marketing Group, we want to be your exclusive marketing source for promoting and merchandising your product. Customer service paired with professional, high quality products and services is what we strive to produce for each and every customer. We look forward to becoming your partner in marketing your product, and visiting your farms and ranches.
Katie Smith
Field Staff
229-220-3017 – cell
katie@gotfocus.co
Although a lot of people know me as ‘Peaches’, my real name is Katie
Smith. I hail from the small South Georgia town of Bainbridge, where I was born and raised on a five generation family farm. We row crop peanuts, corn, soybeans, and milo and run cattle. And, yes, I was ‘free labor’ and I loved it! My Shorthorn herd adds color to the commercial and Angus of my Daddys’. My horses are for working, but the roping and barrels are our source of entertainment.
Livestock has always been an essential part of my life, starting with showing lambs and hogs at age three. I have been in a barn literally all of my life. My whole family bleeds ‘blue and gold’. Spring breaks weren’t spent at the beach, but traveling the country, looking for the perfect animals! Vacations for our family and just about every weekend were local, state or national shows. Showing cattle has not only been a passion, but a little piece of Heaven on Earth for me. If the Good Lord would just have me an air conditioned barn and some great cattle to work when I get to Heaven, I’d be happy!
I attended Northeast Oklahoma A&M in Miami, Okla., on a Livestock Judging Scholarship, under Jary Douglas, when I graduated high school. I did my senior judging at University of Georgia when Jary accepted the coaching position there. While at UGA, I also judged dairy under Dr. William Graves. Oh, and I received my Bachelor Degree in Animal Science while I was there. I’ve judged shows in the south east and Canada. My internship/first job was in Australia at Donna Valley Limousin Stud where I spent six glorious months, as a ranch hand and working their show string. Returning to the states, I attended Oklahoma State University and achieved my Masters Degree in Ag Communication.
Immediately after graduation from OSU, I joined up with Maximum Exposure; and my skills were ‘fine tuned’ while traveling with Mark Sneed. I will always be grateful for the experience to have worked with and learned from Mark. I then joined up with Focus Marketing Group.
Professionalism, experience, and the sheer love of the livestock industry is what sets Focus Marketing Group apart. I currently live in Omaha, Neb., and am really looking forward to working with you to make your livestock look and market the best they can be! Give us a call to see and feel the difference of Focus Marketing Group!
Erick Schmidt
Web Division Manager
Field Staff
Print Division
830-263-0166 – cell
979-268-5891 – office
erick@gotfocus.co
updates@gotfocus.co
Howdy y?all, this Texan has been very active in the livestock industry since day one, I grew up with a commercial cattle operation as well as being very active with various 4-H projects. Soon I found my way to my current home showing and raising registered Hereford cattle, where I actively promote the Hereford breed. My family and I started Schmidt Cattle Company in the fall of 2003 where we focus on Hereford and Shorthorn cattle in Gonzales, Texas. Later we partnered with Gary and Kathy Buchholz of GKB Cattle, who brought ?SCC? to the national stage.
I joined the Focus team in December 2011 as the manager of our web division as well as one of our talented field staff. In the summer of 2006, I started my own web design company, E.S. Design Group, which has a diverse range of clients from small cattle operation to multimillion dollar corporations. My brand of Internet marketing has been featured in several nationwide magazines. In the summer of 2011 I joined Maximum Exposure as a web designer and video editor, which lead me to join the Focus team. While currently attending Texas A&M University, I work on several Focus projects and an occasional video and picture shoot. Upon graduation, I will be able to work more in the field shooting videos and pictures for Focus Marketing Group.
I currently live in College Station, Texas or better known as ?Aggieland? with my computers, show stick and all you can eat Mexican Food!