Mad Banana started with a playdate, a career question and a drive to McDonald’s.

On July 13, 2001, in Anchorage, Alaska, Michelle Delaney was talking with a close friend about what she might do next. Before becoming a mother, Michelle had worked in broadcast media as a television reporter and anchor and a morning radio host.

She knew how to find the story, ask the right questions, write for real people, think on her feet and deliver under pressure. Her friend looked at all of that experience and suggested she start a public relations company.

So she did.

The name came later that day.

While driving to dinner with her daughters, Maddy and Hannah, Michelle started playing with their names. Maddy. Hannah Banana. Mad Banana.

It was personal. It was memorable. It had personality. And it was definitely more interesting than Delaney Consulting.

Mad Banana Creative Services was born with a simple purpose: help businesses and organizations get noticed for the good work they were already doing.

From the beginning, Michelle approached public relations with the instincts of a journalist. Find the real story. Know the audience. Make the complicated clear. Be ready when things move fast.

Alaska gave Mad Banana its start.

Michelle’s years in television and radio gave her an understanding of both sides of the media relationship.

She knew what reporters needed, what audiences cared about and why some stories earned attention while others did not. That experience became the foundation for Mad Banana’s work in public relations, advertising, media relations, writing and communications.

The name might have been playful. The work was serious from day one.

Japan changed the lens.

During more than a decade in Japan, photography became part of Mad Banana’s story. What began as a personal passion grew into Mad Banana Photography, including a specialty in creating empowering portrait experiences for women whose families were navigating the realities of military deployments.

The work reinforced something that has always been central to Mad Banana: good communication is about people. Sometimes the story is told with words. Sometimes it is told through an image.

Georgia brought public affairs into focus.

When the Delaney family returned to the United States, Mad Banana came with them.

In Georgia, the company took on public relations work in government and municipal communications. This was work where the message mattered, the timing mattered and public trust mattered.

Michelle brought together her experience in broadcast journalism, public service, media relations and message development to help public-facing leaders communicate clearly with the press and the communities they served.

That chapter expanded Mad Banana’s experience in public affairs, government and municipal communications, media relations and community engagement.

It also confirmed that Michelle does some of her best work when the subject is complicated, the audience is varied and the stakes are real.

St. Louis is the next chapter.

Today, Mad Banana LLC is based in St. Louis, Missouri, but its reach is not limited by a ZIP code.

Michelle continues to lead the company’s work in public relations, media relations, communications consulting, media training, writing, photography and creative services. She helps clients find the story, shape the message, prepare the people delivering it and turn good ideas into work that connects with an audience.

Brian Delaney adds experience in logistics, technology, computers, networks and artificial intelligence. His skills expand Mad Banana’s ability to provide technical guidance, practical AI training and professional support for projects that cross categories or do not fit neatly into a traditional service package.

At its core, Mad Banana is still a communications company.

We listen. We ask questions. We figure out what matters. Then we build the right mix of strategy, creativity and practical support around the work.

Twenty-five years later, the name still gets attention.

The experience gives it weight.

The work is what makes people remember it.

Because a serious business never needed a boring name.

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