What the Heck Is an Interrobang?
Have you ever seen a sentence that ends with a question mark and an exclamation point? Well, back in 1962, advertising agency executive Martin Spekter thought those kinds of sentences would look better in print if they ended with just one punctuation mark instead of two. So, he created the interrobang.
The interrobang combines the question mark (interrogative) and the exclamation point (known as a “bang” in printer jargon). The exclamation point is incorporated into the hook of the question mark, so the final mark looks like this: ‽.
The interrobang is used at the end of a question that is delivered with surprise and astonishment. And that’s what Interrobang Solutions strives to offer our clients—content solutions that surprise and astonish, so you can wow your clients and, ultimately, grow your business.
Kelly Scanlon, President & CEO
Kelly Scanlon is a business owner, publisher, podcast host, and lifelong advocate for entrepreneurs and small businesses. She is the owner of Interrobang Solutions, a firm that provides professional writing, editing, and publishing services for companies nationwide.
For more than 20 years, Kelly owned Thinking Bigger Business Media, Inc., which became a leading resource for growth-minded entrepreneurs. Under her leadership, the company published the monthly Thinking Bigger Business magazine, produced the annual 25 Under 25® Awards program for businesses with fewer than 25 employees, created the KC Smart Companies to Watch recognition, and developed a portfolio of digital publications, educational guides, events, and e-newsletters. These initiatives connected small business owners with strategies and resources for scaling successfully. She sold the company in 2018.
Before that, Kelly founded and operated Scanlon Editorial Services for more than 10 years, providing writing and editorial services to publishers, corporations, universities, and seminar companies across the U.S.
Kelly’s media career spans both traditional and digital platforms. She began in broadcast radio in 2001 as host of Eye on Small Business, a live, one-hour program that aired five days a week. The show launched on Kansas City radio station KPHN and later moved to KCTE, where it built a strong following by spotlighting local entrepreneurs, business issues, and economic development topics.
After nearly a decade of live radio, Kelly embraced the then-emerging world of podcasting, producing and hosting shows on BlogTalkRadio, including Smart Companies Radio and Smart Companies KC. These programs extended her reach to a national audience and featured interviews with successful entrepreneurs and nationally recognized business experts.
Today, Kelly is host of Talking Business Now on the C-Suite Network out of New York and was the host of Banking on KC—a Country Club Bank podcast highlighting people and organizations making a difference in the Kansas City community—until November 1, 2025, when the bank was sold.
Kelly has served in numerous leadership roles at the local, regional, and national levels. She is the past chair of the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) Institute for Entrepreneurial Development (a 501c3 educational organization). She also served a five-year term on the NAWBO National Board of Directors (a 501c6 membership organization) from 2008-2013, including a term as board chair, and has held many leadership positions with NAWBO-Kansas City.
In addition, she has served on numerous boards and committees, advising a wide range of organizations, including the Country Club Bank Board of Directors and Metro Advisory Board, the Women’s Foundation (United WE) Patron Committee, the Women’s Employment Network, the UMKC Bloch School of Business Advisory Board, the Rockhurst University Small Business Development Center (as chair), Kansas State Johnson County Extension (an elected position by county residents), the Missouri Women’s Business Center, the Entrepreneurial Exchange 2, and the Northeast Johnson County Chamber of Commerce, among others.
Kelly’s decades of leadership and advocacy have been recognized locally, regionally, and nationally. Forbes named her one of the Top 25 Women Tweeting About Entrepreneurship. The U.S. Small Business Administration honored her as Region VII Women’s Business Advocate and Region VII Small Business Journalist Advocate of the Year. She also received the United Nations NGO Positive Peace Award on behalf of Kansas City small business owners.
Her additional honors include the Women Who Mean Business award from the Kansas City Business Journal, Women’s Business Advocate for the State of Kansas, NAWBO-KC’s Teambuilder Award, the Leading Change Award from Women in Communications, the Golden Door Knob Award for opening doors for entrepreneurs from First Step Fund, and honorary membership in SCORE for her contributions to entrepreneurs.
Kelly holds a degree in English from the University of Missouri-Columbia and earned WSET Level 2 Wines Certification from the Napa Valley Wine Academy.
Through her businesses, her broadcasting platforms, and her board leadership, Kelly continues to use her voice to elevate small businesses, empower women entrepreneurs, and strengthen communities.