My slightly-embellished professional journey—as told by a fellow strategist

(And yes, I was paleo at the time)

Client Experience

Work Experience

Senior Experience Strategist

CZARNOWSKI COLLECTIVE

Experiential Marketing Agency
July 2023–Present

• Lead strategic planning and ideation for key clients and new business, integrating research and data to develop tailored approaches for trade shows, brand events, festivals and other activations.

• Craft inspiring creative briefs in collaboration with creative and account teams to ensure the experience aligns with strategic objectives.

• Develop messaging frameworks, customer journeys and communications strategies based on audience insights and market trends.

• Facilitate ideation sessions with clients, internal teams and agency partners

• Define measurement strategy to evaluate impact and effectiveness

  
  Client Experience: Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine, Viasat

Senior Brand Strategist

LEWIS COMMUNICATIONS

Advertising Agency, Nashville, TN
September 2022–July 2023

• Lead business strategy, brand planning and research for finance, tourism and technology clients.

• Plan, execute and monitor cross-channel campaigns with account, media and creative teams.

• Facilitate client workshops, stakeholder interviews, audience interviews and focus groups.

• Analyze client sales data to identify customer trends and uncover opportunities for growth.

• Develop creative briefs, positioning, personas, content & comms plans, surveys and reporting.

• Work alongside the business development team to identify and pitch new business prospects.

• Represent Lewis at industry events to attract prospects in key verticals such as Financial Brand Forum.

• Plan and host local events with organizations such as AAF Nashville.

Client Experience: Kentucky Distillers' Association / Kentucky Bourbon Trail®, Ascend Federal Credit Union, LED Technologies / reVive Light Therapy, Kirkland's, AnMed

Strategist (Supervisor)

OSBORN BARR PARAMORE

Advertising Agency, Nashville, TN
November 2021–September 2022

• Served as the client-facing strategy lead for one of OBP’s largest clients: Bayer Crop Sciences.

• Generated over $600,000 in agency fees through new business and incremental projects.

• Led annual planning, campaign development and reporting alongside media, account and creative teams.

• Supervised and mentored interns in the fundamentals of strategy.

• Pitched an education platform prospect, securing a new client in a new category.

• Developed five product launch marketing plans across two animal health clients.

• Facilitated over 50 in-depth research interviews across a variety of audiences and industries.

• Designed and analyzed over a dozen quantitative and qualitative surveys with research partners.

• Conducted competitive website audits; developed UX recommendations and wireframes.

Strategist (Manager)

November 2020-October 2021

Strategy Associate

November 2019–October 2020

Strategy + UX Intern

June 2019-October 2019

• Worked under the strategy department’s UX lead on website projects including competitor audits, wireframe design, prototyping and QC.

• Gained experience in a variety of tourism, agriculture, and non-profit accounts.

• Assisted strategy team with research and reporting

• Designed print ads, banner ads, and other promotional materials.

• Contributed to OBP’s summer research initiative, Tourists of Tomorrow.

• Received a 2019 MarCom Platinum Print Media award for Visit Macon’s Annual Report.

Freelance Strategist

Kim Mackenzie (KM STRATEGY)

Strategy Consultant, New York
Fall 2021

• Conducted research to support the development of new positioning for a generative art NFT client.

• Helped refine the final strategic recommendation and presentation for NFT client.

• Assisted with a live creative collaboration workshop for a UK-based online dating app client.

Independent Marketing Consultant

Shaul Creative, Nashville, TN
May 2018–Present

CYSTIC FIBROSIS FOUNDATION (NASHVILLE, TN)

special Olympics Tennessee (Nashville, TN)

ASHLEY COOKE (NASHVILLE, TN)

matt roy (Nashville, TN)

Chimin’ In Media (Tuscaloosa, AL)

Bryant LAW PARTNERS (Fort Smith, AR)

center hill animal clinic (Olive Branch, MS)

Services include branding, positioning, content creation, graphic design, press kits, and website design.

Digital Strategist

Ever Ellis Giftable Goods (NOW KNOWN AS TOTALEE GIFT)

Gifts and Decor Wholesaler, Nashville, TN
August 2018-May 2019

• Oversaw Ever Ellis's growing digital presence on Instagram, Facebook, and Google.

• Conceptualized, created, and analyzed email campaigns and automations.

• Rebranded social media channels to increase weekly profile visits by 1,233% in just 2 months.

• Made UX changes on the website to expedite retailer application process and increase conversions.

• Designed showroom display materials and product prototypes.

Creative Intern

BOHAN

Advertising Agency, Nashville, TN
June 2018-August 2018

• Worked under bohan's Executive Creative Director as part of a four-intern creative team.

• Brainstormed alongside creative department to plan a PR stunt for a national restaurant chain with over 200 locations.

• Analyzed competitor video content from over 50 tourism destinations and proposed new concepts for Pigeon Forge's Department of Tourism.

• Proposed a fall Pinterest strategy for Stein Mart after analyzing competitor content and studying Pinterest's business guides.

• Assisted with Stein Mart video shoot, Stein Mart social media campaign, and We Go Public Transit Nashville photoshoot.

• Analyzed social media competitor content to be used in a potential client proposal to an Arizona healthcare organization.

eCommerce Sales Coordinator

Transpac imports, inc.

Seasonal Gifts Wholesaler, Nashville, TN
March 2017 - August 2017

• Established new online direct-to-consumer presence on Wayfair, Zulily, Houzz, and Amazon.

• Assisted in AmericasMart Atlanta showroom for July 2017 trade show.

• Added over 1000 SKU’s to eCommerce platforms with images, romance copy, and feature specs.

• Conducted profitability reports and created an expedited system for calculating shipping costs.

• Collaborated in branding meetings for launch of new everyday DTC product line.

What I do

brAND STRATEGY

CAMPAIGN PLANNING

comms planning

Content planning

DIGITAL + social STRATEGY

Branding + POSITIONING

Client + Stakeholder Workshops

INTERVIEW + focus group facilitation

Audience SEgmentation + personas

RESEARCH + SURVEY DESIGN

DATA ANALYSIS + COMPETITIVE AUDITS

NEW business PITCHES + presentationS

MEASUREMENT + REPORTING

Education & Training

Belmont University

Nashville, TN

Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing (B.B.A.) | Summa Cum Laude
Minor in Design Communications
Minor in Music Business
GPA 3.9 | Dean’s List

Miami Ad School

M.AD Punta Cana

Strategist 2.0

4A’s MAIP

MULTICULTURAL ADVERTISING INTERN PROGRAM

Supervisor Training Program

Recognition + Involvement

• Nashville Top 30 Under 30 (2022)

• AAF Nashville, Panel moderator & event host

• Jack C. Massey College of Business, Guest lecturer

• Watkins College of Art, Portfolio review committee

• American Advertising Awards St. Louis Silver ADDY for DEKALB Field of Dreams

• American Advertising Awards National Silver ADDY for Classic Novel Series, Student Division

• MarCom Platinum Print Media Award for Visit Macon’s Annual Report

• Special Olympics Tennessee, Young Professionals Board

Oh. You’re still here?

Well I must say, I'm impressed! While you're down here, let me tell you a story.

Most kids growing up get one of the classic punishments when they're in trouble: no phone, no friends, no money. My mom took an unconventional approach. For me, it was "no crafts in the kitchen” and the dreaded "no reading for fun at 2:00 in the morning.” Remember, I was 10 years old.

Today, I've traded the Nancy Drew books for Forbes podcasts, and coloring books for Adobe, but the underlying love has never changed. It's simple: I love learning and creating.