American Advisors Group

Vice President, Brand Strategy and Creative Services

April 2017 – December 2022

As second-in command (under the CMO) at AAG’s bustling marketing department, I managed a 12-person communications team comprised of art directors, copywriters, producers, social media managers and public relations specialists. Throughout my time in this leadership role, I collaborated across the business to improve AAG’s brand image in both the consumer and business landscape, developing a tonnage of content along the way.

  • Led AAG’s shared-services creative and PR teams to support the business cross-functionally.

  • Executed various performance, digital and social marketing campaigns for AAG’s $90M annual media spend, encompassing all relevant channels: television, print, social, digital.

  • Delivered AAG’s first-ever fully integrated, multi-channel campaign.

  • Developed PR strategies to improve the category favorability among a variety of constituents (customers, financial advisors, and influencer media). Results include shifting positive sentiment from 20% in 2020 to 35% in 2022 and increasing earned media ad value ~10x. ($9.8M in 2022).

  • Optimized performance television spots to improve cost per opportunity (CPO); within the past two years, CPO was improved by ~50%.

  • Developed the concepts and wrote the well-known AAG performance spots starring Tom Selleck.

  • Managed AAG’s content marketing strategy, leading copywriters to develop more than 100 SEO-friendly articles.

  • Drove multiple qualitative and quantitative studies to gain better insights into AAG’s constituencies (customers, financial professionals, adult children, and financial media).

  • Executed corporate re-brand in 2018, including a new brand strategy, logo and tagline updates, visual identity, and values.

  • Collaborated with executives in alternative distribution to develop strategies and marketing assets to drive greater adoption with the B2B space.

Willow International

Board of Directors, Member and Strategic Advisor

January 2018 – January 2021

Now branded as EverFree, this Uganda-based anti-human trafficking organization specializes in the restoration of trafficking survivors. Throughout my time as a board member, I managed all marketing initiatives related to building brand awareness and fundraising. As the only marketer on the board, I was the de facto creative director. Our work helped save hundreds of lives from the global epidemic of human trafficking.

  • Evolved the brand and managed the build of the fundraising-capable website

  • Managed all content: brochures, presentation decks, website and blog content

  • Produced collateral and video for various fundraising events

  • Alongside my peers, increased annual endowment from $250,000 to $1.2M

  • Helped Willow grow from one restorative care home to three (a fourth was on the way, but Covid messed that up)

Mikme

Fractional Creative Director & Marketing Strategist

January 2015 – August 2017

Mikme was (and is) the vision of ex-AKG project manager Philipp Sonnleitner—the world’s first studio-quality recording microphone for musicians, podcasters, and videographers. Working alongside the founder, I drove the creative, marketing and PR strategies to a successful crowdfunding launch and post-launch fulfillment.

  • Developed comprehensive PR strategy to get picked up by Engadget, Gizmodo, and other popular tech rags

  • Produced compelling video content to build awareness, interest and drive sales

  • Wrote all B2C communications: website, blogs, how-to videos, packaging, emails

  • Developed brand strategy

  • Project funded 1600% over ask

  • More than 1800 units sold in two months

  • More than $400,000 total revenue in two months

Phenomenon

Associate Creative Director (Copy) & Content Strategist

January 2014 – April 2017

As associate creative director at the LA-based strategy-heavy advertising agency, Men’s Wearhouse was my primary brand of focus. Additional brands included JoS A. Bank, Neustar, Land’s End, PepsiCo, Wilson Sports, Aetna.

  • Alongside my ACD (art) partner, led the rebrand efforts for the iconic brand Men’s Wearhouse to appeal to younger generations; they’re no longer your dad’s haberdasher. MW was my primary client during my tenure at Phenomenon.

  • Wrote and co-directed the performance and brand spots for Men’s Wearhouse, which included weekly updates to meet national vendors’ ever-changing inventory and sales needs.

  • Developed brand updates and guidelines for tech giant Neustar

  • Led Neustar’s content strategy and development for the website rebuild and rebrand.

  • Named the popular mortgage company Mr. Cooper and developed brand identity content for the herculean re-brand of Nationstar.

  • Led the winning pitch for Land’s End relationship marketing initiatives; managed a team to develop ongoing content for the lifestyle-based performance campaigns.

Harman International

Associate Creative Director (Copy)

2012 – 2013

As part of Harman’s internal creative services department, I developed brand ideas, ad campaigns, and SEO sales copy for Harman’s suite of audio consumer packaged goods, AKG, Harman/Kardon, AKG, and Infinity.

Blitz Agency

Associate Creative Director (Copy)

2008 – 2011

  • Built out Blitz’s digital advertising and social media capabilities, managing copywriters and mentoring junior creatives.

  • Acted as the creative director for Naked Juice during my tenure at Blitz. In this role, I managed designers, writers and developers to create digital and social campaigns to launch new products and build Naked Juice’s brand love.

  • Developed several new business pitches, which led to big wins for the agency. Winning pitches include Coda EV, Guitar Hero, Leapfrog, Star Wars the Old Republic, Rover (Clearwire).

  • Clients include Activision, Adobe, Alienware, Alpine, Blizzard, Izze, Linksys, Naked Juice, Rover.

Various

Copywriter

2005 – The Years

Sometimes full time, sometimes freelance, I’ve worked at various agencies as a copywriter, the role I cut my teeth on in advertising.

  • Crispin Porter Bogusky: MetLife

  • David & Goliath: LG

  • Digitas: Delta Air Lines, Heineken, Amstel Light, Eve Online

  • Juxt Interactive: Cherry Coke, Coca-Cola Classic, Diet Coke, Sprite, Toyota, Walmart

  • The Marketing Arm: Nintendo, Pepsi, Postmates, Tostitos, Uber

  • TVGLA: Wheel of Fortune & Jeopardy