Nashville, Tennessee, United States
Business development leader who has launched, grown, and amplified iconic brands through authentic storytelling, data driven retail strategies, and external partnerships in sports & entertainment, celebrity merchandise, and consumer products. Senior strategic partner who guides brand and product development to maximize retail potential for athletes, entertainers, and influencers.
Founded boutique marketing and creative agency to provide strategic brand consulting on marketing campaigns, marketing content, consumer products, and retail development, particularly in the industries of sports apparel, streetwear, and merchandise. • Partnered with NBA basketball player, Jonathan Isaac, to develop an alternative sports and apparel company, UNITUS, generating more than 16,000 orders, $2.5 M in sales revenue, and 75,000 followers on Instagram in our first 6 months • Operated as org’s CMO, leading UNITUS product roadmap strategy and brand development, including visual brand identity, brand messaging & positioning, brand content creation, social media voice, campaign launch strategy, as well as the brand ambassador program to generate support from brand affiliated celebrities and influencers • Built the UNITUS team, including social media lead, graphic designers, content creators, customer service, and hired a third party fulfillment agency to process all orders and returns, as well as onboarded external marketing agency, JDA, on the development and implementation of a direct to consumer eCommerce platform to drive UNITUS retail sales • Led negotiations with potential brand athletes & influencers and met directly with NBA Player Development for brand opportunities and retail exposure
Owned retail development, brand strategy, and complete P&L responsibilities for new eCommerce Department, live events, and consumer product partnerships with relevant third party organizations, yielding product and brand visibility across Blaze Media owned channels, driving a 55% increase in sales for 2024. • Launched and led eCommerce division, including the product pipeline, merchandise creative direction & strategy, site redesign, Blaze talent partnerships, content & promotional strategy, as well as consumer journey optimization, and customer retention strategy Solidified partnership with Printful for product sourcing, print-on-demand production, and order fulfillment, driving reduced costs and generating improved retail margin and profitability across personality and brand merchandise • Led the live event merchandise and marketing strategy for brand engagements and personality appearances, generating an incremental 25% of total sales through the implementation of a pre-sale, event merchandise, and restock strategies • Drove alternate retail channel strategy, including affiliate partnerships, retail collaborations, and paid social marketing • Reviewed KPI goals quarterly with c-suite, adjusting strategy based on performance metrics & organizational priorities
Launched Bentkey’s eCommerce & Consumer Products Division with full P&L ownership and led the wholistic go-to-market strategy for all consumer products, including all aspects of retail performance, from the complete product development innovation pipeline to the full functionality of our direct-to-consumer retail platform. Optimized marketing and promotional content strategy for all product categories across Bentkey marketing verticals to drive brand awareness, social engagement, and retail conversion. • Built and developed the consumer products vertical with a team of 6 direct reports who managed all aspects of product development, DTC web optimization, sales forecasting, and retail marketing, resulting in a total retail sales business of $25.0 M in our first year as a business unit Operated as senior liaison between c-suite and each podcast talent on merchandise development, including their respective revenue share agreements, creative development preferences, and audience-focused marketing strategies • Owned Jeremy’s Razor launch strategy and led cross functional marketing channel executions, resulting in 50,000 subscribers within our first week and over 100,000 subscribers within our first 8 months of launching our razor blade subscription model, driving $15.0 M in total sales in 2022 • Guided organization through end-to-end fulfillment process, from private label product production through 3PL customer order fulfillment, resulting in less than a 5% customer attrition rate on our JR’s blade subscription model • Led strategic partnership discussions with UFC, resulting in JR’s sponsorship of The UFC’s The Ultimate Fighter
Grew awareness, reach, and revenue of MLS properties through the creation, implementation, and optimization of omni-channel marketing campaigns, while cultivating strategic relationships with brand partners to deliver product that connects deeply with fans. Led cross functional team workstreams (Digital, CRM & Analytics, Marketing, clubs, adidas and Fanatics) to provide a seamless and engaging consumer experience across all channels. • Owned Full P&L responsibility & DTC strategic roadmap, resulting in 75% YoY growth in 2021, the highest in MLS Store history • Conducted all aspects of the Fanatics partnership from contract negotiations to digital retail execution, resulting in a 50% increase in league generated revenue YoY, as well as an elevated consumer experience • Managed MLS Store Team to determine growth/optimization opportunities by analyzing click through rates, conversion rates, retail performance, and spend ROI across promotional vehicles • Led internal and external agency creative direction for all retail content, including on-model shoots, product toolkits, TV spots, LEDs, and NFT creation, setting a cohesive brand tone across marketing channels • Oversaw all 30 clubs’ digital commerce strategies by developing annual national and local digital marketing calendars inclusive of key product launches, CRM, email, and paid social campaign strategies • Played major role in the management of live event retail, including the MLS Cup Final, the MLS Allstar Game, and the MLS Media Day
eCommerce Division • Owned all digital and eCommerce priorities across all beauty categories for $450.0 M Walmart Omni-Channel business • Tripled Walmart.com cosmetics growth trend by driving in-stock rate from 43% to 97% in 6 months on the desk • Resolved 18-month vendor contract dispute between organizations resulting in best in class supply chain execution • Partnered with band team to drive social traffic to walmart.com creating buzz around exclusive celebrity product launches • Migrated 100s of SKUs away from DSV to Walmart.com FCs eliminating GEO fencing and gaining 2-day shipping • Developed exclusive Revlon shade finders in partnership with Rich Context to improve product selection and inclusivity