Agency Founder (Exited '22), B2B Marketing, Personal Branding
I started in the ecomm/retail industry in 2015 with nothing. No money, no reputation, no network. A scrap of experience as an Amazon seller was all I had. 7 years of grinding away at the agency I founded, Bobsled Marketing, eventually led to Bobsled's acquisition by another marketing agency in early 2022. Here's how I can help you: ** Thought leadership & building a personal brand ** Along the way, me and my company received all sorts of humbling accolades - the Inc 5000 list for Bobsled in 2021, I was named a top retail industry influencer and an Ad Age 40 under 40. I hosted a podcast, began contributing to Forbes' retail section, wrote books about Amazon & Instacart, landed press coverage, and built up a LinkedIn following. It's not something you're supposed to say about yourself, but other people in the retail industry began calling me a 'thought leader.' And it has had major benefits for the business: 99% of the sales leads for Bobsled came from our content. For mentees I am happy to help you work on your personal brand and a plan to shape yourself into a thought leader in your industry. ** Exiting your company ** I exited my agency in 2022 after 7 years running that business as a solo founder. Exiting is the most terrifying and awesome experience of your life. And.... it can feel extremely lonely. I am glad to share tactical tips as well as emotional support. ** The 'life' side of entrepreneurship ** Being the boss is lonely and alienating. Talking to people who have 'been there' helps. In my time as an entrepreneur, I worked with my spouse (it actually turned out great), had a baby, moved countries, and joined all kinds of peer groups. How much should you blend work and life? Mental health. After I exited my company, I was hit with depression for the first time in my life. It confounded me - I had everything I wanted in my life, what right do I have to be SAD? I can share my journey through this. ** Retail media & marketplaces industry ** I spent 9 years working with consumer brands to manage their retail marketplace channels and retail media - Amazon, Walmart, Instacart, Kroger, etc. I am not 'hands on keyboard' in this area enough to review your ad campaigns or anything :) but I have a high-level view of the industry and the various players.
I've been blogging, podcasting, doing video content, webinars, and writing books since 2012. Content is a long-term play, but worth it if you do it right. - I self-published 3 books in the retail space which became "bibles" for people in the industry. - I started a podcast in 2017 that was consistently ranked as a top show in its niche (ecommerce/ retail) and helped build trust with future prospects. - I grew my LinkedIn following to 20K in '24
Its easy to stay in your comfort zone. To grow, you need to get into bigger rooms with bigger players, and hiring people with more experience than you. I started in my industry with nothing. No money, no reputation, no network. And barely any management experience either! Learn from my mistakes.
Do you want to be a 'thought leader' in your industry? If your primary audience is other businesses, this is a wonderful way to grow. But, it's truly not for everyone. I can help decide if this is something you really want to do, and if yes - develop a plan.
I've been both on the media side (as a contributor to Forbes since 2017) and on the pitching side. PR is a strange game, and there's a learning curve.
Used Hubspot as a CRM and marketing platform. I'm less of a technical expert on all the features and more able to comment on how to leverage it for an effective content marketing strategy.
I founded a marketing agency in the Retail Media and Online Marketplaces space (Amazon, Walmart, Instacart etc) in 2015. I can help you navigate this industry.
I was in the retail media space from 2015-2024. Amazon, Walmart, Instacart, CitrusAd, Kroger Precision Marketing.... I can't help you with your ad campaigns, but I can explain how this space works.
I founded an agency that specialized in retail media & marketplaces (specifically Amazon in the early days) in 2015, when Amazon was still a new sales channel for many established brands. I sold this company in 2022 to another digital marketing agency, Acadia, based in Atlanta. I stayed on at Acadia for another 2 years, as head of retail media & marketplaces strategy.