“Don’t go into Advertising”
-My Father
As a third-generation ad(wo)man, my parents wanted me to be anything but. My father probably would have preferred that I become a lawyer and my mother, maybe a starving artist? And I didn’t set out to go into advertising, advertising set out for me. So after leaving a masters degree in Education on the cutting room floor (ask me about my other abandoned degrees), I moved to Maine, took a job as an executive assistant to a magical man who changed my life and the rest is history.
I’ve worked as a producer, a writer, an account manager and a planner. Most people I work with refer to me as a Swiss army knife or an in house therapist. More recently I’ve been positively likened to Charlie Day and called “The Queen of Empathy.” To be honest, I take pride in it all.
VP Brand Strategy
Allen & Gerritsen 2018 - PresentWhat I do: Strategy lead and team manager on clients including Visit Philly, Comcast, FMCNA and Susquehanna International Group.
Most Proud of: Changing the culture of how strategy and creative teams work together and developing a primary research program for the agency, resulting in a bi-annual consumer insight and trend report.
Here’s something I wrote about COVID and consumerism.
Brand Marketing
Francis Ford Coppola Presents 2016 - 2018When you have the opportunity to work for a creative genius like Francis Ford Coppola, you don’t turn it down. One day I was living in Maine, the next day I was on a plane to Northern California to work on selling wine, to millennials specifically.
I organized the first integrated campaign for the beloved Diamond Collection - a campaign that was interactive and elevated the launch of a brand new product I helped develop, premium wine in a can!
In addition, I worked on product development and brand marketing for Bee’s Box Wines, a wine whose profits went to multiple charities working to save our friend, the honey bee and gia wines, the brain child of Francis’s granddaughter - a liter bottle of wine with a crown cap, meant to be opened and finished over the course of a dinner party with your favorite friends.
My passion project was the blog I wrote and shot for the company, a weekly update with a playlist, wine pick and recipe.
Senior Planner
The VIA Agency 2015 - 2016What I did: Strategy lead on 1800 Tequila, Three Olives Vodka, Golden Corral, Welch's, Perdue, Cool Whip, and Klondike. Led a small team and worked as a partner to creative and account teams.
Most Proud of: Leading the relaunch of the dusty Three Olives Vodka brand through a year long research initiative leading to development of a new brand position and ultimately partnering with creative and production teams to launch a fresh vision for the brand.
Planner / Account Supervisor
The VIA Agency 2013 - 2015What I did: Account lead on 1800 Tequila, Three Olives Vodka, Madison Square Garden and Enactus.
Most Proud of: Working as account lead on "Enough said" campaign for 1800 Tequila - a campaign that led to a 22% sales increase in 6 months, and ultimately to a spinoff digital campaign "Enough said stories."
Executive Assistant / Producer
The VIA Agency
2011 - 2013
What I did: Assisted Chief Creative Officer in day to day needs, creative recruiting and department logistics. Coordinated and produced photo shoots, digital campaigns and radio record. Developed proficiencies in union and licensing laws.
Most Proud of: Being known as "The Swiss Army Knife of VIA," having the reputation of being scrappy and able to figure out how to get pretty much anything done.