Why Course Studio?

We share the strong belief that brand matters.

A solid and consistent brand presence is essential for building awareness, trust, and loyalty. Combining strategy and creativity, I will help Course Studio create brands that matter and get noticed.

This opportunity is very exciting to me.

The position offers (in your words):

• The chance to play the part in the genesis and evolution of important creator brands
• The opportunity to work closely with experienced design leadership and get dedicated growth support
• Agency to mold your own process and team over time

I need to be a part of a team that believes in who they are, what they do, and why they do it.

Course Studio sounds like the team I’m looking for. And based on your job post, I’m who you are looking for.

I'm a passionate, intuitive, empathetic, multi-faceted leader, problem solver, creative director, strategist, designer, brand man, and creative thinker with a deep passion for bringing the heart and soul of a brand to life.

Brand work and brand systems are specialties of mine.

I will help Course Studio:

• create and deliver seamless end-to-end brand experiences to its clients through collaboration, strategy, storytelling, and purposeful design that’s engaging, moving, motivating, and memorable

• bring brands stories to life by taking an empathetic “reasons to believe” approach that will enable clients to connect with their customers in impactful and meaningful ways

• continually explore the edges of brand expression to memorably impact culture. I have a vast amount of experience, and an exceptionally high standard of brand design practice

I have 15+ years of brand design experience:

• envisioning, creating, building, expanding, working within, and improving brand identities and systems
• collaborating to develop strong brand strategies
• creating and building out entire brand systems - logos, typography, color, iconography, image treatments/styles, etc
• designing templates and systems for identity suites, collateral, ads, websites, PowerPoint decks, sales presentations, etc
• implementing brand standards and guidelines
• facilitating and streamlining asset production enabling the creative teams to deliver efficiently and effectively, while ensuring assets are on-brand and well designed
• ensuring the brand voice and expression are consistently reflected across all deliverables

I designed and implemented the Blue Yonder Global Brand System and the rebranded JDA Global Brand System and led the evolution, brand design and vision for all creative expressions of the brands.

I think differently. This ability enables me to identify, approach, and solve problems in unique, fresh, and meaningful ways that make a difference. I believe in the power of ideas, true collaboration, and the strength of people.  

I possess a unique combination of leadership qualities, creativity, creative vision, strategic thinking, talent, and business sense. 

I approach and solve problems holistically, envisioning the big-picture while zooming in on the details to drive superior creative output and remarkable results.

I have been working professionally in the creative field for over two decades leading, providing creative direction, ideating, creating, collaborating, executing, and delivering work that’s thoughtful, sophisticated, dynamic, human-centered, concept-led, and memorable. 

I have the rare ability to think in, and develop design systems, while also being a highly creative individual. This enables me to deliver brand systems that are polished, sophisticated, and user-friendly while also being able to ideate, create, and execute high-concept advertising campaigns. 

I am comfortable working on my own as well as collaborating with and/or leading other designers and team members.

I lead, ideate, create, design, execute, and deliver compelling work that:

• Tells a story and takes the audience on a journey
• Embodies the “reasons to believe”
• Builds brand awareness and brand loyalty
• Converts viewers into brand enthusiasts
• Leverages meaningful insight and data
• Achieves brand and company objectives

I work to deliver real brand value and make true connections.  

My vast experience includes brand creation, brand design, brand development, countless brand awareness campaigns, product awareness/launch campaigns (and other brand/company initiatives), as well as numerous ABM, one-to-one, one-to-few, and one-to-many integrated marketing campaigns.

I collaborate across all teams and disciplines to make ideas and visions a reality, resulting in exceptional brand experiences and interactions 

I’m an active listener. I take an empathetic approach to understanding my direct client as well as their clients. 

I help stakeholders figure out what they need, why they need it, and how we can achieve it.

I actively participate and collaborate in kickoff meetings to define the audience, the pain points, and the reasons to believe (emotional benefits). 

I help get alignment on the end goal, craft the creative brief, and then I work backwards to map out and strategize how we get there.

I take ownership and lead individuals and teams from ideation through project/campaign completion and beyond, ensuring successful implementation of design direction through production.

I approach B2B and B2C marketing the same way because they aren’t that different. We are all people. I call it H2H (human-to-human).

We are all looking for the emotional benefits we receive from a product, service, and experience. 

 I always keep the reasons to believe (emotional benefits) top of mind. After all, companies don’t work with companies, people work with people. Companies don’t buy products and/or services, people do.

Resume follows the galleries below

Creating work that focuses on the emotional benefits in unique and fresh ways

Creating clarity by making the complex simpler 

Optimizing brand impact by creating systematic and seamless experiences across every customer touchpoint

Thinking conceptually and holistically,
while being able to zoom in on the details to deliver superior creative and remarkable results

Developing and/or improving systems and processes that are adaptable, agile, scalable, and extendable, enabling teams to run smoother and be more accurate, while ensuring brand integrity

Defining and extending creative and visual language across digital advertising, landing pages, email marketing, physical, virtual and hybrid events, ebooks and interactive tools, digital content, direct mail, digital and print collateral, print, and experiential

Providing leadership that:

• Enables success, encourages growth and experimentation, collaboration and alignment
• Inspires, influences, motivates, and elevates individuals and teams up, down, and across organizations
• Engages people and gets them jazzed about what’s happening
• Builds and nurtures relationships

Leadership: Empathy, Interpersonal Skills, Self Awareness, Integrity, Mentorship, Passionate Curiosity, Flexibility, Inclusivity, Cross-functional Team Leadership

Creativity: Storytelling, Intuition, Ideation to Execution, Conceptual Thinking, Big Idea and Big-picture Thinking

Problem Solving: Design Thinking, Collaborative Spirit, Adaptability, Project Management, Resourcefulness, Detail-oriented, Strategic Thinking

Communication: Active Listening, Emotional Intelligence, Exceptional Presentation Skills, Strong Written and Verbal Communication Skills, Desire for Feedback

Creative Lead / Senior Designer – Creative Marketing 

Oct 2013 - Mar 2021 • 7 yrs 6 mos 

Optimized brand impact by creating systematic and seamless experiences across every customer touchpoint

Designed and implemented the Blue Yonder Global Brand System and the rebranded JDA Global Brand System and led the evolution, brand design and vision for all creative expressions of the brands

Ensured brand continuity across regions, elevated campaign and brand creative effectiveness globally, and strategically envisioned and developed systems and processes that directly and positively impacted BY’s and JDA’s business objectives

Facilitated effective communication and workflow between creative, project management, production, and launch

Partnered, supported, and collaborated cross-functionally with global Creative, Demand Generation, Sales/Business Development, Corporate Marketing, and Product Marketing teams to strategically plan, lead, and execute brand awareness, lead generation, B2B, and ABM integrated marketing campaigns across key verticals

Inspired, led, and mentored global creative, digital, video, and project management teams (twelve to sixteen people) in North America, EMEA, COE, (Center of Excellence: India) Latin America, and APAC regions

20% increase in project capacity and speed-to-delivery by streamlining asset production enabling the global creative team to deliver efficiently and effectively, while ensuring assets were on-brand and well designed

Envisioned and managed the creation and launch of a self-help digital hub where sales associates (and the company at large) could quickly find, download, and use branded materials, positively affecting their sales presentations and Blue Yonder’s bottom line and reduced creative team requests by roughly 26%, allowing creative resources to be deployed against larger/longer-term campaign initiatives

Led, created, and executed the branding and creative campaigns for high-priority enterprise global initiatives including:

• “Get SaaSy” JDA SaaS Transformation
• CPQ sales tool rollout
• Blue SKY Learning

Creative Director / Designer / Consultant / Owner

Aug 2006 - Oct 2013 • 7 yrs 3 mos

Provided creative leadership, creative direction, strategy, ideation, concepts, design, creative copy, and powerful brand experiences for Influence and its clients, Amanda Vega Consulting and its clients, and Pinnacle Peak Marketing and its clients

Translated insights and marketing objectives into creative strategies

Defined the creative vision, strategies, and value propositions

Created, built and nurtured long-term client relationships, trust, and satisfaction

Influenced key stakeholders, wrote creative briefs, designed and presented concepts, and managed work from concept to execution for B2B and B2C 

Made clients and business partners shine by delivering on-strategy, on-budget, and on-time creative solutions that exceeded expectations and drove results

Led the creative process, design direction, and execution across all channels for clients

Briefed, managed, and directed freelancers and external agencies to advance creative solutions that support the brand vision and organizational goals

Provided thought leadership for long-term business growth

Brand development

• Created and developed entire brand systems - logos, corporate identity suites, collateral systems, social media, websites, direct mail, print, and more
• Developed guidelines, standards, and playbooks to support consistent, on-brand execution
• Owned creative direction, style, and tone of communications across web, digital marketing, events, and collateral