I care about are happy customers and lean operations. That's what drives word-of-mouth (the best marketing tool) and keeps a high-performing business alive. I'll use a combination of software engineering, content strategy, CRM, and UX design to continuously ship small improvements and do strategic R&D.
For a full list of my skills, click here.
Backstory
In my university days, I loved business and marketing. The ability to make products people loved while running a tight operational ship was fascinating. And so was the web! I learned HTML/CSS and started making student websites and Flash multimedia while doing a Bachelors in International Business.
In my last two years of Uni, I focused on supply chain management and logistics, doing an internship at an ocean carrier in Germany where I booked containers and allotted vessel space, and another internship with a freight forwarder and customs broker. One of my favorite operations books back then was The Goal by Eliyahu Goldratt, which taught me that since profitability is a primary business goal, then maximizing production throughput and minimizing inventory, is the way. Another influential book was Lean Thinking by Womack and Jones which explained the Toyota Production System and how applying continuous improvement to product quality, process time, eliminating waste, and empowering employees to take corrective action leads to operational excellence.
In retrospect, these formative experiences were incredibly valuable because they instilled systems thinking in me and influenced how I prioritized work and searched for productivity gains, particularly when working with multiple departments to deliver shared goals.
I then went on to do sales for a few home decor manufacturers where I loved working with sales agents across the country, creating custom products for retailers like Walgreens and Target, and pushing to adopt Salesforce as a CRM. But after a few years, something was missing. I really missed digital and wanted to give it a second go. So I found clients, made them websites with a partner, and helped them use social media to put their brand out there.
A business media company then hired me as their community manager and video producer for conferences, interviews, and webinars. This entailed a lot of content marketing, copywriting, some journalism, and constant social media engagement including highlighting partners, community members, and network players in the larger business ecosystem.
But I needed new challenges and a fresh environment. So I moved to New York City and led the digital operations for an influential nonprofit where I implemented a CRM system and built webpages, newsletters, campaigns, event registrations, and more. This included all digital aspects of experience design across multiple touchpoints, within the marketing funnel, and throughout the customer lifecycle.
Afterwards, I started a meetup group for content strategy, and helped the School of Visual Arts, a local nonprofit, and two manufacturers. Needing time to recharge, I travelled the world and in the last hostel on the road, I met my life partner. After weeks of phone calls and a few airline flights, I took a jump and moved to Bremen, Germany.
My itch for tech though would not rest. I casually learned web development with JavaScript and Elixir, found mentorship, and pursued projects that interested me. This led me to my first client and to Dockyard Academy where I learned to sharpen my operational and communication skills to where I am today.
With a passion for great products and happy customers, I'm looking to help brands through marketing, creative development, and operations.
Interested? Let's talk.