Oh, hey there
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Oh, hey there *
ABOUT ME
I’m a dynamic, ego-free Creative Director/Copywriter with a passion for building breakthrough brands, then bringing them vibrantly to life via copy and creative executions that indelibly connect with their target audiences and exceed business goals. My background includes 15+ years’ experience, spanning agency and in-house roles, with brand DNA/voice development and implementation, cross-channel storytelling and conceptual ideation.
I’m adept at managing and mentoring creatives and strategists, collaborating with internal and external partners, leading new business efforts and guiding projects ranging from quick-turn branding work for scrappy start-ups to global campaigns for a variety of category-spanning leaders. I bring energy, enthusiasm and humor, along with flexibility and count-on-it reliability, to the workplace. Let’s talk!
CATEGORY EXPERTISE
Deep experience driving branding, storytelling and creative/campaign efforts for a variety of leading tech, CPG, sport, beauty, wellness and lifestyle brands.
featured projects
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featured projects *
Popwell / sparkling ice
DISCIPLINES: Branding, naming, messaging, packaging, strategy, identity
Sparkling Ice was thirsty to tap into the ever-growing functional beverage category. Getting there meant creating a new prebiotic soda brand that could bring some serious fizz to this overcrowded, often under-carbonated space. My job, as writer/CD for the Tether team, was to infuse the brand with an effervescent sense of fun while highlighting the drink’s tangible benefits and familying with the larger Sparkling Ice brand.
Naming played a central role in our efforts. And, in Popwell, I landed on a handle that speaks in an immediate way to both the full-flavored appeal of soda as well as the wellness halo of prebiotics. Next, I created a suite of craveable flavor names along with bright, benefit-forward messaging and playful packaging copy. The result? A brand that pops on shelf and successfully announced the arrival of a noisy newcomer in the functional beverage category.
under aRmour /
stephen curry
DISCIPLINES: Branding, campaigns, messaging, digital, strategy, identity
Over the course of Tether’s long-standing partnership with Under Armour, I was the writer/CD on multiple projects for NBA icon Stephen Curry, one of many stars on the brand’s roster of athletes. I drove the development of his personal brand, comprising such defining elements as a mission, promise, characteristics and values, while partnering with our strategists to expand his influence beyond the hardwood and with art directors to concept territories for his visual identity.
With this foundational work in place, we pivoted to launch his latest signature sneakers, the Curry IVs. I led concepting and messaging efforts, building off our branding work to elevate new facets of the MVP’s persona. We found our campaign hook in Steph’s insatiable drive for more — more fire, more smile, more rings, more game — and, with Curry and UA’s enthusiastic endorsement, went on to build out a catalog of assets, from web and social to in-store and environmental. The results hit nothing but net, with the men’s shoe selling out on ua.com in the first few hours.
microsoft “What if?”
DISCIPLINES: Campaign, messaging, digital, strategy
How do you capture the attention — and fire the imagination — of a highly intelligent, exceedingly tech-savvy audience? This was the challenge the Tether team and I faced when Microsoft came to us looking to quickly fill over 450 machine learning/artificial intelligence roles. To make it happen, we knew we needed a campaign that could position Microsoft as thought leaders in the category, pique these experts’ natural curiosity and inspire them to apply for a job.
As writer/CD on the project, I drove conceptual and messaging efforts. Realizing that “what if?” queries have always been the fuel of scientific discovery, I made them the catalysts of our campaign, crafting copy for a suite of digital banners and an accompanying microsite, on which people encountered timely ML/AI-related questions that led them to engage with corresponding long-form content and, ultimately, learn about Microsoft’s open roles. The campaign delivered, doubling conversions week over week and filling all positions in just two months.
dime beauty
DISCIPLINES: Branding, messaging, campaign, social, video, collateral, strategy, identity
DIME was already a multimillion-dollar company when they came looking for a makeover. The issue? Even with a catalog of viral cross-category products and an avid consumer base, their success was built largely on influencer partnerships and discount-driven sales. Ready to broaden their retail reach and boost market share, they needed a true, codified brand — one that could effectively differentiate them in the crowded clean beauty category, build affinity and propel future growth.
As writer/CD for the Tether team, I shaped these branding efforts, building on our in-depth strategy phase to craft a uniquely compelling brand story — spanning mission, promise, characteristics and values — as well as a comprehensive messaging platform developed to cover everything from social and web to campaign and collateral assets. All this work was deeply rooted in DIME’s master esthetician-founded credentials and designed to foster trust and fuel emotional connection with their audience while acting as the foundation for the visual identity work to follow.
Columbia sh/ft
DISCIPLINES: Branding, naming, messaging, campaign, social, video, strategy, identity
The outdoor footwear category is crowded, constantly in motion. And more and more, consumers expect their shoes to do it all, delivering style, performance and the versatility to go from sidewalk to summit and back. This was the landscape when Columbia came to Tether to brand and launch their new line of boundary-breaking footwear — and move this 85+-year-old outdoor pioneer into all-new, trail-spanning territory.
As writer/CD on this project, I got to ply all the tools in my pack, from crafting a manifesto to establish a voice and positioning to penning a brand story, the promise of which — to move outside the expected — became the heart of the work that followed. I created a name, SH/FT, that spoke to the way these shoes allow people to pivot effortlessly from one activity to the next. And I developed robust product and campaign messaging that encompassed everything from digital and print to social and video assets, all while adding a compelling new chapter to the Columbia story.
amazon one
DISCIPLINES: Branding, messaging, social, digital, video, collateral, identity, industrial design
Amazon One had a new, near-magical technology they were ready to unveil: a touchless payment and entry service that was simple, seamless and secure. The only snag? They needed a coven of creatives with the discipline-spanning chops to bring it to life — and get would-be users excited to give it a whirl. The Tether wizards and I grabbed our wands.
As CD on the project, I oversaw the work of our strategists, writers, graphic and industrial designers — all acting as an extension of the Amazon One team — as we shaped everything from foundational branding elements to every facet of creative execution. We completely updated their brand guidelines, built out a robust messaging platform, created signage and sign-up kiosks for new store launches and designed a variety of trade show assets, among other efforts. We also helped guide work by Amazon One’s internal and external social, video and UX partners, ensuring a more consistent, bewitching story across all touchpoints.
gatorade gx collabs
DISCIPLINES: Branding, messaging, collateral, packaging, product
Tether’s partnership with Gatorade has spanned well over a decade, teaming up for big wins on everything from foundational branding and identity work to industrial design for those ubiquitous orange sideline coolers. With the introduction of their customizable Gx hydration system, we joined forces again — this time, collaborating with a roster of the world’s best-known athletes to create a collection of one-of-a-kind LTO bottles and inspire the next generation of game-changers.
My job, as writer/CD on the projects, was to help concept thematic territories for each athlete’s custom design while penning their personal story for accompanying insert cards and display copy crafted to elevate the unboxing experience. The superstars who signed on included everyone from J.J. Watt, Jayson Tatum and Caitlin Clark to Bryce Harper, Lionel Messi and Mallory Swanson — all bringing their unique personalities to the work and encouraging our young-athlete audience to embrace their own passion for sport and community.
hairstory
DISCIPLINES: Branding, messaging, packaging, strategy, identity
In the often-maximalist-minded world of beauty, promising less can be a radical zag. But that’s the path team Tether and I pursued when we partnered with Hairstory to restyle this haircare brand committed to reimagining the category. With a popular detergent-free, multitasking cleansing cream as their hero product, Hairstory was already making waves. What they needed was a compelling, truly differentiating brand story and a refreshed visual language to animate this disruptive ethos while resonating with consumers and hairdressers alike.
My job, as writer/CD for the project, was to guide the definition of their challenger brand persona, advocating for simplicity, sustainability and a smarter way to care for hair. I rooted their brand story in the core belief that the world needs fewer, better things, building it out with a mission, characteristics, values and a promise that summed up their essence: Simply. Better. Haircare. Next, I helped concept an inventive new design language that uses punctuation symbols as metaphors for product benefits and crafted packaging copy to educate and elevate their on-shelf presence.
THE MARK
DISCIPLINES: Branding, naming, messaging, digital, video, environments, identity
Seattle real estate developer Kevin Daniels came to Tether with a story and a dream. At the heart of the story was one of the city’s oldest churches, an architectural gem over 100 years old, which Daniels saved from demolition. The dream? To build a soaring new addition to our skyline — one that adjoined the church, literally and figuratively uniting Seattle’s past, present and future.
My job, as writer/CD on the project, was to help concept a singular vision for the property and bring it compellingly to life. I crafted a brand story that elevated Seattle’s rich history while emphasizing the multifaceted nature of this new icon and the impact Daniels hoped it would have on the city. With this in mind, I recommended naming the building The Mark, nodding to its towering stature and our goal of making it a hub of renewed downtown life and community. Finally, I created comprehensive, audience-spanning messaging used to fuel everything from site and video work to an augmented reality app and on-site activations.
breedlove entrepreneurship
center
DISCIPLINES: Branding, messaging, collateral, identity
Pro bono work is some of the most fulfilling. And, in the case of Breedlove, helping them make an even bigger impact on people’s lives was especially gratifying. A vital part of YWCA Metropolitan Chicago, this purpose-driven program was developed to empower Black women business owners, level up the communities they serve and create a more equitable tomorrow. My job, as writer/CD on the project, was to help them reimagine their brand and craft a story as meaningful and compelling as the work they do.
Coming off a rich immersion session with the Breedlove team, I drove the concepting of creative territories that explored different ways their reimagined brand could come to life. We knew it needed to feel real, credible, with brand story elements like their mission, promise and characteristics, along with sample messaging, not only clearly defining and differentiating who they are but articulating their outsize ambitions and embodying all the passion and promise of the women they support.
