Extensive Industry Experience

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Colman, SD | October 2019–Present

• Build and maintain memorable brands, user-friendly websites, eye-catching logos, icons, illustrations, and deliverables (e.g. stationery, posters, vehicle graphics, trade show displays, print and digital ads, signage, promotional items)
• Develop engaging, relevant content for websites, blogs, and social media that also support on-site and off-site SEO
• Consult on industry best practices across applications, business development, marketing campaigns, social media strategies, online marketing, website optimization

Sioux Falls, SD | June 2021-November 2023

• Led the design and development of a vertically-integrated, startup cannabis brand and subsequent product lines, and implemented strategies to increase brand and product awareness at the retail and wholesale levels, alongside key stakeholders
• Co-supervised product research and development, oversaw packaging design of four product lines with 90+ SKUs, and made sure all packaging and labeling were compliant with state requirements
• Spearheaded the creation of online presence and various marketing materials, such as packaging labels, apparel designs, email marketing, social media content, website layout and copy, Google Business and WeedMaps listings
• Worked closely with retail, cultivation, and manufacturing operations in product planning, development and launches, as well as implementing strategies to ensure consistent brand standards and messaging across sectors
• Identified growth opportunities through market research and analysis, monitored and analyzed competitors to assess company positioning, made recommendations for strategies to remain competitive and improve management processes to increase efficiency and effectiveness
• Built relationships with packaging and equipment vendors and suppliers, prepared budgets, cost analyses and projected ROI based on review of goals, materials and resources
• Assisted with retail operations and store set-up of eight South Dakota dispensaries, co-managed retail associate onboarding and Dutchie POS software implementation for three store openings
• Developed detailed design drawings and specification documents (Illustrator—HotDoor CADtools) for eight dispensary build-outs, worked with contractors to insure interior/exterior products and materials standards were followed, closely studied local ordinances and state laws regarding zoning, signage, and medical cannabis establishments
• Organized cost estimates and oversaw purchasing of select building materials, furniture, accent pieces, merchandising accessories, POS equipment, and various incidentals necessary to the operations of a retail store

Sioux Falls, SD | December 2018–June 2021

• Developed targeted marketing strategies and implemented effective campaigns across digital and traditional media for over 100 businesses 
• Managed client communications and internal project schedule, used Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop, Premiere Pro, After Effects) to create on-spec marketing elements and collateral, coordinated with vendors to ensure timely completion of projects
• Optimized websites on-site and off-site for search engines (SEO), managed search engine marketing (SEM) campaigns and listings for online directories (BrightLocal), created and managed ad campaigns using Google Ads, Facebook/Instagram, and Pinterest
• Campaign strategy duties included brand development and management, website design and maintenance using GoDaddy and WordPress, social media profile set-up and optimization, content creation and management via Sendible and Canva, marketing automation strategies, physical and digital touch points to increase B2B and B2C engagement
• Production duties ranged from logo concept and design, business cards, envelopes, direct mailers, handouts, brochures, flyers, greeting cards, building and window signage, environmental graphics, trade show backgrounds, banners, websites, email design, blog posts, digital signage, online text ads, display ads, web banners, social media graphics, product photography, video production

Brookings, SD | April 2017–December 2018

• Worked with university departments and groups in the design of logos, brochures, mailers, posters, magazines, print and web ads, popup banners, static and digital billboards, t-shirts; used Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign 
• Many high-profile projects such as designs for the 1881 Vintage clothing line in the Bookstore, various t-shirts for The Pride of the Dakotas, the redesign of the College of Nursing magazine and the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences magazine; wall graphic illustrations and “camps” booklet for the Jacks Imagination Lab in the Washington Pavilion, Sioux Falls

Brookings, SD | February 2013–December 2018

• Designed print ads for weekly newspaper using QuarkXPress and Photoshop; website design and weekly maintenance using WordPress and HTML/CSS Created online flipbooks for each edition using AnyFlip software
• Developed online advertising groundwork; managed Facebook page, created content for daily posts using Hootsuite, created and managed Facebook ads Used Google Analytics and Google Business to monitor website and search result activity and interactions