Jobs


Logitech, Inc.    Fremont, CA
Senior Manager, Writing and Naming, Global Marketing    August 2008 to the present
You think selling to a client is hard? Trying selling inside the client.

Heading up the team that creates writing for packaging, the web, PR, documentation and more
Maintaining the company's brand voice, nomenclature and trademarks
Leading brand architecture
Directly managing six full-time employees and the occasional contractor here and there
Playing with cool gadgets and pretending it's part of my work


Landor    San Francisco, CA
Senior Manager, Naming & Writing    September 2007 to August 2008
A job so nice, I did it twice.

Naming, writing, nomenclature, brand voice strategy, concept sell-in, brand stories, brand architecture, brand video scripting, advertising copywriting, brand positioning, taglines, pitching new business, new product innovation, leading brainstorming and everything else that wasn't hands-on design.
Clients included:

  • Logitech
  • Microsoft
  • Hilton
  • NetApp
  • Energizer
  • SanDisk
  • Barclay's Global Investors
  • Wellpoint
  • Teck Cominco

    • Real Branding    San Francisco, CA
    Associate Creative Director, Copywriter    February 2007 to August 2007
    A sabbatical from Landor to put all my geekiness to good use.

    Created concepts and copy for websites, banner ads and other digital marketing activities
    Developed and pitched concepts to support new business efforts
    Occasionally served as creative lead
    Clients included:


    Landor Associates    San Francisco, CA
    Senior Manager, Naming and Writing   January 2007 to February 2007
    Manager, Naming and Writing   November 2005 to January 2007
    Associate Manager, Naming and Writing   October 2003 to October 2005
    I'm proud of names like Photoshop Lightroom and Samsung Instinct. But I'm prouder of the strategy behind it all that I can't show off.

    Naming, writing and nomenclature for new products, companies and anything else you can brand
    Worked extensively with strategists to articulate brand positionings
    Dealt with clients, proposals, legal clearance and my own stress level on a daily basis
    Directly managed one full-time employee, numerous projects and the occasional client relationship.
    Clients included:


    Academy of Art University    San Francisco, CA
    Instructor, Advertising    Fall 2002 to December 2005
    Nothing makes you love your industry like trying to teach it.

    I've taught copywriting to aspiring copywriters at the undergraduate and master's level
    I've also taught copywriting to aspiring planners and art directors who resent the fact my class is required, only to win them over with free drinks, er, my wit and charm
    Other classes included Brand and Branding and creative seminars


    Elevator    San Francisco, CA
    Copywriter and planner    Freelance
    So it's important to moonlight in exchange for the opportunity to do amazing work.

    Wrote ads, brainstormed campaigns and whipped up some pretty tight strategy, if I do say so myself
    Clients included Lamorinda Rugby recruitment, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Skeleton design studio


    Mervyn's    Hayward, CA
    Copywriter, Brand Loyalty Team, Creative, Marketing   November 2002 to October 2003
    There's nothing a big agency can do that can't be done by a scrappy in-house team, if properly motivated.

    Wrote advertising and collateral, including an award-winning campaign of over 100 outdoor and newspaper ads in two months
    Led a department restructure to allow creative partnerships, more independence and a more agency-like setting
    Initiated brand repositioning and created their brand personality "kit"
    Managed design and ad agencies and got to be the person not laughing on the other side of the conference call for a change


    Ad-Lib Creative    San Francisco, CA
    Copywriter, Creative Department      September 2000 to September 2002
    Who lets a junior copywriter be their brand strategist building over 20 brands from the ground up?

    Created print advertising and collateral for clients including:

    Crafted brand positioning and integrated brand expression for hotels and restaurants throughout the Kimpton line
    Initiated agency rebranding

    Goldberg Moser O'Neill    San Francisco, CA
    Junior Production Artist, Art Department    January 1998 to March 1999
    Intern, Art Department    October 1997 to December 1997
    Sometimes you have to start at the bottom all over again

    Prepared work for client presentations (physically and electronically)
    Created mechanicals for production
    Worked extensively in Quark XPress and Adobe Acrobat
    Maintained agency font library
    Logged in over 300 hours cutting Foamcore with only two trips to the emergency room

     
    Wolfram Research Inc.    Champaign, IL
    Web Programmer, Marketing and Creative Services   August 1996 to August 1997
    Back when the only qualifications you needed to be in web marketing was a printout of common VI commands


    Maintained and updated the Wolfram Research internal and external websites, including the 2000+ page technical FAQs
    Coordinated projects between CGI programmers and external departments
    Found out the most productive hours of the day are sometimes those when your boss is home, asleep


    Travis Maguire & Associates    Champaign, IL

    Art Director & Webmaster, Creative Department    October 1995 to February 1997
    What's the best way to break into advertising? Work in advertising.


    Created advertising and marketing pieces for potential clients
    Pitched potential clients
    Created and maintained the agency web site
    Learned that you're only as good as your clients are happy
    Wrote and illustrated a promotional coloring book for a local restaurant chain to convince drunk college students they wanted ice cream.
     


    Publication Services & Associates    Champaign, IL

    Digital Artist, Art & Digital Camera Departments
    Assistant, Editing Department         May 1996 to August 1996
    Who knew that all that time goofing with computers could be a job?

    Scanning, cleaning, retouching & labeling art for print and CD ROM use
    Used Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator & Colorize! extensively
    Corrections checked manuscripts & negatives
    Created bluelines using a really scary looking machine
    Sat through an OSHA training video
     


    U of I Student Union Billards Hall    Champaign, IL

    Ball & Chalk Hander Outer Chick    September 1995 to May 1996
    My favorite job I've ever had. Even if I had chalk dust up the nose every night.

    Cleaned billards, snooker and tournament-sized pool tables nightly
    Listened to James Brown's "Sex Machine" and New Order's "Bizarre Love Triangle" over a hundred times each, thanks to a jukebox that hadn't been restocked since 1989
    Learned how to spot a pool shark and make 'em get me sodas in exchange for pointing out the kid who paid with a twenty every night


    Upward Bound Program - Marquette University    Milwaukee, WI

    English & Philosophy Tutor   January to May 1995
    One of the many jobs I've done that I would have happily done for free (if I could have afforded it).

    Assisted disadvantaged and minority high school and college students in American Literature and The History of Western Philosophy
    Taught high school students study skills
    Accidentally allowed basketball players to copy off me, so they could stare at themselves in Sports Illustrated instead of taking notes
     


    Students Enhancing Education    Milwaukee, WI

    Volunteer Teaching Assistant   September to December 1994
    Loved every minute of it -- even the getting kicked in the shins part.

    Assisted in wrangling 99 fourth and fifth grade students in a team teaching environment
    Helped teachers in smaller class groups during Social Studies and Music
    Favored the dorky kids, although I was liked by even the milk-money stealing hooligans
     


    Scissorwerks    Villa Park, IL

    Assistant Seamstress    Winter and Summer breaks 1994 & 1995
    It's amazing what some people will pay for a pillow.

    Sewed, cut and assisted in the manufacture of draperies and pillows
    Assisted in the installation of draperies
    Learned the true meaning of an eye for detail with hand stitching
    Learned what a pain in the ass a client can be and to charge accordingly


    Advance Controls Inc. / Power Products    Glen Ellyn, IL

    Receptionist   May 1993 to August 1993
    My voice still goes up a cheery octave when I answer the phone.

    Learned to block telemarketers that pronounce the company owner's name wrong
    Learned that a small company can handle big business if run well
    Took a pair of elderly schnauzers on their daily walk

    Cineplex Odeon     Oakbrook, IL

    Candy girl
    Everyone says, "You too!" when the movie theater attendant says, "Enjoy the show."

    Sold candy, soda, popcorn and "butter-flavored topping"
    Tore tickets
    Sat through the same 12 minutes of HOOK at least eight times
    Made over 17 "humorous" name tags for myself while bored


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