Portfolio

Projects Portfolio

Represented the association on Capitol Hill. AJ T. Cole pictured meeting Bob Woodward (left) and Rep. AOC (right).

Public Relations & Global Spokesperson

As the Promotional Products Work Initiative Manager and Global PR specialist at PPAI, I have demonstrated leadership and strategic expertise in driving impactful initiatives. I have a proven track record of launching innovative projects and representing the association as a spokesperson for the consumer-facing global brand. My contributions have significantly enhanced brand visibility, increased member engagement, and positioned the association as a thought leader in the industry.

Responsibilities

• Creative ideation for long-term and on-the-fly campaign concepts. Pioneered the launch of the association's first-ever nationwide sweepstakes, marking a historic milestone and amplifying brand recognition.
• Coordinated with general counsel and external counsel on complex marketing campaigns to advance ideas from concept to fruition.
• Fostered increased member engagement through the sweepstakes, driving positive responses and showcasing the value of promotional products.
• Delivered compelling presentations at prestigious events such as the global PRSA Icon and other global gatherings, elevating the association's visibility and thought leadership.
• Served as the spokesperson for the Promotional Products Work! brand, effectively communicating the importance and impact of promotional products to businesses and consumers.
• Developed and executed a global public relations initiative, strategically managing regional communications and field marketing to drive end-buyer demand.
• Achieved a remarkable increase of 172% in consumer-facing website engagement, enhancing online experiences and fostering meaningful user interactions.
• Successfully boosted visitor traffic by 16%, implementing effective strategies to attract and retain a larger audience.
• Established and fostered partnerships, including managing influencer relations, to expand reach and solidify the association's position as an industry thought leader.

Public & Government Relations: Heroes Aim For Zero

While serving as Head of Communications at SAFE 2 SAVE and after recently experiencing a traumatic car wreck personally, I wanted to honor the local leaders who have made an effort to eliminate traffic deaths within the community. To celebrate these efforts to end traffic deaths, while also getting all of these influential people in the same room to mingle was not going to be easy. With the help of my own personal network, a primary honoree, and the founder of SAFE 2 SAVE, we created a list of government officials, electeds, influencers, and media that should attend this private event. From there, I went to task organizing and coordinating the event from start to completion. 

Responsibilities 

• Directly communicated and coordinated with invitees and their staff including Houston City Mayor, Sylvester Turner, District Attorney Kim Ogg, and TXDOT leadership.
• Provided opening and closing statements and introduced speakers including Mayor Turner.
• Wrote and released the official event press release: https://www.pr.com/press-release/801249 
• Secured event sponsorship from partners including Wyly Cook and Locke Lord
• Promoted the event within a short timeframe and secured an attendance of nearly 100 guests.
• Oversaw logistics including sound, video, and post-event thank-you notes and collateral distribution.

Video Production & Content Development

Digital content production is often at the forefront of marketing strategies, but executives and leaders often have a hard time pulling together their stories. In partnership with HighDrive.TV, I executive produced and interviewed business leaders,

Responsibilities 

• Identified suitable interviewees and booked them into the production schedule.
• Prepped interviewees with questions and guided them on best on-camera practices.
• Conducted on-camera interviews.
• Facilitated cross-promotion and collaboration with guests.

Interviewees 

Tabatha Barron, KYKS Founder

Tommy San Miguel, CEO of SGR Energy

Raegan Hill, President of Raegan Hill Group

John Jurasin, CEO of Radiant Oil & Gas

Industry Awards & Recognition 

Being newsworthy is an excellent way to establish brand trust and credibility, leveraging business awards with local media and industry organizations. I have extensive experience finding relevant award opportunities, drafting winning applications, and leveraging those wins for promotion.

Winning Applications & Media Recognition

Lorie Clements, COO of 2nd.MD, honored by Houston Business Journal's 2016 Women Who Mean Business. While leading the marketing for 2nd.MD, I drafted the initial pitch documentation and coordinated the subsequent events with the Houston Business Journal and Lorie. 

Jason Melton, CEO of 2nd.MD, honored by Houston Business Journal's 2016 Class of 40 Under 40. Securing the wins for all nominations submitted on behalf of the 2nd.MD leadership team, Jason was honored for his role in taking the organization's leadership reigns. 

Erica Holloway, COO of Mouth Marketing, honored by Houston Business Journal's 2017 Class of 40 Under 40. Erica partnered with me at the company, and while working together, I successfully submitted the nomination leading to the recognition. 

SGR Energy, honored by Houston Business Journal's Fastest Growing Companies Private Businesses. Worked in tandem with the executive team to showcase rapid growth and promote the company's accomplishments. 

Industry Strategic Leader and Keynote Speaker

Initially asked to speak at Houston's Social Media Day Conference after a series of rapid career escalations took me from a young professional to working in tandem with executives on high-level strategic projects. My presentations were designed to equip attendees with the tools needed to take their own work to the next level. Experienced professional trainer, guest lecturer, and speaker.

Speaking Experience

Pubcon Las Vegas, Miami

DigiMarCon - Houston, Virtual

LinkedIn Local Houston 

Social Media Breakfast

University of Houston

University of St. Thomas

and more

 

Sales Enablement: Management, White Papers, Case Studies, Proposals, & More

All of the excitement that word of mouth and public/media relations drums up also needs to be supported with good content and seamless ways for potential customers to be acquired. I have been on the front lines of small businesses and startups, understanding the complex challenges that come along with building a brand and carving out market share.

Examples:

As Head of Communications at SAFE 2 SAVE, I built out all new sales-driven materials with vertical and audience-specific language. The workload was extensive so to manage the development of these new and never-done-before materials, we needed to balance the creative team's workload. Thus, I implemented the company-wide use of a project management tool (ClickUp). The tool allowed the sales team and executive leadership to both request new materials or support and also gave them transparency on the status of their requests. As a team leader and manager of the project management program, I assigned responsibilities and oversaw to completion of creative projects. 

• I compiled the technical data, wrote, provided guidance oversaw to and oversaw the graphic design of all product white papers. 
• Developed the first series of the brand's case studies including data gathering and interviews with involved members of the team and partners.
• Conducted extensive market research on market gaps and advised executive leadership on a pivot toward an employee incentive program. Set the price for the engagement and worked closely with the engineers to create the platform. 
• Created a custom-on-the-spot quote calculator in Google Sheets and a customizable proposal template for sales to deliver tailored branded high-level proposals quickly.
• Drafted company e-books, webinar content, press releases, articles, presentations, and speeches.
• Oversaw the editing of all company copy.