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linkedin.com/in/lakeshawoodard LaKesha Gage-Woodard Chicago, IL

773-***-****

STRATEGIC MARKETING EXECUTIVE

Marketing executive experienced in building strategy and plans that positively impact business. Leads with an analytical and data-driven mindset, leveraging research for actionable insights to drive decisions, increase ROI and measure true success. Integrates UX and engagement platforms to expand market share and generate sales benchmarks.

A creative storyteller who can shape a compelling narrative and brings creative energy and the courage to think differently to reach different audiences. Connects and successfully collaborates with diverse audiences both internally and externally. Leads, coaches, mentors and scales cross-cultural marketing teams to focus their energy on achieving business goals with a quality-first creative mentality.

Integrated Marketing Strategy Brand Position Strategy Business Transformation Entrepreneurship Strategic Planning Customer Experience Strategy Cross-Functional Team Development Coaching & Mentoring Thought Leadership

LEADERSHIP STRENGTHS

● Strong knowledge and experience in digital marketing and tools, including SEO, paid web sources, email and Salesforce, among others.

● Proven leadership in developing and growing brands in B2B and B2C spaces, tailoring marketing strategies to reach distinctive audiences.

● Adept at business transformation projects ranging from technological shifts to corporate culture development.

EXPERIENCE

Natural Radiant LIfe (NRL) Chief Marketing Officer 2020 - Present Chicago, IL Partnered and launched NRL, an organic, vegan, direct-to-consumer skincare brand. Leads all marketing, analytics and attribution strategy, marketing governance and operations, communications, and corporate positioning. Created corporate KPIs to align company with SaaS best practices. Established expertise in social media platforms to optimize digital campaigns in alignment with customer engagement.

● Built business plan and strategies during pre-revenue phase with partners while establishing Shopify, a full-service SaaS, as our ecommerce platform. Drove initial $25K sales in first 90 days.

● Develop marketing objectives and strategies for skin and body care categories and develop quarterly marketing plans to achieve them.

● Developed, implemented, and managed online digital initiatives including digital display advertising, paid search and SEO.

● Led the NRL blog strategy for SEO and to establish expertise in the skincare market. This drove a 205% conversion increase and resulted in significant new customers.

● Designed, implemented, and optimized retargeting ads using Google AdWords and Facebook to improve visitor-to-paid conversion rate. Achieved 31% returning customer rate and 99% retention of subscription customers. Also earned $432 customer lifetime value and an ROAS of 3.6 in 2021.

● Launched 7 new products into both the Amazon and Walmart Marketplaces using a variety of strategies, including Amazon sponsored and display ads. Increased sales by an average of 20% through optimizing the listing for discovery ease and conversions with A+ Content and keyword strategy.

Urban Ministries, Inc. (UMI) Vice President, Marketing and Sales 2017 - 2019 Chicago, IL Reported directly to the CEO and led strategic vision as part of executive leadership for this leading African-American media and publishing company which reaches 14.5M global households. Drove B2B/B2C sales growth and brand affinity. Managed and motivated a 10-person team and a field sales team of 60-person independent contractors. Earned new segments through key strategic marketing initiatives.

● Created value proposition for the relaunch of the flagship educational product lines as part of a turn-around business strategy. Developed the key marketing tools for B2B private labeling and B2C to support customer education process and assist in closing deals across field sales, inside sales and national sales teams.

● Spearheaded, secured buy-in and implemented game-changing B2B marketing strategy and overall communication plan that improved historically challenging relationships. It also allowed for retention of multi-million-dollar, long-term partners and acquisition of key new customers.

● Developed competencies and processes required to recreate, hire, and grow a more effective and cohesive sales organization. The completed cross-cultural team drove a company sales transformation that resulted in greater overall sales performance and a positive culture change.

● Led market research and competitive analyses process to foster greater understanding and effectively communicate product value propositions for 15+ product lines.

● Developed outsourcing strategy which led to UMI’s first successful efforts to meet increased demand and to improved overall operations. Modernized, automated and optimized processes to successfully built-in coverage during key sales seasons.

● Helped build corporate rebrand strategy to better showcase modernized content and capture a younger demographic while still retaining loyal consumers. Strategy in conjunction with “50th Anniversary” event which was live streamed on Facebook.

● Performed two sales process transformations, aligning with go-to-market strategies to increase quarterly performance within 90-day increments within a year.

● Served on the executive leadership team to design all corporate planning, strategies and budgets including the reduction of expenses from multi-million-dollar losses while maintaining 10-20% quarterly growth.

Avon Products, Inc. Corporate District Sales Manager 2010 - 2017 Chicago, IL Recruited to revitalize an underperforming district, develop a growth strategy and restore the region as a vital revenue source. Swiftly transformed the district then earned the opportunity to direct two additional districts. Inspired and motivated 300+ independent sales representatives, built community partnerships and participated in events and activities to reach and inspire potential new talent.

● Developed grassroots strategies to close KPI gaps, increase sales, and grow staff by 4.1%.

● Leveraged relationship-building and leadership strengths to grow sales by 9.4% and average customer orders by 6.3% during a time when the rest of the country was experiencing declines in both categories.

● Decreased bad debt by 16.6% by directly addressing payment challenges with customers and installing achievable payment plans.

● Consistently ranked in the top 5% of national district managers, based on KPI performance and delivery of sales revenue increases that surpassed objectives. Selected from 20+ as a premium district manager.

EDUCATION & CAREER DEVELOPMENT

Clark Atlanta University, Atlanta, GA: Master of Business Administration; and Bachelor of Arts, Mass Media Arts/Journalism

Washington University, St. Louis, MO: Project Management Certification HubSpot Academy, Chicago IL: Digital Marketing Certification

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

Jackie Robinson Foundation Alumni Association 1994 - present Chicago, IL Led the JRF Alumni Board in establishing an endowed scholarship and served as Regional Scholarship Selection Committee Vice Chair, Alumni Board VP and Fundraising Chair. Additional volunteer and board affiliations 1999 - present Chicago, IL Long-time contributor to Joseph Center Business School, Living Word Christian Center, Center for New Hope, Clark Atlanta University Alumni Association, and P. Sherrod & Co. (Board Member).

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