My professional experience varies widely. My career began while still attending Ball State University in 1996, when I accepted a position as a Senior Portrait Photographer with Prestige Portraits. Within a year I was managing my own studio & staff, performing all in-studio portraiture, and responsible for the day-to-day operations of the retail portrait studio. A year later, to handle the increase in volume and better cater to an increasingly demanding clientele, I successfully managed the relocation & construction of a new studio, which generated an increase of 400% in year-over-year revenue with me at the helm.
While still with Prestige in 2001, I accepted a temporary sales position with TruGreen ChemLawn. That quickly evolved into a permanent position and within a year I was promoted to Customer Retention Manager for a $6 million branch in Fishers, Indiana. In late 2005, I transferred to TruGreen’s Jacksonville, Florida facility to fill the same role.
I took a brief hiatus from corporate life in mid-2006 to focus on a website development and marketing project for a small business start-up. My primary responsibilities with Welcome Home Pet Sitting included brand development, graphic design, website design, online & offline marketing, and online reputation management.
In October of 2006, I accepted a position as a Customer Retention Specialist with a small business website design & marketing company in Jacksonville, Florida. I remained with Web.com (previously WebsitePros) — the largest small business website design & marketing company in America — until 2008, when I left the company to pursue other opportunities, ultimately leading to the launch of my own small business venture, SEOAly.
I have worked with the largest companies in their respective industries, which has provided me with invaluable knowledge and experience that I could never have gained otherwise. I’m thankful for the advancement opportunities that have been presented throughout my career, but my aspirations do not include climbing a corporate ladder or becoming a magnate. I prefer to be a part of a smaller operation — one that understands that a commitment to the work and the client takes precedence over shareholder demands, budget forecasts and bottom-line revenue goals. Mediocrity at any pay scale isn’t something I am willing to accept, regardless of its profitability.
Specialties: High standards, attention to detail, proactivity, professionalism, analytical skills, problem solving ability, and initiative are major contributing factors to my having been labeled a “natural leader” throughout my career.
My specific areas of expertise include:
Customer Support, Service & Training
Customer Retention Management & Training
On-site SEO Audit & Problem Resolution
WordPress Website / Blog Development
Social Networking / Online Reputation Management
Portrait & Commercial Photography
Insanity: doing the same thing, over and over again, and expecting different results.
Albert Einstein