My path has been anything but linear. I thrive in ambiguity, love finding unconventional solutions, and bring a diverse background that connects strategy to execution. Click each stage to read my story.
Graduated Cum Laude and received the Khoury Endowed Scholarship for entrepreneurship. Served as Presidential Ambassador, supporting the Office of the President with alumni affairs, donor relations, and event planning.
Cum Laude · Khoury Scholar · Presidential AmbassadorConducted market research and competitor analysis to develop strategic recommendations for clients in healthcare and technology. Learned how to think about markets with rigor and present findings that actually changed decisions.
Strategy · Market Research · Healthcare and TechBuilt an entire brand from nothing during the pandemic. Product, brand identity, logo, and go-to-market strategy. all independently. Raised over $1,000 for American Red Cross COVID-19 relief. The first time I owned every piece of a brand end to end.
Santa Fe New Mexican: "Local duo create bracelet to help fund fight against COVID-19" ↗ Brand Identity · GTM · Press CoverageWorked within a business model incubator identifying new revenue streams. Supported key initiative development and messaging prioritization based on consumer interviews for Father's Day campaigns. Evaluated ideas against viability, desirability, and feasibility before going to market.
Consumer Research · GTM · New Revenue StreamsSpotted a gap in the brand assortment, cold outreached to a new vendor, and negotiated a contract that brought them into the store. That brand became the highest revenue driver. Researched 50+ retail partners to guide purchasing and merchandising strategy.
Brand Management · Vendor Strategy · Market ResearchRedesigned a low-engagement stakeholder newsletter into a branded, KPI-driven communication program. Drove a 115% increase in engagement. Developed business cases and executive presentations to support investment decisions across Nike's North America distribution network.
Communication Strategy · 115% Engagement · Executive ReportingCurrently completing a part-time MBA in Marketing at Indiana University. Coursework includes Foundations of AI and ML. Expected graduation Fall 2026.
Marketing · AI and ML · Expected Fall 2026Developed the quarterly global brand strategy aligning Sonos marketing functions and regional teams worldwide. Project planned the Sonos x Philips Hue voice control integration from kickoff through launch at IFA 2025 in Berlin. Recognized by the Head of Product Marketing and CRM team leadership. Laid off October 2025, company-wide restructuring.
Global Brand Strategy · Partnership Launch · IFA Berlin 2025Three projects that show how I think, how I work, and what I deliver.
Global partnership · IFA Berlin 2025
I served as project planner for the marketing launch, owning the RACI, workback calendar, and all cross-brand communication across both organizations. Two brands, two approval chains, two sets of stakeholders, one deadline.
The integration launched on time and debuted at IFA 2025 in Berlin, where it received strong reception from vendors and industry press. Recognized by the Head of Product Marketing and CRM team leadership.
North America · Nike Distribution Network
A stakeholder newsletter nobody read. Dry, unbranded, giving leadership no visibility into what was happening across the network. I built a formal proposal, presented it to senior leadership, and got the green light to rebuild it from scratch.
The goal was not a prettier email. It was a tool that changed how leadership made decisions. Stakeholder engagement increased 115%.
Product, identity, go-to-market · COVID-19 relief
In 2020 I built YOUnited Threads from nothing. Product, brand identity, logo, go-to-market strategy. all independently. The brand was covered by the Santa Fe New Mexican. We raised over $1,000 for the American Red Cross.
The first time I owned every piece of a brand end to end. It proved I could.
@boonetheshepsky · Instagram & TikTok · 5 months
I built Boone's account the same way I approach any brand. with a clear identity, a content strategy, and a focus on what actually resonates with the audience. No paid promotion. Just consistent, intentional content that lets Boone's personality do the work.
The result: 4,400+ followers on Instagram, 3,200 on TikTok, 15.6 million Instagram views in 90 days, and 7.2 million TikTok views in 5 months with 169K shares. Active brand partnerships with OpenFarm, We Feed Raw, and Dog is Human, plus a UGC deal.
It is the same skillset. Build the story, grow the audience, convert it into commercial value.
To show how I think about brand problems, I put together an unsolicited brief on one of my favorite brands. I'm a genuine Olipop fan. It's one of the best examples of a consumer-led brand that is well positioned in a growing category, with a clear identity, strong cultural relevance, and real whitespace ahead.
Olipop has built a loyal base among health-conscious consumers. The person drinking a Coke at lunch has not switched yet. That is the biggest volume opportunity in the category.
When a can of ginger ale shows up in March still wearing a winter sleeve, it does not feel nostalgic. It feels dated. The heritage aesthetic only works when it feels timeless.
How: Run a blind taste-test campaign in high-traffic convenience and grocery locations, lead entirely with flavor, zero health messaging. Partner with a cultural moment (a sports league, a music festival) where soda consumption is high and the audience skews unconverted.
Measure: Trial rate among new-to-brand buyers, tracked via retailer loyalty data. Success looks like a measurable shift in the buyer profile away from existing health-conscious consumers.
How: Pilot in 10-15 better-for-you fast casual restaurants (think Sweetgreen, Cava, Mendocino Farms) in 3 cities. Make the fountain fixture itself a brand moment, designed, not just functional. Document the launch and let the restaurant partners amplify it.
Measure: Units sold per location per week vs. bottled equivalent, plus earned media value from the category-first story. A successful pilot justifies national rollout with a clear unit economics case.
How: Launch an owned loyalty or ambassador program, not influencer gifting, but a structured community with early flavor access, limited drops, and a private channel. Give your most loyal consumers something to belong to, not just buy from.
Measure: Repeat purchase rate and community-driven UGC volume. Success is owned engagement that does not require paid amplification to sustain.
How: Retire the seasonal character sleeve and replace with 2-3 collectible limited-edition artist collaborations per year. Partner with emerging illustrators or cultural artists whose audiences overlap with Olipop's. Make scarcity the mechanic, not the calendar.
Measure: Sell-through rate on limited releases vs. seasonal SKUs, plus secondary market activity as a signal of collector demand.
How: Approach 2-3 premium airline partners (Delta One, United Polaris, Virgin Atlantic) with a co-branded placement pitch. Frame it as a premium beverage upgrade story, not a health story. Pair placement with duty-free availability in key international hubs.
Measure: Brand awareness lift in target international markets (UK, Australia, Canada) tracked via brand health studies pre and post launch. Revenue per available seat as a secondary metric with airline partners.
I might not check every box. But I'll show up, figure it out, and add checked boxes you didn't know you needed filled. If the work above resonates, I'd love to talk. Open to brand marketing, associate brand manager, marketing analyst, and marketing specialist roles. Remote and hybrid preferred.
I'm Rachel, a marketer based in Austin, Texas, currently completing my MBA in Marketing at Indiana University's Kelley School of Business.
What drives me is taking an idea and making it real. I love the process of pulling insights from data, building a strategy around them, and watching it connect with an actual person. That moment where brand meets consumer is why I chose marketing.
I'm a value-driven leader. Integrity and connection are not just words for me, they're how I work. I care deeply about the people I work with and the teams I'm part of.
Outside of work I'm a certified personal trainer, a proud shepsky mom, and someone who genuinely believes that great things get built by people who refuse to accept that they can't.