Who I Am · A Manifesto

I'm a growth operator with a designer's soul.

Twelve years building growth functions — agency, in-house, consulting. The work spans SEO, content systems, paid acquisition, lifecycle, analytics, and automation. I lead strategy and own execution end-to-end. The technical work runs deep. The aesthetic discipline runs alongside it. Show the work, calmly is the operating principle.

For years I thought I had to choose — be the operator or be the aesthete. I stopped choosing. The site you're reading is one example.

— MS  ·  Grand Rapids, MI
How I Work

I'm not a consultant.I'm a practitioner.

What makes me valuable is deep experience leading both strategy and execution. I have a technical aptitude most growth leaders lack — I'm a builder at heart. I lead initiatives end-to-end: research, strategy, creation, implementation, measurement, iteration.

[ § 02 · How I work ]
Operating Principles

How I approach growth.

Four principles that define my work.

  • 01

    Builder Mentality

    I don't just strategize or stay at one altitude — I explore, plan, prototype to expedite conversations, and build. If a picture is worth a thousand words, prototypes are worth ten thousand in growth contexts.

  • 02

    Systems Thinking

    Tactics fade, trends fade, playbooks become less effective — but systems endure. I design scalable processes and frameworks that remain effective regardless of algorithm changes or platform shifts.

  • 03

    Experimentation Roots

    The only strategy for dealing with uncertainty is through testing. I maintain a continuous test-and-learn approach across channels, ensuring strategies adapt based on data rather than assumptions.

  • 04

    AI-Native Approach

    I leverage AI across the full spectrum of growth tasks to enhance speed and efficiency without sacrificing quality. After years of daily practice, I've learned to achieve both productivity and the human touch.

Experience

Where I've worked.

Six roles. A decade of building growth systems.

[ Maximus ]· Current
SEP 2025 → PRESENT

Head of Digital Experience

Owns the full digital experience spanning SEO/GEO, paid media ($300–$400K/mo), lifecycle marketing, and CRO. Drove 95% organic traffic growth and contributed ~$3.5M in incremental ARR. Built context engineering systems and AI knowledge bases to scale content production across the marketing team.

[ Teal ]
JAN 2023 → SEP 2025

Director of Growth Marketing

Owned the end-to-end multi-channel growth engine across SEO, SEM, Lifecycle, CRO, and Performance Marketing. Scaled organic traffic by +2,400%, Built proprietary content lifecycle systems to streamline production, and managed +$400K/mo in paid media.

[ Netspend ]
JUL 2022 → DEC 2022

Head of Conversion Optimization

Directed the organization’s centralized CRO & experimentation program across web properties generating 200 million visits annually. Managed a $2M+/mo Google Ads budget and owned the analytics and measurement strategy for all major product launches.

[ Financial Finesse ]
MAR 2022 → JUL 2022

Digital Marketing Director

Led B2B2C lifecycle strategy for enterprise clients including Target and Morgan Stanley. Architected gamification-driven onboarding flows that increased enrollment by 28% and integrated automation APIs with BI tools to demonstrate platform ROI.

[ MHVillage ]
MAR 2019 → MAR 2022

Senior Digital Strategist

Head of the end-to-end SEO, SEM, and Lifecycle Marketing program for MHVillage and its network of real estate websites accumulating over 28 million visits annually. Built and scaled a home listing recommendation engine for Email & In-App channels.

[ Bevelwise Media ]
APR 2018 → MAR 2019

Head of Digital Marketing

Directed acquisition and retention strategy for the agency’s largest accounts, achieving 100% client retention and a 65% increase in recurring revenue. Mentored a team of growth marketing specialists to optimize multi-channel performance.

Beliefs

What I believe.

Lessons learned over a decade of building.

Grit > Talent

Persistence and determination outweigh natural ability in the long run.

There is no substitute for putting in the hours

Mastery comes from deep, focused practice — not shortcuts or hacks.

Demos & Prototypes > Memos & Re-groups

You could have built a prototype in the time spent scheduling another sync.

Systems compound, tactics fade

Build infrastructure that scales rather than chasing one-off wins.

Measure what matters, ignore vanity

Focus on metrics that drive real business outcomes.

Ship fast, iterate faster

Progress beats perfection. Learn from what's live.

Let's build

Let's build something that compounds.

Consulting engagement, product feedback, a thoughtful question, or just hello. I reply to everything I read.