JESS SMITH

01 — Introduction.

I stumbled into digital at the start of my career with a social media role, and it was love at first tweet. Yes, I started in this industry before Instagram was a thing or algorithms controlled the newsfeed.

While my foundation is in digital, today, my scope is much broader than that. I'm a brand marketer and senior leader with nearly 15 years of experience in the sports industry. And while digital will always be my first love, I've found a true passion in leading teams.

02 — As a Marketer.

As a marketer, I have a proven ability to straddle the line between strategic and creative thinking. I believe in the art of marketing and the power of stories while staying grounded in the strategy. I have a passion for brand strategy, love working with creatives, love partnering on partnership and sales strategy, and know how to map plans back to larger organizational goals.

I'm a big believer in putting things to paper; it's how you get buy-in across the board, and it makes the work tangible for those executing. My job is to bring to life the brands I work for and connect with the audience, all while driving organizational results.

03 — As a Leader.

As a leader, I believe my job is to coach and build an environment people enjoy while ensuring we're rowing in the right direction for the organization. Because I grew up in my career with the major marketing platforms of today, I have a unique understanding of the challenges that young marketers and creatives face today. This first-hand experience makes me an empathetic manager who can roll up their sleeves if the team needs it.

One of my greatest strengths is my ability to get the most out of people, but never in an overbearing way. This comes from my ability to lean in, coach, and roll up my sleeves.

I believe that working in sports should be fun and that teams do their best work when they enjoy what they do. Most importantly, I lead like an actual human.