• Hello •
ABOUT ME (ABRIDGED): I owned an ad-design studio in Boston, traveled with a small film company, art directed at an iconic NY ad agency, was marketing director for a family-run retail chain, launched a town-wide shop local campaign, and published several consumer educational-lifestyle magazines. Today I combine marketing, design, writing, and sales skills to help businesses build their brands, connect with customers, and increase sales.
Services
There are many ways to grow your business.
Logos & Branding
Starting a new business? Need a brand facelift? Want to appeal to new customers? I use my design-marketing-advertising-writing experience to design identity solutions that are smart, appropriate, distinctive, and sales-oriented. That’s right, I want to help you succeed, not just look good. I’ll also make the process fun and affordable.
Graphic Design
The world has lots of good designers; here’s 3 reasons to choose me: 1) I have design, marketing & advertising experience, so I approach each project from several vantage points. 2) I know how to get a lot done quickly. 3) I design, write and project manage, so I do the work of a team, with the overhead of just one. (i.e. I charge less.)
Marketing & Sales
Yes, I’m very creative, but the added value I provide is that I relate to today’s skeptical, obstinate, beleaguered consumer. I know how to attract their attention and inspire them to take action. Being creative will get you noticed; formulating the right message will make you money.
Printing & Mailing
I’ve recently partnered with a local state-of-the-art printer and mail house. I’ve hired them to print my clients’ work for years. I hope you’ll give us a chance to bid on any upcoming project. I’m confident our quality, pricing speed and service will more than please you.
Coaching & Consulting
Think of me as your personal trainer for marketing. I’ll review your advertising, sales, branding, brochures, customer experience, websites, social media, etc., ask a lot of good questions, and offer a variety of practical, actionable ideas. You can do the work yourself, or ask me to help. We can meet regularly or not, and the first meeting is free. Call.
Events & Education
Feel like it’s impossibly expensive to market your product? Don’t believe traditional advertising is worth the cost? Take heart; there is an out-of-the-box approach to attracting new customers that doesn’t require big ad budgets. Call me and let me show you how education and events – the new guerrilla marketing – may be your affordable solution.
Process
Working Together
About Me
When you get right down to it, all I do is take a few pictures, write a bunch of words, and throw in some colors and fonts. I might stick them on paper or paste them into an email. Sometimes I blow them up real big on the side of a building. It’s not rocket science. I guess what makes it special is that somehow I put them together in a way that people notice them, and feel good about buying stuff. Funny enough, this is what I have done all my professional life.
I started as a camera- and sound-assistant for a small but brilliant film company. I was very young, and got to travel all around the world. Good first job!
From there I was hired as an Art Director at J. Walter Thompson. I got to live and work in Manhattan, and was paid to come up with ideas for TV commercials and newspaper ads. That was good, too.
When I left New York, I moved to Boston and opened Waxman Advertising/Design. It started as just me, but grew to be 8 people. We created clever, effective advertising, branding, and marketing for retail, hospitality and food clients. A grand opening picnic for an entire town, and a monthly educational magazine for Bread & Circus (aka Wholefoods), were examples of how I like to do the unexpected.
For reasons I can’t explain, I launched a shop-local initiative in my hometown. I worked with hundreds of quirky small business owners, and spent an entire year trying to help them increase sales. I think this was my hardest job, but I had a few real successes, and learned a lot about the many challenges facing small businesses.
Occasionally I wondered what it would be like to work for just one company. Mahoney’s – my garden center client for over 20 years – was open to the idea, and hired me to be their Director of Sales & Marketing. There I learned many smart ways a business can build traffic and grow sales without a big budget. We launched a rewards program that grew to 60,000 people, created events that attracted thousands of shoppers, and developed emails that provided education, inspiration and motivation. Great job!
Throughout the years I’ve also had the privilege to teach advertising and graphic design courses at The New England School of Art & Design, and at Montserrat College of Art. I love teaching, and continue today at the Center for Women & Enterprise in Providence. Giving back feels good.
Recently my family relocated to historic Wickford, Rhode Island. It’s a terrific town, and I’m happy to live and work here.
I like to believe that when people hire me they get a graphic designer, adman, copywriter, and marketing director all rolled into one. For many companies I’m just the right fit, and I become their as-needed marketing partner. Can I put my experience to work for you?
