RESUME

Before I Fleetwood Mac’ed it and decided to “go [my] own way” I had a good run working for other people, while enjoying the variety and connection that comes with freelancing. Keep reading to learn about the adventures & happy accidents that led me to KSC+C.

Education

• North Central College, Naperville, IL

• Class of 2012

• Bachelor of Arts in Interactive Media

• I completed 6 internships during my 4 years at NCC

Kelly Stanze Consulting + Creative

Freelancer/Consultant

01/2020 - Current

In my ongoing journey as a freelancer and consultant, I’ve had the joy of serving clients of all sorts. My main areas of focus have been technical SEO, content optimization, content strategy, information architecture, and overall website experience and strategy. I also peppered in paid search, organic and paid social, affiliate marketing, referral and loyalty programs, and more. For some of my clients, I am a full product owner, whereas for others I may pop in and out as needed. I subcontract for agencies, I work directly with owner-chefs promoting their restaurants, and lead workshops for business owners and copywriters.

Ultimately, though, I always have one goal. Whether I’m owning the work itself, consulting on the efforts, or training the folks who will be executing: how can I help my partners be found online by the right people in an agile and cost-effective way?

Demiplane

Marketing Manager

08/2023 - 12/2023

After 6 months of contracting for Demiplane, they offered me a full-time role. I said I’d shift my primary focus from my own business only for the right role. I thought this would be it, but the economy disagreed. I was among layoffs made at the end of 2023. During my brief time with TTRPG startup Demiplane, I touched pretty much all marketing. My emphasis was heavier in content strategy and email marketing, but unfortunately much of the work did not make it to fruition prior to the layoffs. Additional projects included convention presence and public interfacing, partner relationship management, and creating the foundation for technical SEO practices.

Robot Logic Marketing

SEO Director

03/2022 - Current

This boutique full-service agency serves small businesses that often see themselves underserved by marketing and advertising firms. We offer the capabilities small businesses need to grow, with the agility to make it both impactful AND cost-effective.

Hallmark Cards

SEO Strategist

11/2015 - 11/2019

Whether it was technical SEO, content strategy consulting, assisting in the development of SEO-friendly style guides, or educating contributors and execs on the value of search optimization, I did it all. For nearly a year, I was also the in-house POC for our paid search agency, and was instrumental in bringing that practice in-house. I led the overhaul of Hallmark’s product feeds, and managed them myself for 3 of my 4 years there, prior to handing them off to the in-house digital media buyer we hired. During this chapter, I had the privilege of consulting on several Hallmark subsidiaries, including but not limited to Crayola, Hallmark Channel, and Hallmark Business Connections. I spoke at several conferences on behalf of Hallmark and our work building an in-house, enterprise SEO program, and even assisted in workshops with our tech vendors.

PlattForm

SEO & Content Marketing Strategist

11/2013 - 11/2015

AKA Keypath Education, AKA Thruline Marketing. I spent 2 years at PlattForm/Keypath Education serving higher education clients. Within the first 6 months had been moved from several small, low-profit accounts onto a dedicated account serving one large client, an assignment only offered to the top performing strategists on the team.

AdFarm

Digital Strategist

07/2012 - 10/2013

Specializing in social media, blogging, and content, I helped clients in the agriculture industry through B2B/B2C strategies and social media training for their customers, employees, and other stakeholders. I also spent a great deal of time on social listening, writing, outreach, influencer partnerships, and supporting industry events.

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