emily sparkle

Today was a big day for landing pages around here. Landing pages are a great way to bridge the gap between old and new websites – or when you’re just beginning to build your audience. Be sure to include some sort of call to action for your visitors!

 

In the mid-90s I was asked by a high tech marketing manager to take over for the fired-webmaster. I knew very little html at the time, but learned quickly and enjoyed the creative power of css. In the subsequent 13 years I call my ‘corporate days’, I worked in several software companies (listed below!) on small and large corporate teams creating all manner of marketing – including translations of software websites, brand development,  electronic marketing and social media.

In 2005, I left the software world to begin my own adventure as a proprietor of a healing arts center and metaphysical retail shop. With my husband, I built a successful brick and mortar store, developed a decent following online with e-newsletters, an online store, and social media and continue to manage the shop’s electronic marketing  and e-commerce today. We sold the shop to new owners in winter of 2012 and our email list has grown to almost 10,000 clients. It remains a successful brand in the original vision. I’m proud to continue to work there.

Since 2007, I have been building my own freelance marketing business that caters to small businesses and entrepreneurs who are in the DIY set. I do some print design, but have primarily website design and maintenance clients with whom I use only WordPress. I currently mange a few dozen websites in production, as well as several sites in development / maintenance mode.

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Work History

Fontaholic Designs
Owner
Jan 2007 – Present
Northampton, MA

I love working with small business owners and entrepreneurs who want to take a DIY role in web site and marketing projects. I try to provide tools and education as well as design and development to empower people to contribute, communicate and expand their business and sell their products or services effectively to through their website, social media and email and print marketing.

Inspirit Common / Inspirit Crystals
Former Owner & Principal Participant / Now Shopgirl & Webmaster
Jun 2005 – Present
Northampton, MA

Inspirit Common (now Inspirit Crystals) a unique metaphysical center began in 2005 in Hadley MA,  offering yoga, massage, healing arts, workshops and inspired spiritually charged gifts. We moved moved the shop to Northampton in 2009, dropping the event and healing spaces. In late 2012 we sold our beloved shop to new owners, but I still remain in employment, offering expertise and continuity. While Principal Participant there, I was in ‘chief cook and bottle washer’ doing all tasks related to running a retail service establishment with my partner and a dedicated crew of employees. I also taught Svaroopa yoga for many years. A DIY marketer at heart, I created a complex drop-ship e-commerce website and grew the electronic marketing list to more than 5000 names. I am grateful the shop remains open and available as a resource to the community. Today I am still creating much of their marketing content and manage their web properties.

Chaiest Vision / Sparkle Chai
Jun 2008 – Oct 2015
Traveling tea and cookies for the highest and best. Created product packaging, booth decor and magical woodland tea house ambiance for my partner Bucky Sparkle’s famous chai tea – creamy, sweet, spicy – served hot or cold at many favorite festivals and events. Managed off season online sales and fulfillment.

BrassRing, a Washington Post Company
Marketing Manager / Webmaster
Sep 2003 – May 2005
Greater Boston Area

A pioneer Internet based job board system. I created our marketing websites and worked closely with the user interface team in the development department. Created corporate sales, marketing and internal slide decks, videos and screen casts to demonstrate the product from the point of view of the job seeker, hiring manager or interviewer. Worked with large branding company to launch international campaigns for enterprise users such as Ikea.

The MathWorks
International Web Specialist
Jan 2000 – Sep 2003
Greater Boston Area

Helped this popular mathematics software company expand their online marketing presence by managing the website translation process for more than two dozen languages. Worked closely with development and marketing departments to maintain corporate brand and technical accuracy as well as international offices for language consistency.

NetCentric
Marketing Manager
Sep 1997 – Dec 1999
Greater Boston Area

Recruited by previous employer to join this dotcom boom software start up to revolutionize the fax industry over Internet Protocol. Voice over IP was just gaining ground and we were forging relationships with the big guys like AT&T and international telecommunications companies. Maintained website, created corporate graphics, advertising, press releases, customer literature and sales materials. Managed international trade show program and traveled the world talking about fax over IP.

Atria Software / Pure Atria Software
Marketing Communications Manager
Aug 1994? – Sep 1997
Greater Boston Area

I was hired by the VP of Marketing at this Apollo Software spin-off that originally created ClearCase (now owned by IBM), version control management software. The company was growing quickly and we created tradeshow booths, sales decks, advertising campaigns, print materials galore while growing a team that more than quadrupled in size during my time there. I traveled to places near and far to set up workshops, press events, corporate meetings and dot.com boom style software conventions with parties and executive meetings and of course, lots of great schwag. When we merged with Pure Software, I managed our brand redesign project and worked in our Amsterdam office for six weeks doing European event management.

Price Lampert Associates
Marketing Communications Specialist
Aug 1992 – Aug 1994?
Framingham, MA

When the Vice Presidents of the design agency split off to form their own Event Planning company, they took me along. Being the third person on a three woman team, we accomplished a LOT for IDG / IDC publications like Computerworld, Network World and Info World magazines. We created the trade shows, corporate functions, private parties and other events. I quickly learned how to do rudimentary graphic design, managed large mailings, scouted venues, and sold trade show space and sponsorships and handled attendee relations. Several years after I left the company, one of the owners told me they had to ultimately hire seven people to fill all the gaps I had left.

The Selig Group
Telesales Specialist
May 1991 – Aug 1992
Greater Boston Area

Fresh out of college (Boston University, COM 91), I cold called businesses in the Greater Boston area to sell creative services, event production and marketing offered by this small marketing design agency. Supported designers, sales agents and event managers in daily processes like preparing presentation boards or portfolio packets. Clients included UMass, Earth Day and  International Data Group. Here I became familiar with Macintosh computer systems.

Until 2005, I used my maiden name, Emily Hierstein. In high school and college I worked at Lauriat’s book stores and for TWO balloon decorating companies in the Greater Boston Area. I also did a stint in a coffee bar called Coffee Connection in the mid-90s and worked at Maya’s Dream in Natick, MA where I feel in love with crystals.