Lantern

I partner with benefits consultant and benefits leaders at self-funded companies to tackle their toughest challenges, including rising healthcare costs, employee dissatisfaction, and complex benefits administration. By leveraging Lantern's innovative solutions, I help organizations reduce costs, improve employee engagement, and simplify processes, all while delivering measurable results.

Drawing on my experience in healthcare, I offer a unique perspective that allows me to align Lantern’s offerings with the specific needs of my prospective clients. My goal is to build lasting relationships and create strategies that drive better outcomes for companies and their employees.

Vice President of Sales

DirectShifts

AI driven technology connecting hospitals with local clinicians to support on demand staffing needs. 
Developed commercial and growth strategy for the Texas hospital and health system market, identifying 8 target markets equaling over $10 million in total accessible market.
Owned full sales cycle, from prospecting to close, with initial cold outreach including cold calls, emails, and LinkedIn campaigns to hospital C-level executives, resulting in over $900k new logo sales pipeline during first 4 months.
Partnered with marketing to develop market specific campaigns leading to a 75% increase in inbound leads.
Championed Salesforce design and adoption throughout commercial team and engineered the framework for capturing sales activity and revenue forecasting,

Commercial Strategy and Sales

Relatient

Relatient is patient engagement software, specifically designed for healthcare organizations. It automates communication tasks like appointment reminders, scheduling, billing, and surveys, streamlining patient interactions to improve overall engagement and efficiency.

Created and pioneered account upsell and retention strategies across enterprise health system accounts, resulting in 110% quota attainment equaling $3.2M in annual recurring revenue.
Led complex upsell deals and served as the internal “quarterback” amongst technical implementation, customer success, support, and product teams generating over $1 million in pipeline generation.
Leveraged business intelligence data (PowerBI, Tableau) to identify $2 million in additional billable revenue, developed capture strategy, and led initiative to scale project across the entire existing customer base.

Enterprise Account Executive

IPD Analytics

IPD Analytics delivers expert insights on pharmaceutical trends, drug pricing, and patent risks, helping healthcare organizations make informed, cost-effective decisions and stay ahead of industry changes.
Hunter/Farmer role, responsible for aggressive account growth across Fortune 500 health system,
health plan, and PBM accounts, consistently overachieving a $4 million quota across 4 years.
Successfully launched 3 new products within territory resulting in $800k in net new revenue.
Led aggressive price increase and term negotiations with Fortune 100 healthcare companies
securing over $5 million in contracted revenue.

The Advisory Board Company

Successfully completed an industry gold standard sales training process centered around Miller
Heimann and Challenger Sales methodologies.
Met with over 350 higher education executives generating over $1 million in new logo revenue
across 5 quarters.
Managed a team of 2 sales development associates, overseeing onboarding, product and role
training, territory planning, and performance reviews.

Territory Sales Executive

Partnered with Health System executives to identify cost containment and quality improvement
opportunities through the Crimson SaaS technology, recommended best practice strategies,
oversaw action plan completion, and measurement of ROI. This resulted in a consistent 90%
renewal rate and over $20 million in documented ROI.
Led team of technical business analysts through technical implementation, EHR integration, user
acceptance testing, and ongoing maintenance of the client’s platform.
Engineered and led technology platform demonstrations and training during customer
onboarding and throughout lifecycle.
Authored industry leading case studies, capturing vivid insight into the challenges and key
strategies implemented and value seen through use of the Crimson platform.

Client Success Manager

Senior Associate, Client Success

North Texas Specialty Physicians

•	Developed and provided analyses of area post-acute care providers on quality and utilization metrics to aid in expansion of preferred provider network for Plus ACO, one of the first Medicare Pioneer accountable care organizations
•	Managed the planning and operations of an ACO committee from conception including developing a board approved charter, budget, and timeline that served as the operational map for the 2013 term
•	Established recruitment strategies and standards to obtain committee members with a 90% success rate
•	Project manager for various ACO functions, such as establishing relationships with area post-acute care providers, preparing data to report utilization and quality metrics at board, medical management, and finance committee meetings 
•	Prospected, interviewed, and trained new staff

Strategy Analyst

Graduate administrative intern for Plus, a Medicare Pioneer accountable care organization (ACO), which is a partnership between NTSP and Texas Health Resources.

•	Responsible for the planning and development of an ACO patient advisory committee
•	Managed the development of policies and procedures in collaboration with each ACO functional department 
•	Developed processes for identifying preferred providers within post-acute care

Graduate Student Intern

Texas Health Resources

Performed in the role of admitting patients for their inpatient, outpatient, and Emergency Department visits; responsibilities included: checking and verifying insurance and eligibility and managing patient accounts to be in compliance with hospital and government standards
Delivered satisfactory customer service to improve overall patient satisfaction scores as recognized by management

Admissions Specialist

Hi there! I'm passionate about transforming how healthcare is paid for and making it more affordable. At Lantern, I help companies give their employees access to high quality, affordable specialty care.

My approach is all about being authentic, curious, and genuinely caring. Building trust and long-lasting relationships with benefits leaders who are tackling the challenges of healthcare costs is what I do best.

Outside of work, I’m an advocate for mental health awareness, neurodiversity, and work-life balance. I've had my share of ups and downs, including a tough period of unemployment, which taught me resilience and self-awareness. These experiences drive my passion for creating supportive, employee-centric cultures.

Let’s connect and explore how we can make a real impact in healthcare and workplace well-being. Always open to meaningful conversations and new ideas.

Alyssa Riley, MHA

Today is my first day at Mercer.



If the last few months taught me anything, it’s this: authenticity opens doors you didn’t even know existed.

I was laid off. I shared openly about it. I listened to my gut. I trusted that the dots would connect — and they did. In ways I could never have planned.

Today is a fresh start, and I’m walking into it with gratitude, clarity, and a whole lot of excitement.

Principal @ Mercer | I solve complex healthcare and employee benefits problems by understanding people first.

Next chapter loading.


Some seasons break you in ways you do not expect. Others quietly rebuild you. This one did both, and it changed me.


👉🏼 I am grateful to share that I will be joining Mercer as a Principal on the Health and Benefits team, based in Dallas.


It is the kind of strategic, consultative work that has always felt right to me. What makes this step feel so aligned is stepping into a firm with a strong foundation and a thoughtful, modern way of working. The people, the structure, and the systems already in place create room for depth, clarity, and real impact. It feels like the environment I have been growing toward without always realizing it.

Losing my job this fall shook me more than I expected. There were moments of hope and moments that felt heavy. But this job search felt different. Not easier, just… right. Like something was finally clicking into place. Like timing I could not control was working in my favor.

When I look back, I can see that nothing about this came out of nowhere. It was shaped by the work I have put in over the last two years. Getting honest about my strengths. Owning the value I bring. Showing up with intention for clients, prospects, colleagues, friends, and my family. The quiet consistency. The growth I barely noticed in the moment. All of it mattered.

I am proud of myself. I am grateful. And I am still taking in how quickly everything came together once it aligned.

I also have a few weeks before my start date, and I am thankful for the space to slow down and be present with my family. This time feels like a gift before a new beginning.

Thank you to everyone who supported me in ways big and small. Your encouragement meant more than you know.

If you are in a season that feels uncertain or heavy, please hear this. You are not behind. You are not lost. You are becoming.

Here is to alignment, right timing, and stepping into what comes next with intention.

Not a bad way to spend Day 2 at Mercer! Loved learning about CulinaryCare’s cause, the wonderful meal at Nick and Sam’s, and a fun and hilarious team building experience Top Chef style! Massive thank you to UnitedHealthcare for hosting this fabulous event!!

What an inspiring afternoon supporting Culinary Care , an organization that delivers meals — and moments of comfort — to those going through cancer treatments. 💛

Huge shoutout to UnitedHealth Group for sponsoring today’s event at Nick & Sam's Steakhouse , and to all our fellow consultants across the marketplace who showed up in such a big way.

And… proud moment: the Mercer Dallas team took home the win! 🏆
Always grateful to be part of a team that leads with heart and shows up for our community. ♥️

Team Mercer:

Jennifer Bryson Barbara Gladden Jenna Lowenberg, SHRM-CP Steven Watson Victoria Burke Alyssa Riley, MHA Riana Pinto Sean Terwilliger Will Jones Andrew Canaway

Preparing for a new role with ADHD looks like:

- 47 open tabs
- 12 podcast episodes on “how to work a room”
- 6 on “how to stop being awkward”
- 3 on “psychology of likeability”
- voice notes I recorded that literally say “remember to breathe before talking” and “EYE CONTACT”
- ChatGPT prompts like: “why do I hate eye contact?” and “small talk ideas”

Is it chaotic?
Absolutely.

Is this genuinely how I prepare for things?
Also yes.

But here’s the truth:
My brain might not do linear, but it does depth.
And somehow, the chaos always turns into clarity right when I need it and I kinda love it.

How to get your drugs for cheap when you don’t have insurance…

Just ask. 


Y’all know what’s crazy… we had a short gap of no coverage during my unemployment and of course my kids got sick and needed meds.

CVS quoted me $75 for a generic drug. I asked if they had a discount… and what do you know they did. Brought the cost down to $15!!!! 🤯🤦🏻‍♀️

My question though is WHAT IF I HAD NOT ASKED?!

My quirky trait is my absolute inability to half ass anything… even my 4 year old’s homework 🤣🤷🏻‍♀️

If you want something you can use today to communicate better and feel more confident… listen to this podcast by Mel Robbins.


Tactical. Psychological. Actionable.
SUCH a good episode.

🎧

Open article: The Mel Robbins Podcast by podcasts.apple.com

Andrew Carlton LLC

Creating hundreds of sales leaders through the 90 Day Sales Leadership Accelerator.

Founder/Fractional Sales Leader & Coach

Duncan Financial Group

Lead a team of 30 sales producers and 4 marketing staff members.

VP Sales

BarkleyOKRP

Led national business development/sales at Barkley helping institutions and companies optimize the customer journey and elevate brand reputation online (web, analytics, tech and digital marketing solutions). 

One of the largest independent agencies in the country and is 100% employee-owned.

Senior Business Development Executive | Team Lead

"Profiles in Marketing"​ Podcast

A podcast that celebrates marketers and their stories. Putting a human face on the marketers behind the marketing.

Check out interviews from companies like The Cleveland Clinic, Nationwide Insurance Company, Eloqua & William and Mary College.

Founder & Host

Various Companies

Helped companies power their marketing/sales efforts by optimizing the funnel for higher quality leads and increased conversions.  Utilized CRM and other technology platforms to support the sales strategy and provide custom dashboards for continuous improvement.

Trained sales teams on how best to utilize the sales ecosystem to close more deals.  In addition, led training for sales teams in a 1:1 and group coaching environment.

Companies served included large car dealership, life insurance company, Fortune 1000 fragrance manufacturer, window company, SaaS company, medical device company among many others.

Sales Enablement Consultant & Trainer

Communica 

(Formerly The Pursuit Group). Drove sales & marketing strategy to generate predictable and repeatable revenue in the area of marketing automation & innovative marketing solutions.

Vice President of Business Development

Elliance

One of the the first digital agencies in the country.  Award winning firm helping mid to large size clients within healthcare, finance, manufacturing, technology and higher education.  INC 5000 company (multiple consecutive years), Business 2.0 (Top 10 digital firms in US), Cisco Innovation Award.

Vice President, Sales 

Ennect

SaaS platform (winner of Cisco Innovation Award) for SMB marketers. Responsible for creating marketing and sales strategy in addition to working with teams to ensure top notch customer experience for on-boarding and long term adoption.

Grew revenue to makeup over 20% of total revenue of parent company in 3 years.

Director, Sales 

Sales Leader, Coach and Trainer | CEO & Founder | Keynote Speaker | Rock n Roll Drummer

Andy Carlton

The relief I felt when my first client said, “Just send the invoice”… I still feel it.

That was 4.5 years ago.

It wasn’t about the money.

It was proof that someone valued my expertise and thinking.

Your client wants to know...

“Can you help me right now?”

They could care less about your fancy website, personal branding, and shiny collateral.

It's about filling an urgent and painful need.

Your strategy for signing your first few clients is different than what it takes to grow and scale your business.  

And you don't have to quit or risk your W2 while you're doing it.

The best of us have been seduced into building things that will never move the needle.  

But we've been convinced it's the way to go.
So, we continue to push through with little success.  

Spending days, months, years spinning our wheels looking for the holy grail.

I'll admit - The first "yes" hits differently.

It validates and creates momentum.

Don't focus on building a business, focus on getting your first few clients.

Get those first yeses.

Future proofing corporate leaders by turning their expertise into leverage and income—without risking what they’ve already built | 4x sales leader + INC 5000 executive | Founder | LinkedIn Business Strategist | Drummer

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