Lindsey Canant Brand & Marketing

Brand strategy | Voice & tone | Messaging & brand storytelling | B2C and B2B2C campaigns | Marketing channel playbooks | Editorial themes and marketing/merchandising narratives | Cultural & competitive analysis | Coaching & workshops 

SELECT RESULTS: 
• Served as a trusted advisor, coach, and sounding board for visionary leaders in e-commerce, retail, tech, fashion, beauty, lifestyle, manufacturing, and more. 
• Overhauled the voice, tone, and messaging for fashion label Jude Connally, helping the eponymous designer nail her story for the "first time" after 14 years of business through revised brand positioning, omnichannel campaign concepts, and editorial/cultural marketing narratives
• Crafted brand positioning, strategy, verbal identity, and omnichannel copy for Hollis Loudon Interiors – earning a 2022 Web Excellence Award
• Oversaw the launch of an award-winning leggings brand – from initial strategy, competitive/consumer research, and voice/visual identity to a social media, press, and influencer outreach playbook
• Created awareness strategy and partnership outreach messaging for a direct-to-consumer luxury shoe brand, resulting in a boutique hotel pop-up shop and interest from premier global retailers  

FROM MY CLIENTS:
• "She took my gut instinct/inkling of an idea and turned it into an actual brand." 
• "Lindsey 'gets it.' When I'm at a loss for words, she finds them and takes the idea to the next level."
• "Because of Lindsey, we have the tools to achieve our positioning. Now we can get to where we want to be in the long run."
• "Lindsey has helped me define the 'who' and 'what' of my brand in a way that is bigger than words."

Owner, Brand Marketing Consultant

Bizee

• Developed and executed global brand strategy, including brand positioning, messaging, and visual identity.
• Partnered with product, revenue, content, sales, and customer service teams to achieve brand integration throughout every touchpoint. 
• Piloted strategic, big swing initiatives designed to create a 360°, omnichannel lifestyle experience
• Owned P&L for Brand initiatives, including UI/UX resources, designers, writers, and content creators

*From 3/23 to 12/23, I was employed by an agency full-time for their largest client. When my role was eliminated due to agency-wide layoffs, the client bought my employment contract and brought me in-house.

📌 Building the first lifestyle brand for the Everyday Entrepreneur

Head of Brand

First Page Strategy

(Role/function eliminated due to agency-wide RIFs)
• Spearheaded corporate brand strategy, brand marketing, and customer retention for the agency's largest account – a tech brand on the Inc5000
• Served as right hand and advisor to CEO, translating his vision into a large-scale corporate rebrand
• Developed new brand book, including positioning, personas, creative guidelines, brand voice, AI photography art direction, and omnichannel activations
• Acted as the voice, vision, and steward of the brand, guiding and evangelizing it to partners and teams
• Directly managed email marketing, organic social, customer lifecycle and retention marketing, and video teams – including setting and managing KPIs, reporting, and budgets
• Owned relationship with external PR agency partner – including overseeing KPIs, reporting, and budgets
• Consistently exceeded Brand Division channel KPIs and revenue goals each month

🗨️ Transforming an Inc5000 tech company into a culturally relevant, first-of-its-kind lifestyle brand

Head of Brand & Customer (Inc5000 Tech Client)

Summit Strategy

• Supported general brand strategy efforts and employer branding for the agency's roster of architecture, construction, and engineering firm clients
• Crafted client surveys, conducted both written and video interviews, summarized key insights, and presented findings to agency and client leadership
• Wrote positioning messaging for brand projects and provided briefs to marketing and design teams
• Received praise from agency founder and executive leadership team for impactful work and executive presence

Brand Strategist

Global CPG Brand

• Worked with the president, CEO, and product lead of a Miami-based brand carried by national grocers as part of the Babson Consulting Experience
• Proposed annual marketing budget and fully integrated marketing mix including digital, OOH, partnerships, experiential, and influencer marketing
• Based on research and consumer trend data, proposed new product line that has entered development
• Received kudos from client and teammates for outstanding individual impact on the project, including data analysis and client delivery

MBA Marketing Consultant

Wayfair

• Partnered with CMO and GM to develop new positioning, tagline, voice, visuals, and customer persona
• Wrote 30-second national TV commercial, driving +300% response rate vs. comparable Wayfair ads
• Served as brand steward and evangelist internally and externally
• Collaborated with storefront to concept, prototype, and launch a new homepage experience
• Championed customer research, including calls, user tests, and shop-alongs/home visits

Head of Brand/Copy, Joss & Main

• Established new voice direction and campaign concepts informed by customer insights
• Led Black Friday campaign, generating +223% revenue YOY and +128% lift in email visits
• Partnered with email marketing team to develop “persona-based” content for customer segments
• Introduced lifestyle storytelling – including editorial Color Crush and Style Destination email series

Head of Copy, Birch Lane

• Executed full brand reposition in 90 days, working closely with senior-level stakeholders
• Mapped customer journeys and developed communications plans tailored to audience segments 
• Developed customer personas based on sales trends, social media monitoring, survey data, customer call transcripts, site traffic, and market research
• Used A/B testing and research to create brand’s messaging playbook
• Drove copy and design initiatives in response to customer intent signals and inflection points

Brand/Copy Lead, Joss & Main

Launched Wayfair Inc.'s first luxury brand in just 90 days, including naming, positioning, customer research, brand voice, and all messaging.

• Crafted all pre-launch copy, including brand name, vision, value props, and go-to-market messaging
• Post-launch, developed and pitched 5 brand iterations for C-level and executive-level consideration
• Created an award-winning direct mail piece (2018 Gold Ink Silver Award, 2018 Premier Print Award Certificate of Merit Honoree, 2018 Graphic Excellence Award – Best of Direct Mail)

Brand/Copy Lead, Perigold

Oversaw all copy initiatives, including web, UX, email, direct mail, online advertising, push notifications, promotions, and more.

Copy Team Lead, Joss & Main

Product descriptions, editorial content, and themed romance copy. Managed a team of 8 direct reports.

Copywriter, Joss & Main

Product descriptions, editorial content, and themed romance copy.

Junior Copywriter, Joss & Main

The Improper Bostonian

Covered fashion, beauty, bridal, interiors, travel, and cocktails.

Assistant Editor

PinkMemo.com

Covered fashion and beauty stories out of New York and Paris – including in-person reporting on Paris Fashion Week and interviews with Oscar Blandi, Jonathan Adler, Lauren Santo Domingo, and more.

International Fashion & Features Writer

Head of Brand at Bizee (formerly Incfile) | Marketing MBA | Wayfair Alum

For a lifetime, "brand" has been my calling. And for 15+ years, it's been my professional call-to-arms. Combining an MA, MBA, journalism career, 7 years at a unicorn company, 4 years of running my own business, and leading an audacious rebrand for a company that's served over 1M entrepreneurs, I've got 💪s for storytelling and spreadsheets.

From the bootstrapped to the Fortune 500, B2Bs to DTCs, and companies that range from full luxury to full-on functional, I've always been able to find a fresh angle, concept, or truth that unlocks differentiation and connection. 

—

For many companies, those things feel just out of reach. 

💬 Throughout my career, I've heard: 
» “What we’ve done so far got us here. But, it won’t take us where we want to go.”
» “We have a big opportunity in front of us. But, we're inconsistent in meeting the mark."
» “My team is doing their best, but we’re either making it up as we go or stuck on repeat.”
» “I struggle to know if what we have makes sense. We're spinning a lot of plates, but what’s the big picture?”

—
•• WHAT MAKES ME DIFFERENT ••
In short? I can see a brand's latent potential and bring it to life.

My specialties? Voice & tone | Omnichannel campaigns | Consumer and cultural insights | Cross-functional partnership | C-suite guidance

But, most importantly? I'm motivated by a conviction that great brands make things great – for everyone. Great brands: 
➡️ Engage us
➡️ Inspire us
➡️ Connect us to like minds
➡️ Help us communicate our uniqueness to the world

—
📈 MY PAST RESULTS 📈
•   A brand repositioning that grew sales by 46% and new customers by 267%
•   A Q4 omnichannel brand campaign that drove 223% more revenue YOY
•   A direct-to-consumer footwear brand pop-up in a luxury European hotel (plus: establishing prestige wholesale connections)
•   Helping an award-winning business clear two years of strategy and messaging roadblocks in a single day

—
📣 WHAT OTHERS SAY 📣
• “Because of Lindsey, we finally have the tools to achieve our positioning. Now we can get to where we want to be in the long run.” 
• “[She did] a beautiful job capturing our essence. She didn’t try to make us just like everyone else. People can finally see how we’re different and choose us BECAUSE of that.” 
• “Hire Lindsey if you’re looking for someone who can listen to your story, understand your customers, and create stories that connect them.”
• “She's like a Swiss Army Knife – something you always want in your pocket.”
• “Sure – everyone says they understand 'brand.' But Lindsey knows what can't be taught.”

Lindsey Canant, MA, MBA

Spark Group Consulting - www.sparkgroupconsulting.com

I help nonprofit leaders think strategically and increase funding.

◆ CAREER SUCCESSES

➟ Entrepreneurial expert of a woman-owned business, Spark Group, driven by impact, people, and purpose https://www.sparkgroupconsulting.com/news-notes
➟ Authored Grant Writing: The Complete Workbook for Writing Grant Proposals that Win, a #1 New Release on Amazon in the Business Writing Skills section and #1 in Nonprofit Fundraising & Grants
➟ Raised $3.4M over the last 5 years for numerous clients
➟ Masterminding efforts to fuel innovation, build consensus, synthesize data to develop actionable insights, and spark meaningful conversations
➟ Expert facilitator with an innate ability to lead conversations, workgroups, and training with large groups of people while diffusing conflict
➟ Building bridges with individuals of all socioeconomic backgrounds, including actively homeless, living on the margins of poverty, middle class, business entrepreneurs, and foundation presidents
➟ Board Member of Reconciling Ministries Network; committed to equipping United Methodists of all sexual orientations/gender identities to resist injustice
➟ Nonprofit expert responsible for developing 2 certifications for Nonprofit WebAdvisor

◆ AREAS OF AUTHORITY

✓ Executive Leadership
✓ Strategic Planning
✓ Growth Strategy
✓ Budgeting
✓ Capital Campaigns
✓ Group Facilitation
✓ Grant Writing
✓ Fundraising
✓ Relationship Builder
✓ Nonprofit Management
✓ SWOT Analysis
✓ Advocacy
✓ Public Policy Research
✓ Project Management
✓ Board of Directors Relations
✓ Philanthropic Planning

Principal

Spark Group Consulting

⭐NONPROFIT LEADERSHIP COHORT⭐

✔6 Modules
✔2 Networking Meetings
✔2 One-on-one Consultations
 ✔Access to a Library of Resources
 
Topics include: 
⭐How to Develop a Successful Leadership Style
⭐Organizing Successful Teams 
⭐Creating a Network of Support
⭐The  Importance of Strategy
⭐Casting your Organization’s Vision
⭐How to Manage and Leverage Organizational Conflict.


https://www.sparkgroupconsulting.com/nonprofit-leadership-cohort

Advance Your Career and Hone Your Nonprofit Leadership Skills

Strategic Planning services at Spark Group Consulting build on your organizational assets and identify areas for improvement. 

We walk you through a four-phase process: 
⭐Explore
⭐Plan
⭐Implement
⭐Evaluate


Deliverables:

✔Strategic Planning Timeline
✔Operational Assessment
✔Internal Audit
✔Stakeholder Survey
✔Internal operations report
✔External environmental report
✔SWOT 
✔Finalized goals & objectives
✔Models for monitoring and support
✔Logistical report, key personnel, tasks, and objectives for each goal
✔3-year implementation plan
✔Evaluation report including metrics
✔Communications plan
✔1-page Strategic Plan Summary
✔Strategic Plan Report

Create Strategies that Lead to Increased Sustainability.

Do you have an excellent project idea but lack the funding to make it happen? Grants supply financial support, but many people struggle with the process. 

Mary Gladstone-Highland, author of Grant Writing: The Complete Workbook for Writing Grant Proposals that Win an Amazon best-seller, works with you to identify potential funders, craft winning proposals, and manage your grant portfolio.

Grant Writing: Proposals that Win!

As a nonprofit leader, you likely feel overwhelmed by the amount of work you accomplish each day. It’s understandable! You’re trying to solve the world’s most pressing problems with limited resources! 

You know how to reach your clients and manage your organization, but it feels like you’re never able to cross items off your to-do list because of the constant daily emergencies that arise. 

That’s exhausting!

You need simple strategies and someone to help you increase support. 

When you’re ready to be more proactive, reduce leadership stress, and increase your organization’s impacts, send me a message on LinkedIn to see if I can help. 

---

As an Executive Director: 
→I let myself become distracted by daily emergencies.
→I worked too many hours and put off vacations.
→I didn't ask for help.
→I feared my never-ending inbox.

One day I found myself dreaming about leaving the nonprofit sector, buying a gas station, and making “easy money”—that was a wake-up call! 

Instead, I developed a process that helps nonprofit leaders think strategically and raise money. I’ve gained a 94% referral rate with this process and raised over $4.5 Million.

I work collaboratively with nonprofit leaders to build on assets and identify areas for improvement.  

MY CLIENTS ARE:
⭐Executive Directors
⭐Nonprofit Boards
⭐Nonprofit Leaders

MY CLIENTS CAN:

Strategy: 
→Predict trends and anticipate pitfalls allowing them to pivot and increase sustainability. 
→Understand what is working and what needs to change to meet clients’ needs.
→Create innovative approaches that set them apart to funders and stakeholders. 
 
Fundraising:
→Stop worrying about funding this year’s budget.
→Build relationships with foundations and secure funding.
→Design and run successful campaigns that fund programming and capital expansions.

REVIEWS

“We never miss an opportunity to work with Mary! She's done executive coaching and Strategic planning with us, in addition to just being a great resource.”
-Ang Adamiak, Executive Director, Arts & Scraps

"Mary's passion for justice, excellent facilitation skills, ability to listen, respond, and clarify, and dedication to doing good work, as well as her background in what makes an organization operate well, mean she could be helpful to any nonprofit."
-Liz Schmitt, Senior Outreach Coordinator, Union of Concerned Scientists

WANT TO FIND OUT MORE?

Check out my bank of free resources like Top 10 Strategic Planning Questions Answered and 50 Tips to Kickstart your Fundraising at www.sparkgroupconsulting.com/resources

taplio

The Battle

Lindsey Canant, MA, MBA

Mary Gladstone-Highland, CFRE, CNP

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