Ashlei Williams, M.S. Email & Phone Number

Los Angeles, Ca, Us

Memphis Metropolitan Area

OPERATIONAL LEADERSHIP - Collaborate with partner on day-to-day operations of the firm’s current Food & Beverage (F&B) portfolio, including a Quick Service Local Franchise and a Place-Based Local Food Hall, focusing on service quality and operational efficiency.STRATEGIC EXPANSION - Spearhead strategic direction for firm’s U.S. West Coast expansion into the Travel, Tourism, and Lodging industries as a new ACDBE-certified firm, identifying growth opportunities and developing business plans and relationships.BRAND DEVELOPMENT - Lead on branding and PR initiatives that introduce firm to the hospitality sector, enhancing brand recognition and business development.FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT - Manage budgeting and financial forecasting for F&B portfolio, maintaining cost efficiencies despite expensive, fluctuating commodities and transitioning business structures (family-owned to franchisee-owned).RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT - Recruit, train, and lead management, back-of-house and front-of-house teams, fostering a culture of excellence and continuous improvement in service delivery and operational practices. Establish and maintain relationships with national and local suppliers and partners, ensuring the sourcing of quality ingredients and services.NOTABLE PROJECTSFranchisee of D’bo’s Daiquiris Wings & Seafood - Riverdale Location since 2022, Operator of Northside Square Food Hall opening in 2025NOTABLE PRESSiHeartRadio, Memphis Business Journal, Commercial Appeal, Memphis Flyer, ABC 24, FOX 13

Los Angeles Metropolitan Area

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT - Lead a boutique communications firm specializing in nonprofit, lifestyle, food & beverage, medical, health, and beauty industries, achieving a procurement rate of over 70% through comprehensive, tailored solutions.SERVICE OFFERING - Supervise a diverse range of projects including copywriting, graphic design, photography, videography, website development, public relations, and social media strategy, delivering impactful campaigns that resonate with target audiences.CREATIVE STRATEGY - Develop and implement innovative marketing strategies for clients, resulting in an average increase of 40% in engagement and brand awareness across digital platforms.TEAM LEADERSHIP - Nurture a talented pipeline of creative subcontractors, fostering a collaborative environment that encourages creativity and ensures project excellence.CLIENT RELATIONS - Cultivate strong relationships with clients, providing ongoing education and training to fill in gaps and support growth, ultimately leading to sustained brand loyalty.CONTENT CREATION - Direct high-quality content production across various media, enhancing client storytelling and audience connection through compelling visual and written narratives.PERFORMANCE METRICS- Analyze campaign performance and implement data-driven improvements, consistently exceeding client expectations and driving measurable results.NOTABLE PROJECTSGeorgia Department of Human Services, Chef Phillip Ashley, Jack & Jill of America Inc., Shelby County Mayor's Office, Jopwell, John Deere, Turner Construction, Virginia Tourism Corporation, and Love Is BlindNOTABLE PROJECT PRESSEBONY, Heart & Soul, Blavity, Because of Them We Can, The Culture Supplier, FOX, ABC, The Business Journal, Daily Memphian, Chicago Defender, and Tri-State Defender

Greater Chicago Area

STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP - Developed and executed comprehensive marketing strategies for 3 industry-leading plumbing magazines, enhancing brand visibility and driving ad sales by over 20% within two years.CONTENT STRATEGY - Oversaw editorial direction and content marketing initiatives, resulting in a 50% increase in digital engagement and expanded online presence through targeted digital campaigns.MARKET ANALYSIS - Attended industry launches, events, tours, etc. to conduct market research and competitor analysis to identify trends and opportunities, positioning the magazines as authoritative sources in the industry.TEAM DEVELOPMENT - Led a cross-functional team of editorial, marketing and sales professionals, spearheading all training on digital products, digital advertising, and integrated offerings.PARTNERSHIPS AND SPONSORSHIPS - Established new digital partnerships with organizations and sponsors, enhancing revenue streams and increasing magazine circulation through co-marketing initiatives.COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT - Organized and executed DEI-driven community outreach programs, including young professionals superlatives and women’s superlatives, and work-from-home products during COVID-19, including a podcast series and continuing education webinar series.

Greater Chicago Area

MEDIA PITCHING - Developed press releases and press kits and managed press suite for key accounts including BMW.CONTENT CREATION - Supplied copy and collaborated with graphic designers to develop digital ads, marketing decks, and social media calendars for key accounts including Alodia Hair Care.COPYWRITING - Wrote scripts, taglines, speeches, e-books, and articles for key accounts including Nielsen.

Greater Chicago Area

JOURNALISTIC REPORTING AND TECHNICAL WRITING - Wrote comprehensive articles, diversifying editorial calendars beyond technical articles to policy analysis, trend reports, sales forecasts, technology previews, event recaps, and superlative features.TEAM MANAGEMENT- directed layout designer, editor, assistant editor, production assistant, and created a pipeline of freelance writers to gather exclusive information and insights.COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT - Represented magazines globally at trade shows, expos, and conferences, serving a panelist for multiple sessions dedicated to digital media.VIDEO PRODUCTION - Ideated, shot and edited 2 original YouTube video series catered to contractors and manufacturers.

Greater Chicago Area

JOURNALISTIC WRITING - Covered a variety of beats, including green building, residential building, commercial building, code enforcement, technology, event profiles, professional profiles, and business profiles. DIGITAL MEDIA - Produced daily social media posts, creating first social media strategy, and wrote monthly features, creating first online-exclusive strategy for digital magazines.VIDEO PRODUCTION - Edited magazine editors’ video interviews for on-the-road YouTube series.STORY IDEAS - Assisted in the editorial planning process, contributing ideas for special editions and series.

Greater Chicago Area

STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS - Executed external daily social media marketing and developed 2 monthly internal e-mail newsletters.CONTENT MANAGEMENT - Drafted and edited content for website pages, blog posts, and press releases.EVENT COORDINATION - Supported and attended communications events, including board meetings, department meetings and fundraising events.MARKET RESEARCH - Conducted research to inform communication strategies and identify trends for positioning.

Greater Chicago Area

MENTORSHIP - Taught humanities course and mentored cohort of 25 ninth-grade Black male students.SPECIAL EDUCATION - Learned how to service a diverse student population based on IEPs.CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT - Followed disciplinary protocols and worked to instill school's core values in the process.JOURNALISM - Founded school newspaper club to teach multimedia storytelling and editorial style.

Master Of Science, Journalism

Activities and Societies: National Association of Black Journalists (Scholarship Recipient 2011-2012), Black Graduate Students Association

Bachelor Of Arts, English

Activities and Societies: Bonner Community Service Scholar, Honors Program, Glee Club, Sigma Tau Delta English Honors Society, Delta Sigma.