Clair Williams-Vavra, M.A. Email & Phone Number

Des Moines, Iowa, United States

As the COO, I oversee driving strategy and outcomes for our sales, marketing, and HR functions. 📈 Sales Operations:➡️Lead the expansion of our sales operations, focusing on revenue growth and infrastructure➡️Develop a sales and marketing package for lead generation and education➡️Identify Ideal Customer Profiles (ICPs) and market potentials in TAM, SAM, and SOM➡️Develop and implement a Go-To-Market (GTM) strategy💡Marketing Operations:➡️Scale video communications and build a library of assets ➡️Help lead marketing strategy and company branding📑HR Operations:➡️Improve recruitment and onboarding strategy for 1099 contractors➡️Help structure the company’s values, principles, and HR processes🏆 Client Management: ➡️ Enhance client relationships through report and driving outcomes with team➡️ Contribute to consulting work with clients as expertise in CX is needed

Des Moines Metropolitan Area

At Creative Spark Studio, we're obsessed with the intersection sales ops, customer experience (CX), and marketing. Our CRM expertise is in HubSpot. Here's what makes us different:Fractional Sales ExpertiseWe provide short term, high impact sales expertise in collaboration with your current sales team to implement solutions that scale and drive results.Refining the Sales FunnelBuilding a scalable sales infrastructure requires documentation that aligns with your customer journey and results in an optimized sales lifecycle. We help fix or build the processes that will improve sales outcomes.Talent Retention and DevelopmentOur method helps you leverage the unique skills of each member of your current sales team. We help them develop and hone their abilities to become outstanding salespeople through a combination of 1:1 coaching and group trainings.➡️ 2023 - consulted to close a $270K enterprise sale for client➡️ 2023 / 2024 - build and lead strategic sales workshops at Iowa State Startup Factory at ISU➡️ Build RevOps strategy to leverage multiple teams to close sales ➡️ Implement new sales process to increase sale velocity and drive net new revenue➡️ Develop a “Sales Source of Truth” hub for sales teams to leverage ➡️ Lead strategic trainings for individuals or sales teams➡️ Develop scalable process to engage strategic enterprise accounts ➡️ Conduct sales funnel audits to improve velocity/tracking + train on use of CRM➡️ Build dashboards in HubSpot that run data-based sales projections and reports➡️ Provide 1:1 real time sales coaching

West Des Moines, Iowa, United States

Responsible for developing strategic recommendations based on a combination of research and strategy to directly impact Customer Experience (CX) outcomes across Sammons Financial Group Company. ➡️ Led the development of an enterprise service strategy to improve CX across three admin teams ➡️ Led team to calculate customer lifetime value (CLV) and customer / agent segmentation ➡️ Saved SFG $220k/year by helping team to prioritize a Make a Payment iOS mobile bug fix➡️ Saved SFG $300k/year by helping Customer Contact identify operational inefficiencies ➡️ Organized on-site 2-day Customer Experience (CX) Digital Retreat ➡️ Co-led journey mapping workshop for Advanced Markets leadership team➡️ Built CX focused templates for empathy mapping, journey mapping, KPI’s, and OKR's ➡️ Partnered with business leadership to improve IVR (Interactive Voice Response) telephony➡️ Provided CX oversight to architectural roadmap team for CSM transformation➡️ Consulted on enhancements to drive agent adoption for a new IVR telephony rollout➡️ Explored GenAI capabilities with AI Taskforce for an agent quick quoting tool (Ushur)➡️ Built framework for CX Center of Excellence (CX CoE)➡️ Developed scalable process for and conducting generative interviews of policy owners / agents ➡️ Built business use cases for tech investments to improve CX (ex: Ushur for agent quick quoting)➡️ Co-led SFG website form rebuild into a lead generation mechanism for SFG➡️ Co-led a work effort to uncover friction for internal Customer Retention team. Presented to President of Life Insurance division and senior leadership in early 2024.

Des Moines Metropolitan Area

We're on a mission to help busy people feel better and get their time back. Our ready to eat mason jar salads are all under 500 calories and stay fresh for 7 days in the fridge. ➡️Led all revenue generation, product development, and customer experience (CX)➡️Achieved customer retention rate of 60%+ in less than 1-year ➡️3x gross revenue and doubled AOV in 6 months ➡️Scaled company to begin offering B2C and B2B delivery across Des Moines metro➡️Secured enterprise clients for monthly catering contracts and events➡️Developed and executed on marketing framework to increase sales and brand awareness

Des Moines, Iowa, United States

Owned all revenue generation initiatives, managed a sales team, and formalized all sales operations.➡️ Increased monthly recurring revenue (MRR) by 122%➡️ Implemented a CRM solution (HubSpot) to help identify, track, and convert leads➡️ Formalized our sales processes, A/B tested sequences, and created ICP training curriculum ➡️ Managed two Sales Development Representatives (SDRs) ➡️ Managed a content creator who authored 16 blogs ➡️ Expanded top-of-funnel leads via technology partnerships, marketing, and via successful demos ➡️ Booked 87 product demos at the National Restaurant Association conference in Chicago ➡️ Produced monthly and quarterly reports to CEO/COO to improve clarity around MRR and conversions

Des Moines Metropolitan Area

The Community Leadership Program through the Greater Des Moines Leadership Institute prepares leaders from across Central Iowa to be effective stewards for our community's future. The nine-month curriculum offers a view of Greater Des Moines from different vantage points, heightens participant awareness of current community conditions and issues, enhances individual and group leadership skills, and helps class members see themselves as partners for change.

Des Moines, Iowa Area

Contributed to strategic IT operations, outbound sales initiatives, and workforce culture and retention. Introduced and led multiple operational efficiencies leveraging the OODA loop for process improvement.➡️ Secured nearly $140K of net new sales within 1.5 years of joining Business Development Team ➡️ Developed and implemented outbound training methodologies to increase top-of-funnel leads➡️ Framed achievable, data-driven KPI’s and unique outbound tactics for recruitment and sales ➡️ Introduced an internal rewards platform (Badges of Honor) for retention and participation➡️ Led 5 developers in launching internal application to ensure coding exercise reviews are equitable ➡️ Led 4 developers in strategic rewrite of algorithmic coding exercise used during hiring process ➡️ Board member for Agile Iowa ➡️ Created custom script for mass marketing culture videoAs the premier technical consultancy in Iowa, our ownership mindset has been key to every problem we’ve solved since 2002. We’re dedicated to our partners’ long term product vision and success. We work alongside our partners, demonstrating a level of ownership like that of your best full-time team members. https://www.sourceallies.com/

Des Moines, Iowa

➡️ Designed a bi-annual online survey to uncover the motivations of sales team➡️ Compiled results and present findings/recommendations to CEO and board

The Ron Pearson Center

Responsibilities included cost management of inventory purchases and labor expense. Managed a staff of 52 employees. ➡️ In FY2019, achieved cost savings of 39% over the previous fiscal year➡️ Launched a linen credit program saving the company $10k in bottom line cost of goods➡️ Introduced point-of-sale technology, effectively replacing all previous (analogue) cash handling➡️ Coordinated Presidential event at the RPC and worked with White House and Secret Service personnel ➡️ Developed and led bi-monthly workshops to onboard new banquet employees➡️ Organized the company’s first Food Rescue Program, donating over 1,000lbs in the first month➡️ Prepared detailed monthly shift schedules and events calendar for 52 individuals➡️ Created a monthly e-newsletter for all RPC employees

West Des Moines

Des Moines, Iowa Area

Managed and oversaw front and back of house staff / operations. Fiscal responsibility for Banquet Division, successfully updating the division’s operation program, resulting in an 18% sales increase for the year. ➡️Managed a staff of 15 individuals➡️Streamlined event booking process➡️Reduced food costs by revising packaging and pricing ➡️Introduced formal staff training program➡️Targeted sales and advertising efforts for strategic markets➡️Responded to and addressed employee and customer grievances

Urbandale, Iowa

Secured new business through effective sales, marketing and new client on-boarding. ➡️Served as liaison between developers and clients➡️Managed social media channels and S.E.O. for company➡️Successfully executed two direct mail and digital marketing campaigns➡️Supervised company interns

Des Moines, Iowa Area

On a volunteer basis, I served for a one-year term on the board of the Des Moines chapter of the international JCI organization. I created and implemented strategic communication efforts to members - including the design and content generation for our bi-monthly newsletters and maintained all social media (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn).

Cedar Falls, Iowa

Managed marketing and off-campus outreach for K-12 sustainability programs through the Center for Energy and Environmental Education serving the state of Iowa. • Organized outreach events at grade schools, high schools and on-campus• Coordinated statewide marketing campaign to promoting renewable energy technologies• Produced a variety of educational programs

Taught Oral Communications as a Graduate Teaching Assistant. • Mentored students and developed their communication and presentation skills• Designed and graded all exams• Taught progressive communication principals throughout the semester

M.A. Mass Communication, Mass Communication/Media Studies, 3.92

Activities and Societies: Published Thesis: Behind the Mask: A Wrinkle Free Analysis of Women’s Perceptions and Rational Toward.

Bachelors In Communication Studies, Minor In Family Services

Activities and Societies: University of Northern Iowa Marching Band (3 years) University of Northern Iowa Pep Band (1 year) UNI Show Choir.