Darin Slyman Email & Phone Number

Puerto Vallarta, Jal., Mx

United States

Greater St. Louis

Currently serve as a freelance Marketing Director for a variety of clients on varying projects to provide creative content, direction, social media management and community engagement.• Freddie’s BBQ and Steak House, Sapulpa Ok – Built and launched new restaurant website, restructured social media platforms and launched an e-commerce retail product line of sauces. • The Delmar Loop Business District Association, St. Louis MO – Created and produced a series of promotional videos for social media marketing. Served as Producer, Director, Videographer & Editor.• HireQuest Staffing LLC, St. Louis MO – Created and produced a series of corporate communications videos for internal training. Served as Producer, Director, Videographer & Editor.• Sauce TV, St. Louis MO – Created and produced video series for local food publication Sauce Magazine. Served as Executive Producer, Director & Writer.

Greater St. Louis Area

A millennial lifestyle media and marketing outlet that showcases the best shopping, dining and entertainment for the St. Louis region.. Developed new media publication to engage the millennial generation of St. Louis; originally launched in mid-2017 with a digital presence and limited print publication of 25,000; transformed strictly to a digital platform in 2018.• Lead and direct all aspects of business including print publication, website, social media platforms, creative production, editorial content, video & event production and advertising; coach and motivated an Editor, a Staff Videographer, and a team of freelance writers and photographers.• Successfully grew the digital platform to 50,000 followers monthly.• Championed the mission of MAX to maximize the St. Louis lifestyle by covering the best the city has to offer through thoughtful coverage of sports, style, health, fitness, tech, gaming, dining, nightlife, travel, arts and culture.

Greater St. Louis Area

• Provided leadership, direction, creativity, content, and motivation to a team of 14 including Editors, Staff Writers, Advertising Sales Representatives, Social Media Directors, Events Coordinators, and design & graphics professionals.• Built the brand to include a monthly print magazine, website, social media platform, event series and video series to successfully engage the region’s LGBTQIA+ Community.• Initially grew publication from 800 newspapers per month to more than 75,000 magazines.• Rebranded and overhauled the entire brand of Vital VOICE in 2013, and expanded distribution to the Kansas City market in 2014, establishing Missouri’s premier LGBTQIA+ life + style media brand; grew to a top-5 free media outlet in St. Louis.• Doubled readership to 150,000 across the state in 2016, generating $1.2 million in annual ad revenue.• Pivoted solely to a digital platform in 2017 with the trend of most information and news going digital; promoted the publication on Social Media and grew digital audience to 350,000.• Leveraged relationships built over many years of TV, Radio, Digital, and Print engagement to feature celebrities including Andy Cohen, Lady Gaga, and Melissa Etheridge in the publication.• Built a reputation for delivering distinctive stories, news, entertainment and commentary that informed, empowered and enlightened the LGBTQIA+ community.• Created and implemented an annual event series which included “Briefs”, a festival of short lesbian and gay plays, Queens in Space, a fundraiser presented by the Moonrise Hotel, and various civic events that empowered the LGBT community. • Designed and delivered digital marketing for clients on variety of Social Media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, web advertising, e-mail campaigns etc.), and created additional revenue streams.• Created and delivered digital video content for Explore St. Louis with accent on the LGBTQIA+ community for the City of St. Louis.

Greater St. Louis Area

• Provided expertise to change direction and redevelop all aspects of the entire newspaper to improve overall business by sourcing new advertising opportunities, redesigning the layout, and providing direction on story ideas.• Successfully improved business conditions of the underperforming publication, and ultimately offered to take over ownership; negotiated the purchase of the newspaper and Vital VOICE brand from the publisher.• Planned and implemented strategy to transform the publication from a politico activist newspaper into a life and style LGBTQIA+ glossy magazine.

Greater St. Louis Area

• Collaborated with various media outlets to create content-rich segments, articles, and reports covering the arts and entertainment, fashion and lifestyle scenes of St. Louis• Served as the Midwest correspondent for MTV News covering events in St. Louis, Chicago, Dallas, and Kansas City• Co-hosted Reel Entertainment on Charter Communications Information Network (CCIN); interviewed celebrities in person and via satellite including fashion designers on new collections each season and filmmaker George Lucas on-site in California for a segment on the design aspects of “Star Wars” which was nominated for a Midwest Emmy.• Appeared weekly covering entertainment & culture for KSDK NBC Channel 5 Show Me St. Louis.• Featured regularly on KTVI Fox 2 News and KMOV CBS • Served as regular guest correspondent on 97.1 All Talk Radio • Featured as a regular guest on Vic & Trish in the Morning on 101.1 WVRV The River • Served as Fashion Director at Large of ALIVE Magazine by engaging celebrities and styling for fashion editorial spreads. • Recruited as Creative Director for launch of St. Louis Woman Magazine.• Co-hosted live celebrity events and fashion shows for Westfield Shopping Town grand opening of their west county property; co-hosts included Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, Carson Kressley of Queer Eye and Stacy London from What Not to Wear.

Greater St. Louis Area

Production photography studio, serving a client base of actors, politicians, musicians, and celebrities.• Directed content and led operations by creating photo and visual content for promotional purposes in a variety of media.• Utilized experience in media and communications and delivered content for clients in a high demand environment.• Provided creative and technical guidance with specialization in the aesthetics of the photographer’s images pertaining to lighting, wardrobe styling, hair & makeup, location scouting & booking, scheduling, and studio management. • Worked with notable clients including Bill & Hillary Clinton, Claire McCaskill, Mayor Lyda Krewson, artist Nelly, Cirque du Soleil, Bob Costas, singer Ann Hampton Callaway, author Laurell K. Hamilton, Patricia Cornwell and many other media personalities.

Graduate Degree In Fashion And Entertainment Media

Bachelor Of Arts - Ba, Theatre Design And Production

High School Diploma