Ethan Flaherty Email and Phone Number

I managed the start-up of the firm and now manage business operations. In this role, I wear many hats, but focus the majority of my time and effort on digital marketing, finance, and technology. MarketingWith findings from market research, competitive analysis, and many years of digital marketing experience, I develop and continuously improve a marketing strategy that brings in the majority of our business. In an industry and area of practice (family law) that relies heavily on personal word-of-mouth referrals, the success of our digital marketing program is noteworthy. At the same time, the abundance of competitors in the digital marketing environment targeting our addressable market keeps me on my toes. I attribute our sustained advantage in this space and subsequent success in client acquisition to diligent monitoring and an iterative strategic approach. We achieve an average ROI of 2500% while investing less than 2% of revenue on our marketing budget.FinanceI analyze and synthesize general ledger, productivity, and client onboarding data to develop and concisely present cash flow forecasts and recommendations to the firm’s partners. My MBA experience equipped me with valuable tools that help guide our financial decision-making. While marketing is my main contribution to the revenue side of the business, negotiation and process improvement keep the expense column in smart shape. On average, I negotiate a 4.5% reduction in annual operating expenses with our vendors.TechnologyWith over 20 years of experience solving technical problems in multiple fields, I have developed an instinctive and systematic approach to reducing the downtime of our systems and people. The technology improvement projects I initiate focus on security and efficiency. I bolster the preventative, backup, and insurance elements required in an effective security strategy, while continuously improving the hardware, software, and systems tools that drive higher productivity.

In 2013, my former employer at Pro Sound & Lighting pitched a new business idea to me. He proposed that we start a niche production company that sets up large LED video walls for events. We would cater to corporate, non-profit, sporting, and music productions. I would be in charge of managing the start-up and ongoing operations of the company. I accepted the proposal. Sixteen-hour workdays were common, and my second opportunity to start and grow a business built upon the managerial skills I was building in my other position at FLG. Binnacle also gave me the chance to develop valuable project management skills. I frequently managed complex projects in high-stakes scenarios for large corporate clients, such as Nike, Kaiser Permanente, Alpha Media, Cambia, and Intel. Our B2B business model and value proposition appealed to Portland-area production companies.We offered a local, high-quality, lower-cost solution for servicing the LED video wall needs of their corporate clients. Hustle was my mantra at Binnacle. Professionally, the time invested and lessons learned in the areas of digital marketing, content development, finance, project management, and business development provided an education that could only be acquired in the field. I took this education a step further when I enrolled in the MBA program at Portland State University. During this time, I was managing two businesses and attending evening classes at PSU. I attribute Binnacle’s growth and success to a series of well-planned strategic initiatives and an early-to-market competitive advantage. We developed a strategic alliance with another local video production company. This allowed us to both scale the business with reduced financial risk, and exit the industry in a favorable position when my son was born and I could no longer work 16-hour days.

Created graphic design and written content for online marketing and in-store merchandising. As Marketing Manager and website developer, I executed SEO strategies that attained and sustained #1 Google search results for a wide range of keyword phrases pertinent to our business. In this position, I cut my teeth in digital marketing strategy, learning early on that algorithms change and adaptive strategies prevail. Managed many complex system design projects that required active listening to client needs, extensive research and analysis, and the ability to develop creative solutions that simplified complex tasks with turn-key systems.

Expanded Spanish-speaking customer segments with an educational approach to complex system integration. By teaching in Spanish the best practices for operating equipment, I improved my customers’ experience with my company. My customers often told me about the compliments they received from their own clients because of the process and performance improvements I facilitated. The trust that I earned with this approach drove a large volume of word-of-mouth referrals, increased sales, and allowed me to exercise my Spanish language capabilities on a daily basis.

Summer marketing internship.- Managed market research project for mammography markers client- 15% success rate in cold-calling doctors and radiologists for market research interviews- Organized interview data and quotations into codebook

Delivered, set up, operated, struck and maintained sound, lighting and video systems and equipment at events in a variety of venues.