Founder, Creative Director, and Chief Artist/Designer for Plaid Design, an art and graphic design studio specializing in Mod Pop Art, illustration, film posters, cover art, and logos/branding.★ Website: www.PlaidDesign.co★ Portfolio: www.behance.net/JohnLathropIV• Create and sell original hand-painted digital artwork in limited edition archival fine art prints via websites and art festivals across the United States.• Visually designed the Plaid Design website; continuously update and maintain the site.• Manage commissioned art and graphic design projects from concept through completion, working closely with clients via stellar communication to create a central vision of focus in conception of art and designs.• Expertly convert requests and requirements to not just meet, but exceed client objectives, consistently on or before deadline.• Manage all operational, financial, and administrative functions.• Obtain new clients through online and event outreach as well as social media presence and natural grassroots growth.• Create content for and maintain social media pages and online presence and post/update on a daily basis, gaining followers, which convert to clients.• Clients include Samsung, Best Buy, The Housing Authority of the City of Austin, AdvanceNet Labs, KOOP 91.7 FM, Warp Zone, and numerous restaurants, musical artists, and organizations of all types throughout the world.

★ Website: TheStanLaurels.com★ Label website: BigStirRecords.comSTUDIO: Compose all Music & Lyrics, Perform/Record/Produce all Music & Vocals (bass, drums, acoustic/electric guitars, piano/synthesizers, banjo, harmonica, percussion, lead/BG vocals)LIVE PERFORMANCE: Vocals/guitar/bassBIO: Big Stir Records recording artist The Stan Laurels are the musical creation of earthling Sound Scientist John Lathrop. The epitome of “indie,” John takes independent ownership of everything as he writes/performs/records/produces all of his music (and even visual art). John believes the significance of music and its impact on our lives cannot be understated; after all, it was music - The Beatles, specifically - that brought his wife and him together over 25 years ago. Thus, The Stan Laurels are the culmination of John's musical vocabulary and relentless drive to achieve pop/rock perfection. The result is a big, lush, multi-layered sound that feels both vintage and modern. To sum it all up in one reference-laden sentence: The Beatles, Zombies, Kinks, Breeders, Cars, Flaming Lips, Badfinger, Yes, Debussy, and more comprise the many layers of the Warhol-esque sonic pop art painting that is The Stan Laurels.

Composer for full-length feature & short motion pictures. Most recent work was to compose, perform, and produce the score and full-length album of original songs for the independent motion picture MAYBE SHOWER, which won Best Feature at the Portland Comedy Film Festival and Best Feature Screenplay at the Austin Comedy Film Festival. The soundtrack album (entitled MAYBE) was my third full-length release as The Stan Laurels; the film and LP (on vinyl, CD, and digitally) were released in late summer, 2018. MAYBE was nominated for Best Indie/Alt Rock album at the 2019 Independent Music Awards.My first feature film project was to compose, perform, and produce the score & original songs for the independent motion picture BILLI & THEODORE, for which I won the award for Best Music & Sound Design at the 2013 May Day Film Festival. The soundtrack album (BILLI & THEODORE: MUSIC FROM THE MOTION PICTURE) was my second full-length release as The Stan Laurels.

• Travel extensively to 120+ retail locations to train on Purple products and build excellent relationships with all levels of store leadership and sales associates.• Execute large-scale group training meetings for existing accounts and in launching new accounts.• Develop and implement fun, engaging, and creative initiatives to motivate associates and grow revenue and balance of share.• Build relationships with retail partners to help grow revenue and ensure service expectations are being met and exceeded.• Obtain valuable business intelligence and provide weekly market recaps.

Senior Market Manager of Retail Sales for the Best Buy Account in the Austin and Central Texas area.Awarded Central Area Market Manager of the Year (#1 overall ranking based on combined weighted metrics of sales percentage, training, staffing, and operations) in 2014 & 2015. Other achievements detailed in Honors/Awards section.• One of the very first managers hired to pioneer the Samsung/Best Buy retail partnership, helping pave the way and shape Samsung's first venture into direct retail.• Hired, trained, and motivated a team of 25-50+ direct report employees in three levels: Market Trainers, Store Managers, and Consultants.• Traveled extensively to 20+ Best Buy Big Box and Mobile retail locations in Central Texas to coach and develop my team in the areas of sales, operations, relationship-building, and training.• Developed and advanced quality multi-level relationships with field retail management, maintaining communication between Samsung, Best Buy, and 3PL, ensuring successful program execution.• Managed all aspects of internal operations, including performance metrics, business reviews, performance data reports, field supplies/inventory management, and scheduling.• Developed detailed sales tracking/rankings system that was adapted nationwide.• First MM in the nation to innovate performing Consumer Training Workshops in smaller footprint locations; also the first MM to conduct CTWs in locations outside of the SES. Both of these strategies were adopted and implemented company-wide.• Worked with Market Trainers to create/maintain Market-wide social media pages for localized social marketing to drive traffic to stores (first Market in nation to implement this strategy).• Ranked #1 in Region in metrics of BBBS training and Consumer Training Workshop performance.

District Manager for the Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment and Motion Pictures Accounts in Texas and New Mexico.Clients/Suppliers/Distributors: Walt Disney Studios; Ingram Entertainment; Toys 'R' Us; Babies 'R' Us; Target; Best Buy; Kmart; Fry's Electronics; Home Depot; H-E-B; Safeway/Randall's; AMC, Regal, Cinemark, Santikos, and Hollywood Theaters.• Hired, trained, and motivated a team of 60+ sales and merchandising specialists servicing 400+ big box, grocery, and movie theatres encompassing most of Texas and parts of New Mexico.• Conducted field visits and managed marketing, merchandising, sales, and team training services.• Managed all aspects of internal operations, including performance metrics, market intelligence and data reports, field supplies/inventory management, monthly incentive budget, and payroll.• Developed and advanced quality relationships and superbly maintained communication between all levels of management, field employees, and partnering vendors to ensure successful program execution, secure loyalty, and ensure satisfaction for all parties.• Created detailed sales rankings system which was implemented throughout the company.• Consistently provided client with the highest quality, most creative promotional displays in the nation.• Innovated new marketing/merchandising techniques that were heralded by the client and implemented as new standard objectives nationwide.• #1 ranked District in the nation in Key Performance Indicators of total sales, productivity, and visit compliance percentage, 2007–2012.

Area Manager & Store Director of Game Crazy in Austin, TX.Awarded Manager & Store of the Year (#1 overall company ranking of 700+ managers/stores) in 2005-2006. Other achievements detailed in Honors/Awards section.• Managed all aspects of sales and operations for 5 video game retail stores in the Central Texas area.• Hired, trained, and coached store managers and associates.• Facilitated multi-District training sessions and meetings for the Central Texas District.• Managed all internal operations, including scheduling employees, conducting yearly performance reviews, P/L reports, payroll budget, inventory, ordering/receiving, and creating yearly business action plans based on financial successes and opportunities.• Transformed two different low-performing locations into Top 10 in year-end overall company ranking, 2003–2006.• Consistently exceeded all sales, revenue, profit, margin, comp, and KPI metrics goals.