As a part owner and Director of Marketing, Branding, and Design for our restaurant, I lead the development and execution of all print and digital design initiatives, including web development, product packaging, signage, and marketing materials. I create and implement comprehensive marketing strategies, manage our CRM system, and manage our social media teamn to drive engagement across platforms to ensure consistent and cohesive brand representation. My focus is on enhancing customer experience both online and on-site, while collaborating closely with fellow owners and staff to align our marketing efforts with overall business goals. Through creativity, leadership, and strategic planning, I contribute directly to the restaurant’s growth and success.

Passionate about crafting unforgettable experiences, I lead the charge as the Brand Director & CRM Specialist at Tilly's Tea Room & Eaterie. With an unwavering commitment to excellence and creativity, I drive the vision and strategy that elevates our beloved establishment to new heights.🌟 Brand Innovation: Through a blend of artistry and market insight, I orchestrate the evolution of Tilly's brand identity. From concept to execution, I shape compelling narratives that resonate with our diverse clientele, fostering lasting connections and engagement.💡 Strategic Marketing: Harnessing the power of data-driven insights, I architect targeted CRM campaigns that captivate and inspire. My strategic prowess ensures that every touchpoint is carefully curated, delivering personalized experiences that strengthen customer loyalty and drive growth.📈 Performance Analysis: Armed with a keen analytical eye, I decipher key performance metrics and customer behavior patterns. By dissecting this information, I uncover valuable insights that inform future strategies, empowering the team to make informed decisions and adapt to a dynamic market landscape.🤝 Collaborative Leadership: Leading by example, I foster a culture of collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement. Through effective cross-functional teamwork, I unite creative minds, aligning them to enhance Tilly's Tea Room & Eaterie's market position and customer satisfaction.🌐 CRM Expertise: With a deep understanding of Customer Relationship Management, I leverage cutting-edge tools and technologies to cultivate meaningful interactions at every touchpoint. From personalized communications to loyalty programs, I ensure that each customer feels valued and cherished.

Fuelled by a relentless desire to create captivating experiences, I proudly steer the ship as the Brand Director & CRM Specialist at Recovering Bro. In the heart of our unique establishment, I weave strategic brilliance and innovation into every facet, propelling Recovering Bro to the forefront of the industry.🚀 Brand Transformation: With a splash of audacity and a dash of insight, I orchestrate the evolution of Recovering Bro's brand narrative. From inception to manifestation, I craft compelling stories that strike chords with our diverse audience, forming deep-rooted connections and meaningful engagement.📊 Strategic Finesse: Armed with data-driven insights, I engineer laser-focused CRM campaigns that captivate and resonate. My strategic prowess ensures that each interaction is meticulously tailored, delivering bespoke journeys that cement customer loyalty and steer exponential growth.📈 Analytical Insight: Donning the hat of an analytical detective, I decipher performance metrics and customer behavior blueprints. This treasure trove of knowledge fuels future strategies, empowering the team to make agile, informed decisions in an ever-evolving business landscape.🤝 Collaborative Maestro: Championing the symphony of collaboration, I harmonize talents across teams, igniting a culture of innovation and continuous refinement. Through this unified approach, I lead the charge to enhance Recovering Bro's market presence and customer devotion.🌐 CRM Maven: With an intricate grasp of Customer Relationship Management, I wield cutting-edge tools and technologies to cultivate authentic connections at every juncture. From tailored communications to loyalty initiatives, I ensure that every guest experiences the warmth of appreciation.

Craft DCB's ethos revolves around forging genuine, transparent connections with your audience, enabling you to convey your message eloquently, amplify your brand's resonance, and realize your aspirations. As the driving force behind Craft DCB's creative helm, I channel my expertise to craft brands that not only stand out but also authentically communicate your essence.🌐 Strategic Brand Architecture: In the realm of graphic and web design, I orchestrate a symphony of creativity, weaving together design elements that embody your brand's identity. By harmonizing visual aesthetics with strategic messaging, I enable brands to flourish in a competitive landscape, ensuring your story resonates authentically.✍️ Compelling Copy and Content: Words hold the power to captivate and persuade. I craft compelling narratives and meticulously curated copy, transforming ideas into impactful stories. This linguistic finesse adds depth to your brand, amplifying its reach and connection with your audience.🌟 Identity Cultivation: At Craft DCB, we cultivate brand identities that resonate truthfully. Whether it's generating distinct names, conceptualizing captivating content, or designing visual elements, I synergize these components into a harmonious identity that speaks to your audience on a profound level.💡 Holistic Brand Development: Our collaboration extends beyond design and messaging. I provide comprehensive consultation, carefully curating external resources and vetting potential sources to cater to your diverse business needs. This holistic approach ensures your business and brand continue to thrive and evolve.📈 Empowering Your Growth: Craft DCB is committed to fostering your brand's evolution. By tapping into my diverse skill set and industry knowledge, I empower you to scale your business while maintaining a resounding brand image that resonates genuinely.

Karlfred Design LLC emerged as the natural progression of my freelance graphic and web design journey, where my artistic prowess and passion for visual communication have converged with my experience in retail management and customer service. This fusion of skills has paved the way for a dynamic role where creativity meets business acumen, producing exceptional results in the world of design.🔍 Problem-Solving Dynamo: Every day, I embrace diverse problem-solving challenges, crafting ingenious marketing strategies, managing social media engagement, fine-tuning SEO tactics, and perfecting brand communication. My toolkit includes a spectrum of apps, software, and external resources, ensuring my clients receive the pinnacle of design quality.🎨 A Multifaceted Expertise: My expertise spans a comprehensive spectrum, encompassing graphic design for print and digital platforms, meticulous image selection and manipulation, and dynamic website design using HTML, WordPress, and CSS. I adeptly wield the art of copywriting, conjure captivating brand names, orchestrate impactful social media campaigns, and master the intricate realm of SEO. Brand management is a cornerstone of my approach, extending to diverse mediums such as interior and exterior branding/signage, product packaging, and immersive event displays.🖋️ A Communication Maestro: At the heart of my branding philosophy lies an unwavering dedication to communication. Whether it's a logo, business card, website, or booklet, my goal is to forge an emotional bond between the audience and the brand, nurturing trust and sparking curiosity. This synergy unfolds through harmonious cohesion among visuals, graphics, website design, written content, and online presence—culminating in a recipe for success.🌱 Nurturing Brands to Flourish: From inception through ongoing existence, I am dedicated to maintaining the precision and purpose of brand communications, propelling brands toward results-driven success.

Reviving my skills as a coffee shop manager, I've once again taken on the duties of Café Manager, but this time for the BN CAFE at the Barnes & Noble in Carmel, Indiana. All current functions and responsibilities are the same as my time with Starbucks in years past. As a point of growth, managing this café, I've focused my energy on training baristas beyond the tasks and getting them engaged with the customers in a natural and lasting way. Along with this more focused approach, I've made recovering and organization a significant part of the café employees' daily routine. Under my management, the café sales are a vast improvement over past years, beating LY and plan with an increased UPT and an almost $8.00 average ticket.

🎨 Orchestrating Creative Excellence at Evolved Effect 🌟As the creative visionary at Evolved Effect, I am entrusted with curating every facet of the business's artistic expression. My role is a symphony of design ingenuity, encompassing a spectrum of responsibilities that shape our brand's visual identity and resonance.🌐 Digital Mastery: With a deft touch, I spearhead website design and development, crafting digital landscapes that captivate and engage. Seamlessly weaving user experience with aesthetic appeal, I ensure our online presence is an inviting portal for our audience.🎨 Visual Identity Shaper: At the heart of my mission lies logo design and branding, where I distill your essence into captivating visuals that tell your story. My creative strokes extend to interior and signage design, ensuring your physical spaces mirror your brand's personality.🌟 Marketing Alchemist: Crafting a compelling narrative extends to marketing materials and identity packages, including business cards, forms, rack cards, and mailers. Every piece is a testament to our brand's uniqueness, designed to leave an indelible mark.🖋️ Artistic Storytelling: My mastery in copywriting and post language transforms ideas into captivating stories. Social media content and strategies bear my creative signature, amplifying engagement and forging authentic connections.🖼️ Visual Impact Maven: Print and digital ad design is where I channel the power of visuals to make lasting impressions. I blend creativity and strategy to craft campaigns that captivate, drive action, and resonate with your target audience.📦 Product Packaging Virtuoso: Every product package design is a canvas for innovation. I conceptualize packaging that not only protects but elevates your offerings, creating an experience that harmoniously marries form and function.

I am a freelance designer that works with graphics and text in both print and digital media to produce successful designs to help businesses grow. I have helped to name several businesses, create their logos, establish their color palettes, build their websites, design their marketing materials, and much more. My forté is branding through logo design and the application of that logo to identity campaigns and online graphics. I am also a copywriter that writes for websites, print pieces (brochures, reports, booklets, etc.), and blog posts. I work with smaller businesses, organizations, and professional individuals to help them elevate their visual presence and be more competitive within their industry. I have resources for photographers, illustrators, printers, promotional producers, web hosting, and anything else that might be needed for a project.

As the Operations Manager, I managed the Sales Associates to drive outreach for new business, daily operations, and individual account management. I reviewed, processed, and initiated every order, following them from submission through completion, for accuracy and to avoid errors/issues. I oversaw the Visual Display Coordinator, helping to maintain impeccable store presentation and operational standards. I developed and maintained relationships with clients to continually grow business for our store location and the company overall. I generated new marketing ideas to promote store exposure. I worked with the Executive Office to foster open and beneficial communication paths. I acted as the Store Manager in their absence as well as traveled to other stores throughout the country, assisting with needed management positions and to train each store staff on company standards, policies, and procedures.

As the Client Manager, I fostered client relationships and managed clients orders through difficult issues. I salvaged over $200,000 in sales and translated that into an additional $300,000 in new sales. I worked with the Store Manager to reorganize offices and streamlined store communication systems, eliminating erroneous steps in customer service resolution procedures. I assisted the Visual Manager in store set-up as well as worked the sales floor during peak times.

During my time with Starbucks, I worked my way up from barista to Store Manager. I managed the flagship downtown Hinsdale, IL location; bringing sales over $1,000,000 and increasing customer count by 23% within 6 months. I also managed the downtown Downers Grove, IL location; bringing sales from under $500,000 to over $800,000 in one year and increasing customer count by 38%. I dual managed both Downers Grove locations simultaneously as well as both Hinsdale locations when there were management needs. I took on the responsability of District Deployment Specialist (focus on daily floor operations and logistics) and District Coffee Specialist (focus on coffee knowledge training for 15 stores). I was certified as a Training Manager for new management hires and taught three New Hire barista training courses weekly. I worked the floor during peak hours and generated the highest sales in one day for the downtown Hinsdale location, bringing in over $7000.