SPARKVertical specializes in customer acquisition and retention and works with select franchise clients and multi-location businesses with a special focus on Home Services (Plumbing, Restoration, Leak Detection, Moving, and Construction) We have a collaborative approach with our partner clients and that support carries through to every aspect of our relationship. We bring a very specialized set of skills to the table that goes far beyond the traditional advertising, marketing, and SEO services you find with a typical agency. This allows us to work especially well with "service-based businesses" and successfully partner with both the local office location and C-Suite teams in developing comprehensive campaigns that successfully position the brand to capture their target market on a local level, increase conversion, cost-effectively improve brand awareness, and to increase top-line revenue growth.

Collective Seven specializes in bringing new products to market and helping existing businesses to increase their brand awareness and revenue growth through a collaborative partnership. Our focus encompasses Strategy, Branding, Creative Services, Website Design, Advertising Management, Business Consulting, and IT Support and is specifically tailored for boutique to mid-sized clients.With 25+ years of branding, marketing, and business development, We've been fortunate to have worked with some of the best clients imaginable; from American Express and Starbucks to the Museum of Fine Arts-Houston and Aveda. We love creating brands that resonate and inspire.With an incredible, team of designers, developers, marketing and advertising specialists, we work with our clients to increase their brand awareness, secure new clients, and discover new revenue streams.Learn more here: www.collective-seven.com

Curious Office Development started in 2012 as a boutique, creative design studio in Seattle devoted to nursery decor, personalized children's growth charts and creative art prints for both children and adults. The company now has 11 print brands in its portfolio, an international E-Commerce website and studios in Seattle, Portland, and Brooklyn.Michael is Creative Director for Curious Office Development and oversees all of the company's brands, including Madison Modern, BirdRow Prints, and Garbo Peng which have been regularly featured as top-selling brands on Zulily.Michael is responsible for artistic direction and new business development.

As Marketing Director for Inkd and Zapd, two companies in the Pressplane portfolio, I was involved in the creative packaging and press rollout of Version 2.0 of the Zapd mobile application for iOS. In addition to the creative content and media campaigns, this included project management, inbound and social media marketing campaigns as well as paid advertising creative and analytics.(Zapd was "App of the Week"​ and "What's Hot" in the iTunes store with extremely high user reviews as well as a Top 50 App in 12 countries) Pressplane/Zapd was sold to RealSelf in October of 2013.Prior to Zapd, I was a Managing Director at Inkd, another company in the Pressplane portfolio. While at Inkd I handled Project Management for Amazon; developed and implemented detailed project and order tracking systems; developed product-specific COG and overhead/expense tracking systems; was involved in the social media, inbound marketing and paid advertising of the graphics design marketplace and e-commerce sites.(Inkd was sold to Alphagraphics in 2012)

As Founder and Creative Director of this boutique women's apparel label, I was involved in all aspects of the business.Took the collections from inception to being carried in some of the best stores in the country. Developed an international following for the collection's strong emphasis on artisan couture quality and classic styling. Led creative direction and branding as well as marketing strategy and media relations.In addition to developing the brands presence on an international level, I spent time mentoring other fashion startups and young designers and had a wonderful experience being able to share the knowledge I'd gleaned from more than a decade in the fashion industry.In working with the designers, I felt that it was important to instill the idea that, not only do designers need to create with the beauty and function of a garment or product in mind, they need to remember that fashion is also a business and needs to make financial sense.-Established the overall creative brand strategy and provided strategic and conceptual vision to team.-Established marketing strategy and led marketing and media campaigns resulting in National and International coverage in print and television.-Led design team with creative direction for all print and media collateral.-Directed product conception, design & development.-Developed and managed vendor and client relationships.-Handled all contract negotiations with Vendors and wholesale clientele.-Managed vendor sourcing and developed OTB plans-Managed vendor compliance-Managed new business development-Developed and managed Sales and Marketing directives-Developed detailed COG and overhead/expense tracking systems-Developed in store promotions and events from concept through execution-Developed and implemented website and E-Commerce platform for brand

Co-Founder, Designer and CEO of Atelier Tracy & Michael. Michael and his partner took the company from inception to being featured in multiple departments in 35 Neiman Marcus stores, 24 Saks Fifth Avenue stores, Nordstrom, Holt Renfrew, Wilkes Bashford and 175 top tier specialty stores in North America, the UK and Japan. Beginning with an initial collection being listed in Women's Wear Daily as one of the top-selling dress lines for Neiman Marcus, the company experienced triple-digit growth year over year. The collections were regularly featured in national and international press including WWD, Forbes, Vogue, Elle, InStyle, Glamour, MarieClaire and Lucky, among others and were regularly seen on award winning television shows such as Desperate Housewives, in films and on the red carpet.-Established the overall creative branding and marketing strategy and provided strategic and conceptual vision to team.-Led team developing and executing marketing and media campaigns resulting in domestic and international press coverage.-Creative direction and Project management of domestic and international team of 24.-Developed and managed all national and international vendor and client relations-Responsible for maximizing net profitability by negotiating pricing, delivery schedules and payment terms with vendors.-Handled all contract negotiations for business-Managed Global Sales and Trend forecasting-Developed and managed all OTB plans-Budget/P&L oversight-Recruitment of key staff, team building and staff training-Developed targeted sales strategy and executed plans at higher than forecast revenues and net profitability-Worked with developer to design and implement E-Commerce website for brand

JLFS, one of the most respected stationers in North America, was purveyor of fine engraved social and business papers in Houston, Texas.As Managing Director, worked directly with heads of state, national and international socialites and heads of Fortune 500 companies.-Developed and managed all marketing and public relations campaigns.-Project management and marketing design for clients such as American Express, Houston Grand Opera, Museum of Fine Art-Houston, The Menil Collection, Houston Ballet, Cecilia Bartoli, Schlumberger and other Enterprise and business clients, socialites and Heads of Fortune 500 companies.-Managed Budgeting and OTB plans-In charge of discovering new international vendors for the Houston market (Lalo, Pineider, Smythson of Bond Street) and maintaining vendor relationships