About Mandy
I’ve always had a fascination with both anthropology and entrepreneurialism. In college, I created my own major, Latin American Development, which would allow me to apply cultural studies toward programs for change and progress. I spent my summers in Colombia, Paraguay, and Ecuador, where I got to know local communities and work with them toward education and economic development.
My time immersed in the campo sparked a lifelong passion for other cultures and the study of human nature. This curiosity became the driving force in my career, pulling me toward various roles that required a keen understanding of human behavior and the values, motivations, and mindsets behind it. I recognized early how companies were cultures with their own values, stories, and traditions. And like any real anthropologist, I wanted to apply my observations and insights to solve complex problems.
Human Insight, Meet Business Smarts
I’ve worked with some of the world’s largest companies to translate cultural insights and consumer behavior into actionable strategies that accelerate brand growth. Clients embrace my ability to articulate critical issues, predict trends, identify opportunities, provoke new thinking, energize their team, and deliver value every step of the way. With a focus on actionable insights, I’ve worked with executive management, heads of research and marketing, and product managers to develop consumer-focused plans and product design initiatives.
After graduation, I moved to San Francisco for a job with global fashion brand ESPRIT, where I experienced first hand the power of customer demand for corporate transparency and responsibility (long before social media!). I then joined a bunch of pioneering risk-takers at CitySearch during the height of the dot com boom. Fueled by entrepreneurial optimism and intuition, we launched new city guides all across the country. It was an exciting time, but before boom turned to bust, I knew I wanted a solid foundation of business acumen, so I headed to the windy city for my MBA from Kellogg Graduate School of Management.
After grad school, I returned to Seattle and worked as a marketing manager for Amazon, where I launched the first apparel store and credit card program. Starbucks lured me away with the promise of free coffee and a job as Customer Insight Manager on the Beverage Innovation Team. There, I helped stir up new concepts and strategies to identify, evaluate, and develop new products. (I also learned that baristas are the #1 customer, and if they don’t like a product, it’s doomed.)
From Starbucks, I joined Iconoculture, a global consumer insights firm that’s now part of Gartner. As Vice President, Insights, I helped enterprises translate consumer insights and cultural trends into business applications: brand strategy, marketing and communications, loyalty programs, customer relations, and new product development. As the Food & Beverage practice lead, I advised major CPG companies and marketing agencies pitching CPG brands. My passion for philanthropy motivated me to launch the Sustainability & Cause Marketing practice, where I steered clients on corporate responsibility, cause-related programs, and new loyalty drivers.
In 2014, I launched LEV Strategies to help companies unlock value from their brands. I work with everyone from fast-moving startups to mature companies to identify opportunities, shape strategies, and grow brands by connecting with people. I have a knack for asking the unasked questions that uncover hard-to-see gaps between brands, products, customer experiences, and trends.
I also served as the interim CMO for Roland Foods, an 85-year-old global player in the $150 billion specialty foods category. Working directly with the CEO, I helped modernize the Roland Foods brand while honoring its heritage. My work focused on unlocking value by opening the aperture of their service offerings and transforming brand perceptions among customers and the category. I took a deep dive into the company culture, interviewing dozens of stakeholders and applying stories and insights to deliver the new company mission, corporate giving strategy, brand position, and marketing strategy. Taking on creative director duties, I launched the new brand identity, website, and magazine, Larder.
Busy, Busy, Busy
My other great projects now and recent past:
Working with the CEO of Forever Cheese to bring a beloved 25 year old brand to life via a new logo and identity, community pillars and strategic brand roadmap.
Serving as a Strategic Advisor to the CEO/Founder of Green Circle Salons, the beauty industry’s first sustainable salon solution.
Served as an Advisor to Morning Consult, a global data intelligence company
Interviewed Seattle Cancer Care Alliance patients and made actionable brand, UI and design recommendations to the org’s web team
Rebranded Bandwidth, a growing full-service recruiting and employer branding firm
Helped Microsoft launch a strategic retention campaign focused on employee benefits
Advised business leaders at the Ecuador Family Business Network annual meeting, translating trends into insights and strategic applications to grow customer reach and employee retention
Delivered the keynote address at the Tag and Label Manufacturers Institute Converter conference where I revealed the top consumer macro trends driving change in this $20 billion+ category
Published a book of my Grandma Thelma’s best sayings, advice, and jokes.
When I'm not consulting for smart and fun clients or volunteering, I market the accomplishments of my three amazing girls. Together, we mix up batches of Greater Good Granola, our front-porch nonprofit which has raised over $100,000 for local and national non-profit organizations. And if the weather cooperates, I try to make regular bike dates with my favorite guy, Clay.
Enough about me. Let’s talk about you, your company, customers, and employees! Call, WhatsApp, or shoot me a message.