Learned On...

The impact of gender on consumer behavior and marketing to women is the foundation of my knowledge, but is by no means the limit.  My expertise in that field has led to a deep understanding of the hows and whys of consumer behavior and the interconnections between consumer values, cultural trends and decision-making. All of which leads me to sustainability, a business and life focus about which I am passionate.

Here’s why:  Early on in my marketing career, I saw that gender roles and stereotypes have an effect on the way consumers behave and the way businesses see and respond to them.  Sustainability, though regularly referred to as one, is much more than a “trend.”  It is a movement interwoven with gender and consumer behavior truths that only the smartest organizations will notice.  Translating my “marketing to women” expertise into sustainable business insights and communication strategies is incredibly exciting.

What I could do for your business or organization:

  • Deliver presentations to spark a sustainability fire, and share with your audiences about how to best engage consumers and/or internal conventional thinkers in a whole new way of living and working.
  • Provide content, filtering all the new research and cultural cues on where sustainability is heading, with a strategic focus on how your company can join the journey.
  • Consult to help your company connect dots from their processes and products to the sustainability message consumers are looking to find.
  • Build community by way of social media to connect your sustainability stories with your partners and markets.

A little background:

In 2000, I co-founded ReachWomen and began regularly writing for online publications. I co-authored Don’t Think Pink: What Really Makes Women Buy – And How To Increase Your Share Of This Crucial Market (AMACOM) a few years later. The feedback from readers continues to be great, and it was a true honor to get glowing reviews from the likes of Harvard Business School, as well (“[Don't Think Pink]” is rich in practical suggestions and interesting stories, with an easy-to-read style.”). In 2006, another of the book’s greatest fans, Soundview Executive Summaries, included an excerpt of DTP in their own compilation for Penguin, The Marketing Gurus: Lessons from the Best Marketing Books of all Time.

I’ve contributed to many industry-leading blogs, and online and traditional publications over the years including HuffingtonPost.com and my own Learned On (Formerly Learned On Women). I also contribute sustainable business content to Greenbiz.com, MatterNetwork.com and 3blmedia.com, and share audio commentary on Vermont  Public Radio.  Over the years, I’ve been quoted in, or interviewed by, Ad Map, The New York Times, AdWeek, public radio’s Marketplace, the Los Angeles Times and more. I’ve written a number of eBooks including:

My presentations have been delivered to audiences that include the Pacific Coast Builders Conference, the Urban Land Institute, the Photo Marketing Association, the Gulf Marketing Review (Dubai) conference, and the American Gem Society, among many others.

I have a BA from the University of Michigan and am currently pursuing a Master’s in Sustainable Business through Goddard College.  As of March 1, 2011, I call Seattle, Washington home (I loved my seven previous years in Burlington, Vermont).