Learned On | gender, consumer behavior and sustainability

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. Currently, I am pursuing the natural expansion of that knowledge to the study of sustainable business. I am beyond fascinated by the interconnections I see.

Here’s why: I approach my life’s work with a sustainable mindset. All things really are interconnected. Early on, I saw that gender differences, consumer behavior and cultural trends could never be contained by their own individual silos. Evolving my work from the more specific “marketing to women” into sustainable business and consumer practices that incorporate the women’s market has been a natural and exciting progression.

What I can do for you given this web of knowledge:

  • I give conference and corporate-sized 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.
  • I provide content, filtering all the new research and cultural cues on where sustainability is heading and how you can join the journey.
  • I consult to help your company connect dots in confirming that the pursuit of sustainability is your best (I say, only), future-thinking decision.

A little background:

In 2000, I co-founded ReachWomen and began regularly writing for online publications. Within a few years, my business partner and I had published Don’t Think Pink: What Really Makes Women Buy – And How To Increase Your Share Of This Crucial Market (AMACOM, 2004). 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 (Women). My posts are also often linked from TomPeters.com or included on 3blmedia.com. 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 contribute commentary for Vermont Public Radio on topics related to sustainability and have written a number of eBooks including:

When I’m not writing, I present at industry conference and corporate events. In recent years, my audiences have included the Pacific Coast Builders Conference, the Urban Land Institute, the Photo Marketing Association, the Gulf Marketing Review (Dubai) conference, and the American Gem Society.

I have a BA from the University of Michigan and am currently pursuing a Master’s in Socially Responsible Business through Goddard College, located right here in my super sustainability- and social responsibility-oriented home state of Vermont.

I’ve finally realized my given last name, Learned, is no accident.  Since childhood, I’ve been fascinated by a very broad range of topics and have, as an adult, explored what that means in my work and for my clients.  The term that best describes my approach simply emphasizes my innate spirit:  Polymath – n. very learned (Merriam-Webster’s 10th Edition).  (I couldn’t make this stuff up.)

Through speaking and writing, I aim to energize businesses to engage their consumers in a whole new sustainably-minded way.