Hey, hello, hi, it's me! 🎉
My name is Molly Marshall. I work across creative strategy and media planning in the advertising industry, which basically means I think of neat ideas for brands and then I make them happen on a TV, browser, billboard, or food truck near you. I also make a lot of presentations with quality gifs and everyone laughs at my jokes. It's fun.
For folks looking for keywords, I am focused on integration strategy as a discipline because I feel passionate about developing holistic marketing campaigns that integrate long-term brand planning, data-driven consumer journeys, insight-led creative, and strategic media planning principles to solve client problems. The client problems I most like to solve include growing brand awareness to capture marketshare from a titan competitor, shifting consumer perceptions of an aging brand, creating the right media mix to increase store traffic, and successfully gaining traction with new brands/products at launch. I use data to tell persuasive stories to gain buy-in from both clients and inter-agency teams on a strong strategic path forward that both meets business objectives and wins awards. It's fun.
AlrightY, what else? 📓
CURRENT PROJECTS
I work as a Senior Director on the Integrated Planning team at Empower, a media agency based in Cincinnati but with a super fun office in Chicago.
I am sharing my advice on how to be a good manager because managing is really hard and I think I do a good job at it now.
I am also sharing some frameworks and templates I have used throughout my advertising career because I like them a lot, even years later.
I am a Board Member of the Institute on Higher Awesome Studies, which is pretty awesome.
I am obsessed with my Vespa GTS 300 Touring and I'd love to talk to you about how fast it goes and how I prepare for winter riding.
PAST PROJECTS
For 8 years, I served as the treasurer and a trustee of the Chicago Awesome Foundation. The group distributes $1,000 no-strings-attached grants every month to support awesome ideas in the Chicago area.
I used to be a landlord and I have rehabbed kitchens, built fences, and become a painting pro.
I made a 38-page deck about my trash can.
I worked on the Integration Strategy team at Energy BBDO and the Connections team at VMLY&R.
I was an advisor for VMLY&R Foundation.
I led digital, social, and ecommerce strategy for Reynolds and Hefty brands.
I worked at Think Glink Media, Patagonia, and thinkorswim.
I ran the Malort 5K and the WIPEOUT 5K/obstacle course.
I led the 2019 Awesome Summit in Chicago and was named T-Rex of the year for 2019.
I spoke at the Inspire conference in 2018.
I was the President of the Fulton & Francisco Block Club Organization.
I founded #PodcastClub, a Chicago-based meetup that's like a book club but for podcasts.
I co-hosted Devil's Avocado, a financial podcast produced by Postloudness.
I presented at 20x2 in 2014 and #SeanCon in 2013, 2014, and 2015.
I offered 17 ways to make 2016 better for everyone.
I was a lucky guest on the Open Ended podcast.
I was a mentor with Ag47.
I hosted Friends & Fun from 2012 to 2014.
I wrote about ketchup for Gapers Block.
I have been completed obsessed with Kanye West, I am now in recovery.
QUICK BIO
I live in the beautiful Rogers Park neighborhood of Chicago and travel around the city primarily via Vespa (and of course public transit). I grew up in appropriately named Happy Valley, Pennsylvania. I really like strategy, home rehab, and mini-golf. My cats think I'm a superhero.
Personality Test Results:
Personality type: The Campaigner, ENFP-T
Strength Finders Top 5: Strategic, Activator, Futuristic, Connectedness, Positivity
Enneagram: 7 / 8 / 4
Sun: Gemini; Rising: Cancer; Moon: Aquarius