9:09pm EST
Milton, Georgia

Hey kids!

Hope y’all are relatively sane after being stuck at home for the last two weeks. Honestly, I’ve lost track of the time.

Aside from writing a posting last week for this home-based ecommerce job, I’ve had an opportunity to do some long-overdue work on the content side of EcommerceRecruiter’s business. More enjoyably, I’ve had a chance to spend mucho tiempo on Linkedin. Man! There are SO many talented people on Linkedin — and some of their updates are incredible.

While Allan Seibert and I are sorting through whats-what on the recruiting side of our business, I thought I’d start a weekly roundup of my network’s most interesting Linkedin updates — starting today with a handful of my own from the last 12 months.

I’ll curate 3 or 4 issues to see if this concept has legs. I’m envisioning something like Moz’ Top 10 or Josh Greene’s newsletter — but with Linkedin updates only.

Later this week I’ll probably start a NEW email list for this project at LinkedinRoundup.com — so please don’t unsubscribe from this jobs list!

Stay tuned and STAY SAFE!

— Harry
EcommerceJobs.com
cell: (404) 281-2025

1/ “THIS YEAR’S CRISIS: FRIEND OR FOE?” Today I interviewed a candidate for an Etail Account Management position. Towards the end of the call, I asked him “If I were in an elevator with Jeff Bezos and asked him, ‘This year’s crisis: friend or foe?’ What do you think he would say?” [ To my surprise, the candidate responded … ]

2/ ABOUT THOSE “TOP JOBS” RANKINGS: Quick! Who makes more: Podiatrists or Petroleum Engineers? Who cares! You want to be known as someone who can drive a RESULT, not just do a job. [ Here’s why …]

3/ REJECTED! “On paper, your candidate was amazing, but during the on-site interview …” [ Are you kidding me? ]

4/ “GUNSLINGERS DON’T GET PAID BY THE BULLET.” I’ve got a client who takes 72 hours to answer every email and his responses always look like they came from a Magic 8 Ball. [ What’s up with that? ]

5/ “SELL ME THIS PENCIL.” I’m tempted to start asking all merchandising candidates “Pick a SKU in your inventory, any SKU. But here’s my cruel twist on this question …

6/ TWO HOURS, BUT WORTH IT: This 43-page tear down of Amazon’s strategy is a fantastic one-stop-shop on Amazon’s strengths (many!), weaknesses (few!), opportunities (more than I imagined), and threats (fewer than I guessed). [ See if you can tell right away what’s noteworthy about this article. ]

7/ “ASSUME POSITIVE INTENT.” Great approach to managing a home-based team in an uncertain time … [Sage advice. ]

8/ SMASH AND GRAB … All weekend long, I sat around asking myself: “What do you have that people can use RIGHT NOW?” [ Click now to join the discussion … ]

BAY AREA – With more than 100 ecommerce searches each year, EcommerceRecruiter.com is the leading contingency-based recruiting firm serving the Shop.org, Ad:Tech, and IR-500 communities. To opt-in to our popular “Ecommerce Job of the Day” email, click here. (Simply unsubscribe at the end of your job search.)

One of the coolest ecommerce jobs around!

HARRY’S COMMENTS: We are working with a metro SF-based cannabis marketplace in its search for a Marketing Communications and Content Director. Again, we’re talking cannabis. I presume you’re okay with that. You don’t have to be a user to win in this role, but you certainly need to be PRO cannabis and see the recreational and medical benefits of the product. We cool? Alrighty then, let’s mush on …

About the Industry

These are high times for cannabis producers. Cannabis is today’s fastest growing industry, expected to reach $24 billion by 2022. 95% of the US population lives in a state with some form of legal cannabis.

The 2016 election cycle provided landslide victories for both medical and recreational cannabis interests, resulting in the widespread legalization of marijuana for medical and recreational use …

It’s pretty much game-over for pot prohibitionists.

A recent poll by the Pew Research Center found that 62% of Americans said they supported legalizing marijuana, and according to IBIS World — by 2023 the number of marijuana growers is expected to increase to nearly 375,000 (up 15% per year) with the industry employing nearly 2 million people.

Wait, it gets better …

As new commercial cannabis producers have flooded the market, medical marijuana dispensaries have benefitted from an aging US population coupled with an increased acceptance of the medical applications of marijuana. Additionally, the development of new ways to consume the product such as edibles and vaporizer pens should continue to attract new users who are averse to smoking. All of which is attracting BIG money to this industry.

About the Client

Given the number of Bay Area cannabis startups who are hiring right now, I decided to market this search as “Client Confidential.” However, this client’s business is first rate. My partner Allan and I receive 150+ calls a year from companies wanting our help with searches, and we only work with the best.

I know that sounds salesy — but if our clients sucked, you wouldn’t apply. We get that.

So basically, in every new client we’re looking for the SAME things any A-player would want in a new employer: A great role with company that has stable (or recurring) revenue; identifiable growth opportunities; sustainable margins; a smart operating model in a non-cyclical industry with significant barriers to entry.

Easier said than done — but that’s exactly what this client offers.

Remember how I said that by 2023 there will be 375K licensed cannabis growers? Well, there are more than 200K licensed growers today — all producing dozens of strains, called by dozens of names, all with varying degrees of taste and effect.

Simply put: Cannabis is an EXTREMELY information intensive product category.

Which makes it PERFECT for an online marketplace that crosses the best aspects of Craigslist, Yelp, and Amazon. Much better than straight retail, online marketplaces are amazing models that are expected to reinvent the $10 TRILLION service economy.

Yes, that’s “trillion” with a T.

My client is fast emerging as a leading federally regulated ecommerce destination that connects cannabis consumers with licensed local dispensaries and delivery partners through leading edge technology, marketing and operations. The company benefits dispensaries by offering an easy, intuitive way to bring their crop to market while consumers get a safe and secure way to get their product from an approved, licensed grower.

About the Role

Your job is to spread the word about the client while overseeing its content / promotional calendar. You’ll be working with the client’s PR agency, ensuring that the agency has everything they need to do a great job in the areas of …

1. Content marketing (blogs, optimized website, sales materials, etc.)
2. Social media marketing (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.)
3. Public relations (media stories, bylines, etc.)

You’ll need to have an analytical bias towards these things and be able to assess each campaign’s ROI based on 1.) Digital Reach and Engagement, 2.) Sales and Marketing Impact, 3.) Loyalty and Advocacy, and 4.) Reputation and Brand. Because without a clear picture of what works and what doesn’t, you’ll just be wasting your time and my client’s money.

As always, we’ve got tons of proprietary intel that’ll tell you exactly what you’ll need to KNOW and DO to hit the ground running in this role. Some of the things I can share with qualified candidates include …

1. The “real” background requirements for this position, along with the top five things all resumes MUST have to be considered for the role.
2. The top five problems that exist due to this position being open. These are the little brush fires you will be expected to put out during your first month on the job. Every ecommerce job has these — and this one’s no different.
3. What your average day / week will look like in this role. There’s what you read in the standard ecommerce job posting … then there’s reality. We’ve got the reality.
4. The leading and lagging KPI’s that will determine your success in this role. In a nutshell: How you keep score.
5. The major projects you’ll need to complete by Day 100 to be considered a home-run in this position. We’ve got the lowdown on how you can plug-and-play and drive REAL value in this ecommerce job.

PLUS: Thanks to a cannabis CMO search I closed last summer for a private equity firm, I’ve got a very pricey market research report that breaks down the cannabis industry’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. This recent 78-page report covers the entire vendor landscape and dissects the major drivers that influence market growth. It’s an atomic throwdown of statistical goodness.

I’m happy to share this report with any candidate who makes it past their first round phone screen. Just ask me for it.

View Harry Joiner’s profile

Responsibilities:

• Lead development of monthly content calendar and work with marketing channel managers to ensure smooth rollout of content and campaigns
• Implement creative brief and improve current workflows
• Oversee evolution of and compliance with brand messaging
• Work with high-value clients and internal resources on rollout of new markets in California and nationally
• Serve as daily contact with PR/communications agency on PR plan implementation and supporting new press inquiries
• Manage internal and outsourced team of content writers and video producers to create and implement new content
• Monitor social listening tool to gauge consumer (and activist) sentiment and highlight areas of concern
• Develop and maintain relationships in the industry to cultivate new opportunities; develop intimate knowledge of the best practices on marijuana marketplaces.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years in marketing communications or equivalent; ideally in a data-driven environment
• Working knowledge of Excel and marketing software
• Excellent communication and organizational skills
• Self-motivated and willing to take projects and run with them
• Experience managing and tracking budgets
• Highly desired: Experience in and passion for the cannabis industry

Applications for this ecommerce job are being coordinated by Harry Joiner. To apply, CLICK HERE.  Candidates, please be sure to email Harry for additional information that will differentiate you in your candidacy. Due to the intensely competitive nature of this search, thorough preparation for these interviews with this proprietary material is strongly recommended.

NEWPORT, RI – With more than 100 ecommerce searches each year, EcommerceRecruiter.com is the leading contingency-based recruiting firm serving the Shop.org, Ad:Tech, and IR-500 communities. To opt-in to our popular “Ecommerce Job of the Day” email, click here. (Simply unsubscribe at the end of your job search.)

HARRY’S COMMENTS: We are working with BedJet.com in its search for a world class PPC Manager to be based in Newport, RI — roughly 90 minutes south of Boston.

Gentle reader, today is your lucky day! In a rare move, I’m actually going to feature TWO videos in this job posting because 1.) you’ve just gotta see Newport to appreciate it, and 2.) BedJet’s “funny as hell” intro video does an amazing job of explaining what the heck a BedJet is. Like, their video is on a par with DollarShaveClub’s.

So, without further ado, take a look at Newport. And if you’ve never heard Blossom Dearie’s snappy rendition of “Rhode Island Is Famous For You,” now’s as good a time as any. (Just listen to the song in a separate browser.)

As seen on SharkTank, the BedJet is climate control system for maintaining beds at a desired temperature without changing the feel of the bed’s mattress. It allows users to cool off nearly instantly or give the bedding a toasty hot sauna feeling in only 180 seconds, WITHOUT uncomfortable pads, toppers, or wires or tubes to sleep on.

With 7 patents under its belt, the BedJet offers nearly instant relief for hot sleepers, night sweats, evening hot flashes, cold feet and cold legs, cold winter sheet shock and memory foam mattresses that trap heat. And according the 657 customer reviews on Amazon, the BedJet works like a charm.

The BedJet is the number one product in its category, which includes Sleep Number and Tempur-Pedic. The BedJet is a killer sleep solution at half the price. This is not hyperbole: This is fact. BedJet designs and manufactures its own product, is totally committed to D2C ecommerce — and it doesn’t sell to wholesalers, retailers or distributors.

This is the perfect job for a street smart, results-oriented performance marketing gunslinger with at least 3 years of successful Pay Per Click (PPC) and Paid Social Media Marketing experience, particularly on Facebook.

During these interviews, be prepared to step us through specific examples of how you have built profitable campaigns using both Facebook Dynamic Ads and Facebook stories. In particular, we’ll be interested to know how your FB campaigns have supported the rest of your company’s holiday plans.

To win in this role, you will need to have an entrepreneurial nature plus a history of “getting the job done.” You’ll need to be versatile, capable of multitasking; self-motivated, and have a killer work ethic. This is a “roll-up-the sleeves” position with a mix of tactical and strategic components. Get ready.

Like I said, Allan and I spent a ton of time on the phone with the client teasing out exactly what you’ll need to KNOW and DO to hit the ground running in this role. Some of the things I can share with highly qualified candidates include …

1. The “real” background requirements for this position, along with the top five things all resumes MUST have to be considered for the role.
2. The top five problems that exist due to this position being open. These are the little brush fires you will be expected to put out during your first month on the job. Every PPC marketing job has these — and this one’s no different.
3. What your average day / week will look like in this role. There’s what you read in the standard PPC marketing job posting … then there’s reality. We’ve got the reality.
4. The leading and lagging KPI’s that will determine your success in this role. In a nutshell: How you keep score.
5. The major projects you’ll need to complete by Day 100 to be considered a home-run in this position. We’ve got the lowdown on how you can plug-and-play and drive REAL value in this PPC marketing job.

We have a massive amount of proprietary intel to share with qualified candidates. Our industry research for this assignment exceeds 50 pages! Be sure to TEXT Allan Seibert at (706) 318-1196 for this info. Or simply use the email link when you apply for the role below.

View Harry Joiner’s profile

This role comes with a base pay package and incentive bonus plan based on profitable advertising driven revenue growth. Successful candidates can earn over $200,000 annually based on sales revenue performance and should have experience in following areas:

• Develop and executive creative advertising campaigns within Google Ads and Retargeting, Bing Ads, Facebook Ads, Pinterest Ads and other advertising platforms
• Manage the overall budget for Paid Search Marketing and maintain a positive ROI.
• Create effective PPC ads with A/B and landing page testing.
• Implement tracking and tagging to ensure data-driven decisions and measure relevant KPIs.
• Expert in digital advertising (PPC, Display, Mobile, and Behavioral)
• Manage outside advertising agency vendors and partners
• Develop online guerilla marketing campaigns
• Able to create new solutions, establish new ways of working, and be part of a close-knit team
• Good candidates will have intensely analytical and creative approach to online advertising

• Minimum 4 years business experience with Google Adwords and Facebook marketing
• Proficiency in with Excel, PowerPoint, Word, and other analytical tools
• Start-up company mentality – ability to work/thrive in an unstructured environment with a very small team

DULUTH, GA – With more than 200 digital commerce searches each year, EcommerceRecruiter.com is the leading contingency-based executive search firm serving the Shop.org, Ad:Tech, and IR-500 communities. To opt-in to our popular “Ecommerce Job of the Day” email, click here. (Simply unsubscribe at the end of your job search.)

HARRY’S COMMENTS: We are working with LightsOnline in their search for a Senior Ecommerce Marketing Manager based in Duluth, GA — just 45 minutes north of Atlanta …

As a family-owned business with a 45-year history, Progressive Lighting has a national reputation for stylish and unique lighting fixtures, superior value, and unparalleled customer service. In addition to its 400,000 square foot distribution facility, the firm operates 15 retail locations in Georgia, Texas, and North Carolina, under both the Progressive Lighting and Lee Lighting brand names.

As Progressive Lighting’s flagship online retail store, LightsOnline has been lighting homes for more than 10 years, offering consumers a full catalog of elegant, high-quality lighting and accessories for the home. With central distribution from Duluth, Georgia, LightsOnline’s products include entry lighting, chandeliers, bath lighting solutions, wall sconces, ceiling lighting and ceiling fans, pendants, and island lighting.

Recently EcommerceRecruiter placed Jay Allen with Progressive Lighting as its new VP of Ecommerce — and truly, this is a great situation for any rising star.

Progressive Lighting’s digital presence is growing, and Jay is adding key team members to really get the site moving. During our kickoff call with Jay and CEO Troy Lee, we got the impression that the company building toward something special, and we feel great about their direction.

The lighting industry is massive. So massive, in fact, that it doesn’t do much good to know the exact size of it ($1.8b annually). As Warren Buffett says, “I don’t need to know how much a lady weighs to tell if she’s fat.” And so it is with lighting. Between the retail and wholesale markets / DIY and DIFM, the lighting market is a mother.

Having closed several lighting searches, I know there are several lighting etailers doing $50+ million in sales with far fewer resources than LightsOnline. The real issue isn’t the size / addressability / attractiveness of the industry, but rather the drivers of retail lighting purchases. Are those drivers up, down, or sideways?

Consider the remodeling segment: When people remodel, one of the first things they invest in is new lighting. Big opportunity. According to HomeAdvisor’s 2018 True Cost Report, a lack of housing inventory, inflated home prices, and rising mortgage rates are driving more homeowners to renovate their existing homes instead of selling and moving. Just look at what happened to Home Depot last year.

Buoyed by rising wages and employment, plus a tax cut, all of which have translated into disposable-income gains, consumers are spending again with more abandon than they have in years.

More than 80% of homeowners plan to remain in their homes, and HALF plan to do at least some remodeling. That’s roughly 50 million homes. The HomeAdvisor report found that homeowners spent an average of $6,649 on home improvements between 2017 and 2018, and they plan to spend at least as much in 2019. If lighting is just 10% of that spend, you’re looking at an outlay of $665 per homeowner. That’s insane!

These days millennials are more likely than other generations to take on remodeling projects. Many millennials who bought their first home since 2010 are looking to make improvements, as they likely purchased an older home now in pressing need of an update.

It means the market is crawling with digital natives, so you’ll need to understand the particulars of how millennials relate to the category. But the good news is, because Progressive Lighting is a direct importer of 60% of what it sells online, you’ll have plenty of margin to work with as you market the business.

Put simply, we’re looking for a paid search gunslinger with an analytical bias to the way they make decisions — a proven A-player who can operate independently.

Like most lighting etailers, LightsOnline markets through paid search, organic search, affiliate, paid social, and CSE. For LightsOnline, paid search is critical, and that’s where we would expect you to make a difference.

Three years ago, LightsOnline might might have attracted customers with the lowest price. That’s no longer necessarily the case. These days, the firm is marketing further up the funnel with a more inspirational, aspirational message. (Which is why I’ve shared so much about WHO buys from LightsOnline, and WHY.)

Email will fall under you, and you’ll find yourself developing content, optimizing templates, developing triggered sequences, putting together email designs, and managing the list and promotional calendar. All in an effort to improve email channel ROI.

My partner Allan Seibert and I spent a ton of time on the phone with this client teasing out exactly what you’ll need to KNOW and DO to hit the ground running in this role. Some of the things I can share with highly qualified candidates include …

1. The “real” background requirements for this position, along with the top five things all resumes MUST have to be considered for the role.
2. The top five problems that exist due to this position being open. These are the little brush fires you will be expected to put out during your first month on the job. Every ecommerce job has these — and this one’s no different.
3. What your average day / week will look like in this role. There’s what you read in the standard ecommerce job posting … then there’s reality. We’ve got the reality.
4. The leading and lagging KPI’s that will determine your success in this role. In a nutshell: How you keep score.
5. The major projects you’ll need to complete by Day 100 to be considered a home-run in this position. We’ve got the lowdown on how you can plug-and-play and drive REAL value in this ecommerce job.

We have a massive amount of proprietary intel to share with qualified candidates. Our industry research for this assignment exceeds 100 pages! Be sure to TEXT Allan Seibert at (706) 318-1196 for this info. Or simply use the email link when you apply for the role below.

View Harry Joiner’s profile

• Drive sales through paid search, affiliate, email, shopping sites and social media. Own these channels and develop strategies to increase sales and profitability.
• Plan, execute and track performance of marketing initiatives across these channels. Report on progress and strategic direction.
• Help develop the LightsOnline brand and strategy for long term success.
• Work with our merchants, creative team and copywriters to improve the quality and effectiveness of our marketing over time.
• Work to move our marketing up the funnel and inspire consumers to improve the lighting in their home. Find creative ways to drive exposure to potential customers.
• Manage and develop a direct employee who assists with the marketing operations and copy.

• Bachelors degree in marketing, ecommerce, business or similar field of study.
• At least four years of directly relevant work experience in ecommerce marketing with a depth of experience in paid search.
• Demonstrated ability to drive ecommerce sales growth through online marketing tactics.
• Strong sense of ownership and accountability for the marketing tactics under your belt. Not afraid to challenge others or suggest creative solutions to problems.
• Excellent communicator. Understands online brands. Team oriented and willing to roll up your sleeves and get it done.
• Experience managing creative a plus, but not required.

Applications for this position are being coordinated by Allan Seibert. To apply, CLICK HERE.  Candidates, please be sure to email Allan for additional information that will differentiate you in your candidacy. Due to the intensely competitive nature of this search, thorough preparation for these interviews with this proprietary material is strongly recommended.

One of the coolest CMO jobs around!

HARRY’S COMMENTS: We are working with FitLife Brands in their search for a CMO based in based in Omaha, Nebraska — where you never can tell whom you’ll bump into.

So let’s talk about Omaha: Sure, it’s not SF, LA, Chicago, or NYC. I get that. But sometimes the best opportunities for personal and professional growth arise in unexpected places. Besides, it’s really nice out there, and there are lots of great places to get a square meal.

For what this CMO job will pay (conservatively), using the 28/36 rule to qualify for a 30-year fixed mortgage, you’ll probably end up living in a house like this. (My estimate does not assume a down payment, so your mileage may vary.)

Still: How much would a spread like that cost you in the Bay Area?

My guess is that even if you CRUSH IT in this role, you and your family will be in Omaha for five years. Not an eternity (even though a lot of people moved to Omaha and don’t want to leave). Where were you in 2013? Seems like only yesterday, doesn’t it?

But it isn’t. It’s five years ago already.

And where will you be in 2023? Well, if you play your cards right, you could be a proven CMO who helped take a publicly traded company to the next level. So let’s talk about that …

FitLife is not a “one brand, one customer” company.

The company is in the health supplement business, and it strives to deliver superior quality for superior results throughout its product portfolio. In all of its products, FitLife uses only the purest, highest-quality ingredients to promote professional-caliber nutrition for everyone from weekend warriors to body-building experts to extreme-fitness competitors.

FitLife has seven brands and soon will launch an eighth. The company’s brands are …

1. PMD Sports: PMD products are available exclusively through the GNC franchise network. There’s not a lot of work for you to do on this brand. FitLife manufactures the product and distributes it to the franchisees who handle the in-store marketing.
2. NDS Nutrition: NDS provides trusted products for increased calorie burning, body toning, weight maintenance, general health and overall well-being. NDS products are available exclusively at GNC franchise locations.
3. Siren Labs: This brand offers a wide range of high-quality, cutting-edge solutions tailored to furthering athletic achievement and personal best performance for devotees of all levels. Its products are available exclusively at GNC franchise locations.
4. Metis Nutrition: The latest brand in FitLife’s portfolio, Metis Nutrition strives to meet the ever evolving consumer need for beneficial, safe supplements through advanced ingredients delivered in progressive formulas. Metis Nutrition products are available exclusively at most GNC corporate and franchise locations.
5. iSatori: Founded in 2001, iSatori was established as a total solutions provider to help individuals build their best bodies and healthy minds. iSatori products are sold in a variety of channels, including specialty retail, national drug store chains, and online.
6. Energize: Energize is an energy supplement which is sold everywhere, including Walmart, CVS, Rite-Aid, and Walgreens.
7. BioGenetic Laboratories: This brand engineers breakthrough weight-loss products to help people achieve their weight loss goals and ultimately feel lighter, healthier, and more confident. This brand has only three SKUs used mostly as a single ingredient supplement largely targeted at weight loss. Currently, this brand gets the most direct marketing traction of any brand in FitLife’s portfolio.
8. Core Active: This soon-to-launch brand offers precisely tuned, daily nutrition essentials help accelerate results for beginners to hardcore enthusiasts. Core Active is a brand the company previously marketed to gyms (which is why the website is active), but the company is in the process of developing and re-launching Core Active as an online exclusive brand. Between now and December, defining, shaping, and launching Core Active will be one of your first big initiatives.

ALL FitLife products are manufactured in facilities that comply with cGMP (current Good Manufacturing Practices) regulations. Incoming raw materials used in its products undergo identity and microbial testing, and all outgoing finished goods are tested for microbial and heavy metals.

The firm is proud to lead the supplement industry with its truth-in-labeling initiative. The information on FitLife’s labels far exceeds industry standards, helping its consumers better understand what goes into FitLife’s products (and therefore, into their bodies). The company makes it easy to see exactly what types, and what levels, of each ingredient are in the supplements it offers.

For health enthusiasts of all stripes, this is a BIG deal.

In a way, FitLife operates seven different businesses under one corporate umbrella. Traditionally, the company has operated all of its brands on different websites — with tech stacks as varied as the brands. Download BuiltWith for Chrome and run it on the above sites and you’ll see very little overlap in FitLife’s technology portfolio.

Consider the complexity (which you will have to tame):

You take the FOUR non-GNC exclusive brands and multiply them by all the ways you could bring them to market: Heck, there are seven different types of retailers, and you could find yourself selling through two or three of them PER brand. Now think about all of the direct marketing activities (digital and otherwise) for each brand / channel combo.

Not to mention that there is a TON of work to be done in the areas of branding, positioning, pricing, and influencer marketing. FitLife is using an outstanding Amazon agency to manage its AMZN 3P business.

You’re going to have a lot of your plate … at a time when Google is making major changes to how diet and nutrition sites are ranked in the Google SERPs.

But that’s okay, because you’ll have the MONEY, PEOPLE, TECHNOLOGY, and INVENTORY to be successful. All you need is the right approach.

We will expect you to apply 80/20 thinking to these opportunities. Where is the low hanging fruit? Is there any fruit laying on the ground? (Probably.) Your job is to put together a plan for growth, build / organize / energize your team, and get after it.

For this search’s intake call, I spent 2 hrs / 15 min on the phone with FitLife’s CEO, a former 9-year McKinsey consultant and Baker Scholar from Harvard Business School. He’s probably the smartest guy I’ve ever engaged on a phone. We covered everything: FitLife’s brands, its SWOTs, as well as the past, present, and future of the company.

You won’t believe how much we know about this search …

Like I said, I spent a ton of time on the phone with the client teasing out exactly what you’ll need to KNOW and DO to hit the ground running in this role. Some of the things I can share with highly qualified candidates include …

1. The “real” background requirements for this position, along with the top five things all resumes MUST have to be considered for the role.
2. The top five problems that exist due to this position being open. These are the little brush fires you will be expected to put out during your first month on the job. Every CMO job has these — and this one’s no different.
3. What your average day / week will look like in this role. There’s what you read in the standard job posting … then there’s reality. We’ve got the reality.
4. The leading and lagging KPI’s that will determine your success in this role. In a nutshell: How you keep score.
5. The major projects you’ll need to complete by Day 100 to be considered a home-run in this position. We’ve got the lowdown on how you can plug-and-play and drive REAL value in this CMO job.

I have a massive amount of proprietary intel to share with qualified candidates. My industry research for this assignment exceeds 100 pages! Be sure to TEXT Harry Joiner at (404) 281-2025 for this info. Or simply use the email link when you apply for the role below.

CANDIDATES, PLEASE NOTE: We have an exclusive on this search. All applications which are submitted directly to the client will be sent back to us for processing. It’d be much easier if you simply apply below. Thanks for understanding.

View Harry Joiner’s profile

Responsibilities:

• Create content, product videos, website copy, blog posts articulate the benefits of FitLife’s products to the world.
• Speak and present both internally and externally to promote the story of the brand.
• Measure and optimize the buyer journey.
• Find FitLife evangelists through relationships found via social media.
• Get them to help them promote the brand’s cause. We are willing to pay them or provide free product.
• Perform competitive research to helpless position the brand and win more customers.
• Collect and analyze the data that supports FitLife’s products and brands in the market.
• Collaborate with marketing teammates and senior management and other stakeholders
• Proactively scope and present new ideas to improve FitLife’s website experience for customers or potential customers
• Grow the team through hiring and training
• Make data driven decisions to to move the team and brands forward and hit company financial goals
• Ensure sales team needs are met in terms of advertising materials and communications
• Optimize content for search engines and lead generation
• Growing blog subscribers and expanding the overall reach of the brand, both online and off
• Lead and manage the team responsible for telling the company’s story
• Build the brand through exceptional creative by nurturing relationships with influencers
• Own the brand positioning and messaging. [ But, wait! There’s more! ]
• Lead all design and copywriting (There are people to help with that.)
• Identify and build relationships with prominent influencers and thought leaders in FitLife’s space and ensure that these relationships benefit both the company and the individual
• Match FitLife’s internal content creation with external influencers who would enjoy receiving it and want to contribute themselves

Requirements:

• BA / BS degree or equivalent work experience
• Proven track record of positioning and growing brands online. [ Here’s an interesting example of positioning. ]
• Good communicator
• Data-driven; Must know how to look at data to assess and prioritize opportunities and performance and can read the tea leaves to identify trends
• Creative – We’re looking for someone who has a PROCESS for coming up with creative-yet-reality-based ideas. Can you be creative on demand? Let’s discuss.
• Solid, demonstrable experience improving product/market fit
• Highly analytical approach
• Extensive experience in digital marketing. Must have a deep knowledge of digital marketing industry best practices.
• Willingness and ability to work in a highly collaborative environment in a cross functional capacity with other team members
• Proven experience with research and competitive analysis. We’re looking for someone who can think very critically / creatively about the market, the existing players, and how to position for growth FitLife’s brands.
• Ability to launch products and iterate quickly based on the data
• Good leader, cross functional, good communication skills, strategically savvy, financially literate
• Past experience producing evergreen content for the web, as well as channel specific knowledge
• Excellent organizational skills, with the ability to work independently and manage products with many moving parts
• Deep domain knowledge of social media
• Must be analytical and able to extract meaning from data and use that to optimize the team’s approach and the company’s forecast

Applications for this CMO job are being coordinated by Harry Joiner. To apply, CLICK HERE.  Candidates, please be sure to email Harry for additional information that will differentiate you in your candidacy. Due to the intensely competitive nature of this search, thorough preparation for these interviews with this proprietary material is strongly recommended.

NEW YORK CITY – With more than 200 digital commerce searches each year, EcommerceRecruiter.com is the leading contingency-based executive search firm serving the Shop.org, Ad:Tech, and IR-500 communities. To opt-in to our popular “Ecommerce Job of the Day” email, click here. (Simply unsubscribe at the end of your job search.)

HARRY’S COMMENTS: We are working with a confidential client in need of a VP of Growth Marketing based in NYC. Now I know this is a little odd, but I’m going to make this search confidential for two reasons:

1. The client is backed by a very prestigious stable of VCs, and I’m going to be sharing some semi-sensitive stuff about the client’s business. It would be best if I remained somewhat opaque about the client’s identity. You may be able to figure it out, which is fine, but I’m not going to make it super obvious or Google-friendly, nor will I stick this posting on our homepage.
2. I’m headed back to Montana next week, and I will be off the grid June 15 – 25. It’s much easier for me to maintain control of a hiring process when my client remains anonymous (… even though I have an exclusive on the search.)

VCs love this space because 1.) the market is massive and addressable; 2.) the consumer’s problems are well accepted and the industry offers clear and marketable solutions; 3.) the market can be sliced and diced into dozens of rabid niches and subcultures; 4.) there are multiple paths to distribution; and 5.) there are many proven revenue models – many of which offer continuity and subscription possibilities.

The client sells personalized beauty products, mostly shampoos and conditioners. But soon they will extend their product line to include personalized items in other categories. The annual spend in the U.S. on beauty is $100 billion. The shampoo and conditioner segment is roughly $6 billion. Dayum!

The premise of the business is simple: Customers visit the website and build a customized hair profile, answering questions about their HAIR TYPE (straight / wavy / curly / etc), HAIR STRUCTURE (fine / medium / coarse), SCALP MOISTURE (dry / normal / oily); HAIR GOALS (replenish / fix split ends / etc); FRAGRANCE PREFERENCE, and more.

A few clicks later, the customer enters her credit card information, and shortly thereafter receives a box of shampoo that is produced just for her, by her, to her exact specifications. There are 12 trillion product combinations, all sulfate-free, paraben-free, and cruelty-free. The end result is a happy and beautiful customer – many of whom can be seen glorifying the product on YouTube. Shampoo based on data! You had no idea your hair was so information intensive!

In some ways, the client is a typical disruptive startup. The company’s founders graduated from extremely prestigious universities, and the hiring manager for this position has a PhD. Total brainiac. The company has a 70 person production facility in a mid-Atlantic state and it runs a 12 person team in NYC.

The firm launched in 2016 and very quickly hit its stride. It has received much well-deserved publicity in all the major tech blogs and magazines. The firm is doing seven figures per month in sales (mostly through Facebook and Instagram), and it expects the triple those numbers in the next SIX (6) months.

What it needs now is a badass VP of Growth Marketing to take the company to the next level. Given the firm’s intellectual property, technology, access to expertise and capital, and the size of the market – there’s no reason why this client can’t be a billion-dollar business. No kidding.

How, exactly, the firm gets there will in no small part be up to you. My partner, Allan Seibert, and I spent nearly 90 minutes on the phone with this client “combing through their numbers.” (Pardon the pun.) With the right candidates, we can share basic customer acquisition costs, average order values, traffic figures, and much more.

It will be up to you to develop and drive the firm’s digital strategy with the goal of new customer acquisition and revenue via digital channels. You will manage, optimize, and execute the client’s Paid Social, SEO, SEM, Reputation Management and Web Optimization initiatives.

In this job, there will probably be a strong overlap between owned media and earned media. The company does use a PR firm, and it will have a strong brand marketing orientation down the line. By Q2 2019, much of the firm’s brand marketing will drive performance marketing.

You can expect to work with the firm’s brand manager and graphic designer on top of the funnel marketing. Meaning, we’re looking for a relatable A-player who can truly understand and master the brand’s funnel flow.

Currently there is a lack of diversification across channels. Too many eggs in too few baskets. We’d expect you to test and scale channels like Snapchat, Pinterest, YouTube, possibly DRTV and more. You decide. You test. There is a lack of strategy regarding how channels can be mixed, matched, optimized, and scaled. The whole should be greater than the sum of the parts. That’s not happening now.

Take Facebook, for example: Should the firm use that platform to drive awareness or retargeting? Obviously, it can do both. But someone should be thinking through these issues very strategically. Additionally, the client would like to better understand where and how to invest dollars in new brand marketing programs. Should the firm test TV? Direct mail? Events?

They want to grow the business. They’re not married to any particular marketing channel or activity. It’s true, the customer relationship will be consummated online. But how exactly you drive the customer to buy is up to you. You get to design and structure the firm’s persuasion architecture – which will in turn inform the structure of your team and the technology stack you build. These are early days, and the company is well funded.

Like I said, Allan and I spent a ton of time on the phone with the client “teasing out” (nyuk, nyuk) exactly what you’ll need to KNOW and DO to hit the ground running in this role. Some of the things I can share with highly qualified candidates include …

1. The “real” background requirements for this position, along with the top five things all resumes MUST have to be considered for the role.
2. The top five problems that exist due to this position being open. These are the little brush fires you will be expected to put out during your first month on the job. Every job has these — and this one’s no different.
3. What your average day / week will look like in this role. There’s what you read in the standard job posting … then there’s reality. We’ve got the reality.
4. The leading and lagging KPI’s that will determine your success in this role. In a nutshell: How you keep score.
5. The major projects you’ll need to complete by Day 100 to be considered a home-run in this position. We’ve got the lowdown on how you can plug-and-play and drive REAL value in this job.

We have a massive amount of proprietary intel to share with qualified candidates. Our industry research for this assignment exceeds 100 pages! Be sure to TEXT Harry Joiner at (404) 281-2025 for this info. Or simply use the email link when you apply for the role below.

View Harry Joiner’s profile

• Grow the business in a resource friendly, brand accretive way that conforms to the client’s forecasts, budget and timeline. (Let’s discuss.)
• Develop and perfect a scalable, cost-effective process to identify and prioritize the firm’s growth initiatives.
• Build and lead a high performance team to operate against the firm’s growth objectives
• Create / manage the performance marketing strategy and setup of all paid campaigns
• Measure, optimize, and report on all paid marketing using vendor-specific dashboards, Google Analytics, and landing page sources reports.
• Research and test partnerships with new vendors to expand the brand’s reach / resonance and lower cost-per-acquisition.
• Use quantitative models for analyzing acquisition opportunities while diagnosing trouble areas.
• Oversee both on-site and off-site SEO for the company.
• Collaborate with content marketing and blog contributors to create high quality content around important, relevant terms.
• Manage and build email campaigns to complement performance marketing campaigns.
• Segment lists based on behaviors like past email engagement and website interactions (content downloads, site page visits, etc.).
• Leverage growth marketing tactics like display ads, Facebook apps, and push notifications

• BA/BS or equivalent working experience
• Past experience with web analytics, A/B testing, and inbound marketing tactics
• Experience with data-driven SEO analysis and optimization
• In-depth knowledge of the various paid marketing channels and technologies,
• including paid search, retargeting, social network advertising (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and more), and content distribution and placement networks like Outbrain and Taboola
• Excellent communicator with ability to sell and convince. You will manage all relationships with vendors and ensure we get the most efficient cost possible.
• Experience handling marketing budgets and forecasting / reporting results

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METRO SALT LAKE CITY – With more than 200 digital commerce searches each year, EcommerceRecruiter.com is the leading contingency-based executive search firm serving the Shop.org, Ad:Tech, and IR-500 communities. To opt-in to our popular “Ecommerce Job of the Day” email, click here. (Simply unsubscribe at the end of your job search.)

We are working with Sportsman’s Warehouse in their search for an SEO Manager based in metro Salt Lake City, Utah.

HARRY’S COMMENTS: Founded in 1986, Sportsman’s Warehouse is an outdoor sporting goods retailer operating in 22 states. The company provides outdoor enthusiasts with high-quality merchandise in a friendly, low-key shopping environment.

Sportsman’s Warehouse offers a one-stop, convenient store layout that promotes “easy-in, easy-out” access to replenish supplies, learn about local conditions and test new products. Sportsman’s Warehouse’s sales associates are themselves accomplished outdoor enthusiasts — which allows them to engage and interact with customers to educate them and equip them with the right gear.

Sales associates draw upon both formal vendor sales training as well as first-hand experiences using the company’s products in local conditions. This selling approach allows Sportsman’s Warehouse to offer a broad range of products (73K SKU’s on avg.) while delivering a shopping experience based on the customer’s needs – which results in increased customer loyalty, repeat visits and frequent referrals to new customers.

The Sportsman’s Warehouse shopping experience is further enhanced by a variety of helpful in-store services and features, including the issuance of hunting and fishing licenses, local fishing reports, availability of Sportsman’s News (SW’s exclusive in-store newspaper), access to a “Braggin’ Board” (where customers can post photos of their outdoor adventures), indoor test ranges for archery equipment and displays of customer-owned taxidermy.

Compared to its principle competitors, Sportsman’s Warehouse can open new stores quickly / cheaply because its “no frills” store layout requires less square footage than the stores of its competitors. Meaning, SW can serve markets of multiple sizes – from smallish towns with populations of less than 75,000 to cities with populations in excess of 1,000,000 – which gives the company a strong foundation for continued expansion within its core markets.

Between 2013 and 2018, the sporting goods stores industry fared well. The sports participation rate rose 3.3% per year as consumers required athletic apparel, footwear and other sporting goods for their fitness regimens. Additionally, the industry has benefited from consolidation, which has enabled large-scale sporting goods retailers to bypass sporting wholesalers, thus securing supply-side contracts directly with manufacturers.

Meanwhile, the gun and ammunition stores industry experienced mostly consistent revenue growth in response to greater per capita disposable income and gradual growth in the number of game hunters. Through 2023, the sporting goods stores industry revenue is expected to grow at an annualized rate of 2.8% to $57.1 billion, which includes a 2.9% jump in 2018 alone, as more health-conscious individuals get off the couch.

As Sportsman’s Warehouse new SEO Manager, you’ll develop and execute the firm’s SEO roadmap in collaboration with technology, creative content, brand marketing and merchandising functions. You’ll establish and set the right KPIs for SW’s search marketing programs, and work to drive high-quality backlinks to TONS of proprietary content (which already exists).

SW’s management is totally committed to growing the company’s online business. And for good reason: In the 13 weeks ended May 5, 2018, total sales were ~$180 million – up 15% from the year prior. However, for the same time frame, SW’s ecommerce business increased 75.3%.

The firm’s new CEO (previously with Hayneedle) knows a thing or two about SEO. He and new VP of Marketing and Ecommerce, Jared Tanner are 100% committed to growing the business, and both of those guys will have your back.

We spent a ton of time on the phone with this client teasing out exactly what you’ll need to KNOW and DO to hit the ground running in this role. Some of the things we can share with highly qualified candidates include …

• The “real” background requirements for this position, along with the top five things all resumes MUST have to be considered for the role.
• The top five problems that exist due to this position being open. These are the little brush fires you will be expected to put out during your first month on the job. Every SEO job has these — and this one’s no different.
• What your average day/ week will look like in this role. There’s what you read in the standard performance marketing job posting … then there’s reality. We’ve got the reality.
• The leading and lagging KPI’s that will determine your success in this role. In a nutshell: How you keep score.
• The major projects you’ll need to complete by Day 100 to be considered a home-run in this position. We’ve got the lowdown on how you can plug-and-play and drive REAL value in this ecommerce job.

Our industry research for this ecommerce job exceeds 60 pages! Be sure to TEXT Allan Seibert at (706) 318-1196 for this info. Or simply use the email link when you apply for the role below.

View Harry Joiner’s profile

• Knowledge of SEO techniques and strategies and how to implement them (both on-page and off-page)
• Increase leads generated by natural search traffic to websites (quantity and quality)
• Serve as the company’s “go-to” subject matter expert on the latest SEO/SEM trends and changes
• Develop a linking strategy internal and external to maximize rankings
• Experience optimizing marketing material and copy for improved SEO rankings
• Serve as a subject matter expert and provide guidance to other copy writers
• Develop and deliver training across various functions on best practices to maximize SEO effectiveness
• Develop “best practices” for tech, creative, site merchandising and buying to maximize rankings
• Develop and monitor SEO analytics and reporting package
• Develop, test and report on experiments

1. Bachelor Degree in related field or equivalent years of education and experience.

• Google Analytics
• SEO
• Web Analytical Tools
• Content Strategy
• Excellent communication skills
• 3+ years’ experience in house SEO

• Ability to conceptualize and think creatively.
• Strong interpersonal and relationship skills, business acumen, integrity, professionalism.
• Ability to develop effective and constructive solutions to challenges and obstacles.
• A commitment to an understanding and awareness of dialogue and sensitivities.
• Excites and inspires peak performance from all members of the organization.
• Sets high standards of performance and consistently meets them.
• Optimizes the value of collaboration across the Company; shares ideas and best practices.
• Is highly accessible and communicates seamlessly with employees and executive management.
• Possesses the ability to communicate vision and turn concepts into actionable plans.
• Has the ability to establish credibility and be decisive; makes decisions that recognize and support the organization’s preferences and priorities.
• Possesses a mind-set for continuous improvement accompanied by problem sensitivity and critical thinking skills.

• Strong moral compass: integrity, honesty and teamwork.
• Capacity to lead and inspire others.
• Promote the well-being of those around him/her.
• Foresight, awareness, perception and persuasion.
• Secure, well-grounded individual who possesses integrity and honesty and strives for excellence in all endeavors.
• Strong work ethic.
• Takes full ownership of all deliverables and is personally committed to making sure that all such deliverables are on time and with the appropriate level of analytical rigor and accuracy.
• Strong and active listener with superior oral and written communication skills, as well as the ability to sell ideas and concepts to various constituencies, both internal and external, to the organization.
• Well-developed interpersonal skills; ability to get along with diverse personalities; tactful, mature.
• Self-motivated and energetic – Community centric.

Applications for this position are being coordinated by Allan Seibert. To apply, CLICK HERE.  Candidates, please be sure to email Allan for a packet of market research and company / competitive intel that will differentiate you in your candidacy. Due to the intensely competitive nature of this search, thorough preparation for these interviews with this proprietary material is strongly recommended.

METRO BOSTON, MA – With more than 200 digital commerce searches each year, EcommerceRecruiter.com is the leading contingency-based executive search firm serving the Shop.org, Ad:Tech, and IR-500 communities. To opt-in to our popular “Ecommerce Job of the Day” email, click here. (Simply unsubscribe at the end of your job search.)

We are working with Coldwater Creek Direct in their search for a Digital Marketing Director based in Hingham, MA — just outside of Boston.

HARRY’S COMMENTS: In 1984, Dennis and Ann Pence relocated from Manhattan to the resort town of Sandpoint in northern Idaho to start a direct mail business. The Pence’s had a thing for Idaho, and if you’ve ever been there – you probably do too. They bootstrapped the business with savings of only $40,000. But ultimately their gutsiness and persistence was rewarded: In 1986 the company achieved profitability, and by 1996 Coldwater Creek’s sales had ballooned to $143.1 million.

The rise and fall of Coldwater Creek is one of the most astonishing stories in the annals of the catalog business. It was a textbook tale of “rags to riches to rags.” But soon there will be riches again, as Sycamore Partners acquired Coldwater Creek’s brand and intellectual property in May 2014. Not wasting any time, Sycamore re-launched the brand’s ecommerce site in November 2014, and by March 2015 the famous Coldwater Creek catalog was back in circulation.

The brand’s house file remained massive, and the company was no longer hindered by its vast store network. Perhaps most importantly, its legions of fans never lost their taste for the brand they’d loved dearly for nearly three decades. The “Coldwater Creek look” had always been colorful by design – with an insistence on top quality and terrific fit and an understanding that fashion should be fun.

As Coldwater Creek’s new Digital Marketing Director, you’re inheriting a MASSIVE database of affluent, Boomer women who are passionate to the point of insane about this brand.

Coldwater Creek is hiring a Digital Marketing Director to develop and drive the vision for its digital marketing programs, including email, paid search and SEO, social, display and affiliate programs. To get the job, you’ll need to demonstrate proven success in developing, executing, and analyzing digital marketing strategies.

The company is serious about growth, and it’s equally serious about digital – despite the obvious successes of its catalog. Additionally, Management has given a ton of thought to which KPI’s must be driven to position the brand for long-term growth, and you’ll be encouraged to take your inspiration from anywhere. The team only asks that you be both hypothesis driven and analytically biased.

The Coldwater Creek conversion funnel has a lot of moving parts, and even die-hard customers don’t usually buy after just one touch. The brand’s customer relationships are nurtured across multiple devices, multiple channels, and multiple dayparts — with its performance marketing initiatives being complicated by consumer personalization, device, and location.

The firm’s leadership believes in investing, testing, and optimizing for growth. Naturally, Coldwater Creek’s culture reflects that. For now, the brand has somewhat of a last click orientation, but longer term, you will influence the development of an attribution model for the business. Additionally, you will have a material impact on Coldwater Creek’s retargeting, email, and social media marketing initiatives. Your involvement in these things might not always be tactical, but these things will roll up to you. A teachable point of view on these disciplines is essential.

The most effective companies in the world have a compelling vision for their brands, and they treat those brands as assets. We want you to be a committed life-long student of marketing who knows how to tease out a strong-yet-flexible-and-scalable digital strategy for Coldwater Creek, and then bring it to life in a cost effective, integrated way.

As such, you’ll be responsible for managing agencies, external partners and internal resources in order to meet the brand’s growth goals – which means that you must be a strategic thinker with a natural ability to drive results and gain the support of others.

We spent a ton of time on the phone with this client teasing out exactly what you’ll need to KNOW and DO to hit the ground running in this role. Some of the things we can share with highly qualified candidates include …

• The “real” background requirements for this position, along with the top five things all resumes MUST have to be considered for the role.
• The top five problems that exist due to this position being open. These are the little brush fires you will be expected to put out during your first month on the job. Every ecommerce job has these — and this one’s no different.
• What your average day/ week will look like in this role. There’s what you read in the standard performance marketing job posting … then there’s reality. We’ve got the reality.
• The leading and lagging KPI’s that will determine your success in this role. In a nutshell: How you keep score.
• The major projects you’ll need to complete by Day 100 to be considered a home-run in this position. We’ve got the lowdown on how you can plug-and-play and drive REAL value in this ecommerce job.

Our industry research for this ecommerce job exceeds 60 pages! Be sure to TEXT Allan Seibert at (706) 318-1196 for this info. Or simply use the email link when you apply for the role below.

View Harry Joiner’s profile

• Development of a digital marketing strategy that improves the performance of existing customers and successfully acquires new customers.
• Develop digital marketing programs that will create greater awareness for the Coldwater Creek brand, drive traffic and sales to the website, grow the customer database and increase customer engagement.
• Oversee the social media strategy for the company.
• Manage relationships with external agencies and serve as key point of contact on a day-to-day basis to monitor program performance and optimize programs by pursuing new opportunities, testing, and creative execution.
• Develop and manage optimal budget that will drive the optimal mix of acquisition and retention driving the highest ROAS possible and support overall company growth plans.
• Develop processes that help streamline workflow and time management.
• Responsibility for planning and budgetary control of all digital marketing.

• BS degree or equivalent working experience. MBA a plus.
• A minimum of 5 years of proven experience managing digital marketing programs to drive traffic to a retail website.
• Mid-level expertise of a standard clickstream analysis tool such as Google Analytics or Omniture.
• Experience working with and managing third-party vendors and products.
• Strong analytics skills and knowledge of KPIs for digital marketing.
• High energy individual that will lead with passion.
• Ability to navigate, orchestrate and work through complex issues with a strategic, tactical and fresh perspective.
• Proven leadership and ability to influence and work across the organization.
• The ability to operate with a learning orientation and curiosity.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, collaborative team player.
• Effectively multi tasks, switching prioritization as business needs arise.

Applications for this position are being coordinated by Allan Seibert. To apply, CLICK HERE.  Candidates, please be sure to email Allan for a packet of market research and company / competitive intel that will differentiate you in your candidacy. Due to the intensely competitive nature of this search, thorough preparation for these interviews with this proprietary material is strongly recommended.