TC Made it
I commenced my career with the company "Diamond Decisions" in 1998, assuming the role of Head of Marketing and Sales. Diamond Decisions possessed the brand "Privacy Wear," comprising a clothing line featuring men's and women's t-shirts, tops, sweatshirts, and jackets. These items were adorned with heavy embroidery and custom art, with a portion of the proceeds dedicated to educating underserved men and women about breast cancer. We dubbed this initiative "Clothing for a Cause."
Privacy Wear flourished in an era predating social media. The inaugural campaign I spearheaded was the "One Woman at a Time" initiative, which resonated widely and helped delineate our core demographic. I facilitated our support for organizations such as the Susan G. Komen organization and its events, making annual trips to Chicago, Illinois, for the "Run Walk" charity event. This gathering attracted tens of thousands of survivors and supporters, reinforcing our credibility by aligning with a cause we championed. Within a brief period, we amassed a loyal following of over 300,000 customers. With the backing of our devoted followers, we initiated the "Free Mammogram Program," offering free mammograms and crucial breast cancer awareness information to underprivileged women in the Los Angeles area. In over five years, we provided more than 15,000 mammograms.
The success of the "One Woman at a Time" campaign and our burgeoning community of breast cancer awareness advocates propelled the brand's expansion. Subsequently, we ventured into the development of the PRVCY Premium Denim collection. PRVCY Premium offered a luxury denim line boasting a unique fit appeal for women of all body types. During our developmental phase, I collaborated with numerous women, soliciting their feedback through extensive fitting sessions. Notably, I observed that women primarily scrutinized two aspects when donning denim: how their buttocks appeared and the appearance of their thighs. Armed with this insight, I collaborated with our pattern makers to engineer a "slimming effect" for the thighs and a "lifting effect" for the back rise, resulting in an optimal fit. Additionally, we conceived the "Life Line" design on the back pocket, featuring triple embroidered lines resembling a heart monitor indicator. Our use of premium denim solidified our brand's premium pricing.
Subsequently, I spent six months annually on the road, promoting the brand at trade shows and visiting select denim boutiques. The reception was overwhelmingly positive and immediate. My confidence in our denim was such that providing store owners with a pair of PRVCY denim invariably led to it becoming their new favorite. At trade shows, I consistently surpassed my sales quotas, with sales projections increasing by over 25% each time, only to be exceeded yet again.
By distributing denim to celebrities and garnering major free press from paparazzi photographers, PRVCY Premium ascended to a new echelon, placing us in the same league as True Religion, the premium denim leader at the time. Adorned by celebrities PRVCY Premium was worn by Jennifer Lopez, Jessica Alba, Taylor Swift, Miley Cyrus, Eva Longoria, Halle Berry, Regina King, Kim Kardashian, Katy Perry, Lindsey Lohan, Paris Hilton, Ellen Pompeo, Christina Applegate, Emmy Rossum, Selena Gomez, Michelle Williams, and Cindy Crawford, among others. With numerous celebrities endorsing PRVCY Premium and over 250 denim boutiques retailing the brand, I initiated discussions with major US retailers such as Bloomingdales, Saks Fifth Avenue, Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus, and Nordstrom. Strategically, we chose Bloomingdales as our inaugural major retailer, securing placement in all 15 of their storefronts at the time. Once production aligned with projected demand, we expanded to additional major retailers.
By 2005, PRVCY Premium commanded a significant share of the premium denim market.
In 2007, I conceptualized the PRVCY Please Campaign. We introduced a "burn-out" t-shirt emblazoned with the phrase "I Want More PRVCY Please" in large block letters, available in two colors. Celebrities such as Paris Hilton, a young Selena Gomez, and Eva Longoria, among others, sported these shirts, generating substantial online and print coverage. We sold well over 1 million of these shirts through retailers and online platforms, enabling us to fund additional "free mammograms" for underprivileged women and extending our outreach to major US cities.
In 2010, I concluded my tenure as Chief Marketing Officer and Vice President of Diamond Decisions and transitioned to JY Rays, now Omni One, a medium-sized swimwear manufacturer with multiple brands. Charged with devising business strategy, brand management, and restructuring the company's brands, I spearheaded the launch of Beach Rays, WET Swimwear, and VAST Official within eight months.
Beach Rays positioned itself as a mid-tier swim brand catering to both men and women, offering an array of solid, spliced, and vibrantly printed swim trunks and ladies swimwear at accessible price points, securing placements in major retail chains such as Dillards, Kohls, and Macy's, alongside hundreds of swim shops.
WET Swimwear epitomized luxury with its "Day Pool" allure, endorsed by top influencers Natasha Oakley and Devin Brugman, who later launched their own swimwear brand, Monday Swimwear. Pushing the envelope in swimwear fashion, WET Swimwear introduced innovative styles and unprecedented fabrics resembling denim, leather, tailored suit fabrics, and crochet designs.
Portuguese supermodel Sara Sampaio adorned WET Swimwear in a photoshoot by renowned photographer Ben Morris for the Sports Illustrated Swimwear issue in 2015, garnering widespread acclaim and selling out despite undergoing seven production runs. With distribution in over eight countries and 500 stores worldwide, viewed by over 70 million people, WET Swimwear enjoyed global recognition.
VAST Official emerged as a technical surf brand, offering fully fused and seamless designs crafted from lightweight, super-stretch material boasting quick-dry and antibacterial properties. Renowned for its artistic board short prints, including the Aztec design, illuminating design, and splice designs, VAST Official witnessed robust sales, with over 100,000 units sold.
As Head of Sales and Marketing, I established the VAST Official Surf Team, recruiting professional surfers worldwide to compete on the World Surf League and generate content spotlighting the brand. This initiative yielded a 200% increase in social media followers and over 4% viewer engagement.
In 2015, I assumed the role of President and Head of Apparel at Veruba, tasked with introducing beach tennis to the US market and establishing the company's flagship retail headquarters in Hermosa Beach, California. Beach tennis, akin to beach volleyball but played with pickleball-like paddles and a tennis ball on slightly lowered nets, inspired a collection of activewear encompassing board shorts, swim trunks, swimwear tops, shorts, lightweight active tanks, and jersey-style shirts, crafted from quick-dry materials with antibacterial properties.
Leveraging my expertise in swimwear design, I expedited the launch of Sexy Brand within 10 months, unveiling a comprehensive collection comprising approximately 400 SKUs of active and athleisure apparel. Notable offerings included 400 gsm French terry oversized towels featuring a cooling pocket, as well as travel bags fashioned from recycled sailing cloth and lightweight carbon fiber, with waterproof seals and future iterations integrating solar capabilities for phone charging.
Marketing campaigns such as "I Love Beach Tennis" and "Sex-y Definition," which redefined the concept of sexy to promote empowerment and positivity, resonated profoundly with consumers. The "Sex-y Definition" shirts, available in 10 different languages, enjoyed global popularity.
Recognized as the Brand of Champions, Sexy Brand boasted the most titles among professional players in the sport. In 2016, we inaugurated the Sexy Brand retail store in Hermosa Beach, CA, featuring a regulation-size sand court and innovative shopping displays. The grand opening attracted over 400 patrons from local and international locales, establishing the store as a premier destination for beach tennis enthusiasts. Our online engagement rivaled that of leading brands, reflecting our strong digital presence.
Buoyed by the success of the Hermosa Beach flagship, we replicated its model with two additional retail stores in St. Barts and Ravenna, Italy, while securing distribution in over 20 countries worldwide. In 2017, the USA Sexy Brand Team participated in the World Beach Tennis Tournament in Russia, where I had the privilege of designing the team's uniforms, garnering widespread acclaim.
Building on the acclaim, I designed uniforms for Puerto Rican and Italian National Beach Tennis teams, further solidifying Sexy Brand's reputation as a global powerhouse. In 2018, at the Beach Tennis Championships in Cervia, Italy, our female doubles team clinched the title, receiving coverage in the Italian newspaper alongside the brand's owner and the victorious champions.
Additionally, I orchestrated the production of what I believe to be a world-record-sized towel, featuring the Sexy Brand logo, covering the entire main court in Aruba. This iconic image circulated on social media platforms, generating significant publicity for the brand.
In 2019, Sexy Brand played a pivotal role in the World Beach Games in San Diego, CA, showcasing the sport at competitive levels and offering lessons to thousands of spectators. At each World Tour Beach Tennis Tournament, I curated Pop-Up Shops showcasing our merchandise, which proved to be lucrative endeavors, complemented by the immense popularity of Sexy Brand temporary tattoos distributed at the events.
As 2020 dawned, amid mounting economic uncertainty exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, I transitioned to Costco Wholesale, assuming leadership roles in Merchandising and eventually the Buying Team. During my tenure, I spearheaded initiatives that propelled west coast apparel sales by 11% amidst challenging market conditions. Notably, I contributed to the successful launch of 32 Degrees face masks, featuring cooling fabric technology, which became a runaway success.
Furthermore, I played a pivotal role in enhancing liquor sales, implementing strategic merchandising reorganizations that enhanced the shopping experience in smaller stores, resulting in sales increases exceeding 18%. Currently, I collaborate with esteemed brands such as Sp5der Worldwide, Litco, No Fear, Kanye West's Vulture, ELLE Sport, and Color is Freedom by Tavi, leveraging my expertise to drive their success and achieve mutual growth.
Sp5der Worldwide and Litco boast significant social media followings, with engaging campaigns such as the MLK Takeover generating substantial traction and rapid sell-outs of limited-edition merchandise. As the head of the team overseeing the revival of "No Fear" in the USA market, I am excited about forthcoming collaborations slated for Summer 2024.
My journey through various industries has been marked by a relentless pursuit of excellence, innovative thinking, and a commitment to fostering growth and success for the brands I have had the privilege to collaborate with.
Demonstrating Marketing and Sales Expertise
Throughout my career, I've continually demonstrated a mastery of marketing and sales strategies that have driven significant growth and success for the brands I've been privileged to lead. Below is a breakdown of some key analytics and achievements that underscore my capabilities:
Privacy Wear and PRVCY Premium:
Core Following Growth: Spearheaded the growth of Privacy Wear's core following to over 300k customers within a short timeframe.
Sales Projections: Consistently exceeded sales quotas at trade shows, with sales goal projections increasing by over 25% each time, and consistently surpassing these goals.
Brand Visibility: Secured features in prestigious publications such as InStyle, O (Oprah) Magazine, Vogue, and more, reaching over 100 million views weekly.
Celebrity Endorsements: Leveraged celebrity endorsements to elevate PRVCY Premium's status, gaining recognition alongside industry leaders like True Religion.
Beach Rays, WET Swimwear, and VAST Official:
Retail Expansion: Expanded retail presence to over 500 stores worldwide, including major retailers like Bloomingdales, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Nordstrom.
Influencer Marketing: Utilized influencer marketing to drive significant online sales boosts, with a single influencer post resulting in over 30% jumps in online sales within 48 hours.
International Success: Achieved sales in over 8 countries for WET Swimwear, with innovative designs and unique fabrics garnering widespread acclaim.
Sexy Brand:
Global Reach: Established Sexy Brand's presence in over 20 countries through flagship retail stores and strategic partnerships.
Sporting Success: Designed winning uniforms for Team USA, Puerto Rico, and Italy, solidifying Sexy Brand as the choice of champions.
Social Media Engagement: Generated high social media engagement, with campaigns like "I Love Beach Tennis" and "Sex-y definition" garnering significant traction and global sales.
Costco Wholesale:
Sales Growth: Increased west coast apparel sales by 11% during the COVID-19 era, outperforming industry trends.
Product Innovation: Introduced successful product lines like 32 degrees face masks, meeting consumer demand for quality and functionality.
Merchandising Optimization: Reorganized merchandising floor plans, resulting in sales increases of over 18% in some stores.
Skills
Strategic Planning
Brand Management
Sales Forecasting and Analysis
Influencer Marketing
Retail Expansion and Management
Product Development and Launch
Market Research and Trend Analysis
Team Leadership and Management
Social Media Marketing
Customer Relationship Management
If you're seeking a seasoned marketing and sales professional with a proven track record of driving growth, innovation, and brand success, look no further. My extensive experience across diverse industries, coupled with a passion for excellence and a results-driven mindset, makes me an invaluable asset to any organization. Let's connect and explore how I can contribute to your team's success. Reach out today to discuss potential opportunities!
