Social Media
Portfolio
How My Background Supports Startups & Engineering Teams
I bring more than technical skills — my background in social media strategy gives me a growth mindset and user-first perspective that strengthens engineering teams:
Community Building: While leading digital strategy for the Middle of Nowhere Art & Music Festival, I boosted reach by 250% and mobilized 70 volunteers through targeted campaigns — helping the festival grow into its 2nd annual event. This ability to activate communities translates directly to helping startups reach and engage early adopters.
Cross-Functional Collaboration: Coordinated with reporters, editors, and festival organizers under high-pressure timelines. I now apply this teamwork to align engineers, designers, and PMs around shared goals.
User-Centric Thinking: Constantly tested, measured, and iterated strategies based on audience feedback. This iterative mindset mirrors how I approach software development — releasing, learning, and improving with each cycle.
Storytelling: Skilled at translating complex ideas into clear, engaging content. In an engineering team, this helps when documenting projects, onboarding users, or pitching features to stakeholders.
@dmregister
At The Des Moines Register, I launched and led the Social Media Producer role, where I treated platforms like scalable systems. I built TikTok into the newsroom’s fastest-growing channel, driving a 300% reach increase across platforms, 41,000+ new followers, and 40M+ annual views with 260% year-over-year engagement growth.
I designed data-driven content strategies, monitored performance analytics, and iterated quickly, similar to agile development cycles.
I also introduced AI-assisted video editing workflows that cut breaking-news turnaround times by over 50%. That project combined automation, process optimization, and technical tooling — the same problem-solving mindset I now apply in engineering. My ability to scale systems, leverage analytics, and innovate under pressure earned me a Rookie of the Year nomination for innovation and impact in the 2023 Gannett Greatest Awards.
Social Media Portfolio
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Social Media Portfolio 〰️
TikTok and Reels
Here are a couple of my favorite clips I have done for the Register.
Your Voting Guide for the Iowa Elections
Meet the ‘Legendary Pizza Ranch Guest’
DSM Flea market vibes
Des Moines Court Avenue mural gets replaced
Social Graphics
Here are a couple of my favorite graphics I have done for the Register (all clips are linked).
Social Media Portfolio
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Social Media Portfolio 〰️
Community Management
For me, community management is all about building genuine connections and fostering trust. It wasn’t just replying to comments; it was about creating a space where people felt heard, valued, and engaged.
By focusing on meaningful interactions, I helped brands strengthen their relationships with followers, increase engagement, and turn casual users into loyal advocates. Through real-time conversations and feedback, I grew vibrant, supportive communities that drove brand success.
One example of this was when I managed a post about teens discovering rare jellyfish. The comment section was flooded with questions about how these jellyfish arrived and whether they were invasive. I provided clarity and engaged the community, crafting a thoughtful response. That reply ended up gaining over 3,000 likes, showing how impactful timely and informative interactions can be. By addressing questions and starting conversations, I was able to strengthen the relationship between the brand and its audience while boosting engagement.
Social Media Portfolio
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Social Media Portfolio 〰️
@northerniowan
At The Northern Iowan, I established the foundation of the social media team, implementing strategies that significantly increased audience engagement, including a 371.5% boost in Facebook reach and 230% more digital page views. I created a Spanish column to expand our cultural relevance and reach new audiences in the Cedar Falls and Waterloo community, while leading editorial efforts to produce 20 articles per week. My contributions earned us first place for Best Use of Social Media by the Iowa College Media Association, the Fearless Speech Award, and recognition as the 2023 Student Organization of the Year, with personal nominations as a finalist for the Pat Pisarik Student Journalist of the Year.