During my summer at Infinite Goods, I worked as the head of marketing — taking on several duties and projects. My main objective was to develop and build a cohesive marketing and brand strategy to elevate the company and its mission of making the fashion industry more sustainable. I primarily worked to create and implement various elements such as social media marketing, press engagement, strategic partnerships, and a curated newsletter, to not only raise awareness about the environmental impact of fast fashion and how Infinite Goods is solving this problem but also to inspire meaningful action towards a more sustainable future. In order to build the brand and raise awareness for the company and our mission, I built out a content calendar that incorporated all of our marketing channels to make creating and sharing content more seamless. This allowed us to build a marketing strategy to promote our partner clothing brands, the business, and the CEO, who is a thought leader in the space of sustainable fashion. By utilizing this strategy document, it enabled us to build a cohesive strategy and informed what content we needed to create and capture, whether videos, photos, or thoughts on recent news. All of this work enabled us to elevate and grow the brand to set the business up for more success in the future.

Premium Brand Strategy, Strategies for Long-term Growth, the Business of Aesthetics and Experiences, and core classes like Marketing and Strategy formulation were a few of the classes that helped me inform the strategy and execution of my work this summer. From the core classes, I utilized different frameworks to build a cohesive strategy that was both qualitative and quantitative. We put a strategic plan in place to achieve our goals but then also analyzed the data from our content (e.g., email open rates, social media reach, and engagement, etc.) to inform and adjust the strategy as needed. Additionally, Premium Brand Strategy helped me consider the wholistic process of creating and building a brand. How does a brand go from simply being a brand or a business to being the brand customers trust to solve their problems in a specific space? Specifically with Infinite Goods, it is a new company in an emerging space — how can we both educate consumers of the problems the business is solving while also making sure that we become the trusted company and voice in the space? How do we become the brand they turn to for sustainable fashion? Strategies for Long-Term Growth enabled me to think strategically about how to set the company up for success in the future, and that the strong foundation we build now is crucial to long-term success for the company, partners, and clients. Pauline Brown, the professor of Business of Aesthetics and Experiences is an advisor to the business. It was great to continue to work with her outside the classroom and apply what I learned in the classroom to a real business setting. In fact, that was the benefit of being a summer fellow immediately after graduation — I was able to put into practice all of the things I learned in the classroom to see first-hand the impact I could have in a practical way.

One challenge I had to navigate was the simultaneous building of a company while building a cohesive brand strategy at the same time. As a startup, our resources are limited, and we had to think creatively and strategically about each step. We were testing our hypotheses and analyzing the results in real time. Each decision was quickly assessed — we doubled down on what worked and changed what didn't. Another challenge was crafting a compelling brand identity to convey the company's values, mission, and target audience, while aligning these elements with sales goals and metrics. Balancing these important yet sometimes conflicting goals was a unique challenge. We pushed ourselves to get our company name and partner brand names out there, while balancing revenue growth with brand growth. This was a fine line and often times the leading push was brand awareness, when other times it was something different. We had a strong and passionate team working together to make navigating these challenges in a creative and effective way. We supported each other every step of the way!

As an entrepreneur, one of my goals coming into my MBA was to supplement my entrepreneurial spirit with more of the “hard” skills you learn at business school. The experience this summer was incredibly enriching. I was able to apply what I learned in the classroom in a real world setting while working closely with my classmates to build something from the ground up. I continued to learn the importance of adaptability in a dynamic environment, as I navigated the constantly changing landscape of digital marketing as well as the quick pace of a startup. Creativity and innovation are key drivers of success, and coupled with the frameworks and strategies I learned at school allowed me to devise unique strategies that yielded tangible results. Additionally, I honed my analytical skills, utilizing data-driven insights to make informed decisions and optimize our marketing campaigns while blending these decisions with my creative and entrepreneurial background.