About Me...

Hello there! I'm Katherine, a seasoned marketing strategist with over a decade of experience in the professional beauty industry. My journey in the dynamic world of marketing has been fueled by a passion for creative storytelling and a knack for navigating the digital landscape.

I grew up in a household that fostered my love for design with a background deeply rooted in creativity. My father's years in the printing industry and my grandfather's photography expertise exposed me to the visual arts early on.

As one of the first families in the neighborhood to own a Macintosh computer, I found myself immersed in the digital realm, experimenting with Adobe Photoshop and coding my Myspace page during middle school. This early exposure made me software-savvy and laid the foundation for my future in the digital marketing arena.

Throughout my professional journey, I've honed my skills as a results-driven marketing strategist. Over the past decade, I've leveraged consumer insights, analytics, and competitive intelligence to orchestrate successful digital campaigns in the beauty industry. My expertise extends across various domains, including graphic design, copywriting, video editing (both short and long-form), social media management, and running influencer campaigns. I thrive in project management and excel in cross-team collaboration, always prioritizing superb customer experiences online.

Driven by a passion for creative business marketing, I made the strategic decision to transition to freelancing. This shift allows me to focus on dynamic storytelling through digital platforms, a pursuit that truly ignites my creativity. One of my proudest achievements includes growing Instagram and TikTok channels to over 60k followers, generating millions of views, and fostering engaging conversations around brands.

I am not just a marketer; I am a storyteller, a digital enthusiast, and a dedicated professional committed to staying ahead of emerging trends. Join me on this exciting journey of crafting compelling narratives and making a lasting impact in the ever-evolving world of digital marketing.

Download Resume

Download Case Studies

Job History

Born Beauty-Obsessed

My journey into the world of beauty began at a young age, inspired by my great-grandmother who owned a salon in Buffalo, NY. I followed in her footsteps as I obtained my cosmetology license in 2010, spending over a decade working behind the chair and honing my craft.

As my love for beauty evolved, so did my interest in the digital storytelling and marketing that underpins successful businesses. To further explore this passion,
I pursued a Bachelor's degree with a focus on Marketing.

After graduating from Roosevelt University, I embarked on an exciting chapter with a leading publication for hairdressers, behindthechair.com.
This role opened my eyes to the vast capabilities of digital and print marketing.
From collaborating with influencers to devising social media marketing strategies, executing product sampling initiatives, and contributing to a print magazine,
I immersed myself in the multifaceted world of marketing.

The experience fueled my passion for creative content, and I found myself captivated by the endless possibilities that digital platforms offered.
With over 10 years of hands-on experience in the beauty industry and a solid academic foundation in marketing, I bring a unique blend of artistry and strategic thinking to the table. My journey from behind the salon chair to the vibrant realm of digital marketing has equipped me with a diverse skill set and a deep understanding of what it takes to make a brand shine in today's dynamic landscape.

Join me as I continue to blend the artistry of beauty with the precision of marketing, creating compelling narratives that resonate with audiences and elevate brands to new heights.

Sep 2024 - Present

Katherine Carey Creative

Client: Logan Parlor & Hair Has No Gender

Managed social media strategy, content planning, posting, and community engagement for Logan Parlor and Hair Has No Gender, developing static visuals, UGC features, and video content that drove follower growth and audience engagement.
Coordinated influencer activations, bartering salon services in exchange for social promotion to increase visibility and reach for both the salon and nonprofit.
Designed and updated website landing pages to highlight educational classes, fundraisers, and promotions, ensuring consistent messaging and an elevated user experience.
Led email marketing initiatives to promote events, classes, sales, and fundraising campaigns supporting both revenue growth and community impact.
Supported pop-up events for Hair Has No Gender, assisting with logistics and live social coverage to expand brand awareness within the professional beauty industry.

Jan 2024 - Aug 2025

Katherine Carey Creative

Client: AQUA & AquaLyna Hair Extensions

Developed and executed cross-channel marketing strategies to support trade show activations, product promotions, sampling programs and educational events.
Commanded project timelines through GANTT charts detailing project plans for dual-brand marketing campaigns across email, SMS and social media digital advertising.
Grew attendance for in-person and virtual educational events through targeted email, SMS, and social campaigns.
Optimized eCommerce UX and conversion via Shopify, enhancing performance across mobile and desktop.
Coordinated between internal stakeholders to ensure frictionless execution of campaigns for product launches, brand promotions, events and tradeshows.
Designed and executed lead generation campaigns with landing pages, pop-ups, and automated email flows; surged account sign-ups by 30%.

Sep 2022 - Dec 2023

Sam Villa -

Director of Digital Marketing & Social Media

Led schedules, graphics, videos, copywriting, and team of 30 ambassadors, producing livestreams, YouTube tutorials, and trade show seminars monthly to drive product sales.
Managed annual marketing budget of $200K, 50 artist contracts, and all payments for digital content.
Instructed 500 affiliate businesses on social media best practices and designed promotional graphics to align with Sam Villa website promotions.
Facilitated biannual webinars for affiliates, featuring macro influencers and covering business topics including social media practices and promotions.
Managed YouTube account publishing and monetizing videos, tagging products and creating thumbnails.
Guided annual photo and video shoots enabling marketing campaigns and product launches.
Led team of 3 video editors, briefing on products and content goals, and ensuring guideline-compliant, accurate, and consistent deliverables.
Oversaw social agency for content mapping and community management, driving product sales and reaching 3M followers aggregated.
Spearheaded Sam Villa's presence on TikTok, handling all content mapping and community management, gaining 60K followers.
Ensured product copy consistency across web, social media, press releases, and partner platforms by verifying trademark usage and brand guidelines.

Jan 2021 - Aug 2022

Sam Villa -

Digital Marketing & Social Media Coordinator

Managed copywriting and graphic design for in-person seminars and 157 social livestreams with 550K views, educating stylists on Sam Villa products.
Wrote monthly analytics reports for the executive team, summarizing TikTok performance, social media activity, and follower growth of 30 ambassadors.
Arranged monthly video shoot shot lists for Owner, Sam Villa, supporting user-generated content (UGC) to increase monthly sales.
Enhanced brand engagement by capturing and curating content at tradeshows and popup events and promoting on social media.
Collaborated with social agency on their Instagram content mapping and briefed on upcoming monthly promotions and initiatives.

Oct 2018 - Dec 2020

Beauty Changes Lives -

Scholarship & Marketing Coordinator

Oversaw digital strategy, media promotion, and reporting for 12 national scholarship campaigns.
Led scholarship programs, overseeing agreements, marketing strategies, web promotion, and judge coordination, allocating over $1M in funds for beauty school students and licensed professionals annually.
Produced scholarship reports for donors and the Board of Directors to compare month-over-month program success and applicant metrics.
Built ambassador team of 40 influencers and oversaw the organization’s social media channels; grew Instagram following by +200% YoY (3k to 20k).
Created video and graphic design elements for organization's social media channels and ambassador team.
Surged Beauty Changes Lives’ scholarship applicants +242% YoY from October 2018–2019 from 168 to 575.

Mar 2018 - Oct 2018

Behindthechair.com -

Content Creation Coordinator

Directed editorial, influencer, and social media marketing campaigns for 30+ professional beauty client accounts.
Authored and reviewed articles on formulas, colors, and trends, emphasizing technical accuracy, conciseness, and clarity.
Managed and coached 5 editors and oversaw digital press article copywriting, ensuring accurate and compelling storytelling.
Utilized influencer marketing platforms for strategically planned content activations.
Collaborated with the Creative Department on supporting digital graphics for onsite content and client campaigns.
Attended client popup events and featured product launches on Instagram.

Feb 2016 - Feb 2018

Behindthechair.com -

Advertising Account Associate

Managed digital campaigns and reporting for 30+ professional beauty brands.
Guided Creative Department in designing successful digital marketing banner assets to support client advertising campaigns.
Strategized with Editorial Team on developing digital press features, print advertorials, and on-location event coverage for clients.
Outlined invoicing schedule with the Accounting Department for all client advertising contracts.
Reported monthly digital client campaign results, involving social media insights, website article views, and email open/CTRs to all client accounts.

Internships

Jun 2015 - Jan 2016

Premier Beauty Supply -

Marketing Intern

Supported sales promotions, marketing collateral development, and product knowledge communication for both Inside and Outside Sales teams.
Partnered with the Marketing Department to produce bi-monthly sales catalogs, coordinate events, and manage targeted direct mail campaigns for Outside Sales.
Oversaw social media strategy and execution, analyzing post performance through benchmarking to optimize engagement.
Assisted in planning and coordination of the Chicago Style Show at the Park West and W Hotel, welcoming over 400 participants.

Oct 2014 - Jan 2015

StyleSeat -

Marketing/PR Intern

Supported the Midwest launch campaign by coordinating locally focused Chicago events and engaging prospects and customers through targeted phone and email outreach.
Assisted in planning and executing a high-profile launch event at Y-Bar with 200 attendees.
Collaborated on a corporate braid bar activation at Coyote Logistics (80 participants).
Helped organize and facilitate a public promotional event at Shervan Salon, attracting 100 participants.

Salon Experience

Sep 2016 - Apr 2018

The Bird's Nest Salon - Hair Stylist

Nov 2014 - Aug 2016

Salon 117 & Essence Day Spa - Hair Stylist

Jan 2014 - Sep 2014

Salon Apprentice at Salon Blue

Nov 2012 - Nov 2013

Hair Stylist at Hair Cuttery

Dec 2010 - Nov 2012

Hair Stylist at Great Clips

Sep 2008 - Sep 2010

Shampoo Technician at Salon 117 & Essence Day Spa

Education

2013-2016

Roosevelt University, Chicago IL

Bachelor of Science (BS) in Business Administration, Marketing

2010-2013

College of DuPage, Glen Ellyn IL

Associates of General Studies & Associates of Applied Science in Cosmetology

2008-2010

Technology Center of DuPage, Addison IL

Illinois State Cosmetology License

Technical Skills/Programs

Adobe Premiere Pro, Asana, Attentive, Brevo, Canva, Click Up, Figma, Google Analytics, Inﬂuenster, Klaviyo, Later.com, Mailchimp, Microsoft Oﬃce Suite, Refersion Affiliate Marketing, Shopify, Sprout Social, SmartSheet, Submittable, Type Form, Thought Industries, Wix, WordPress.

Testimonials

"Katherine brings a wealth of experience to the beauty industry, offering fresh and innovative ideas that consistently elevate our projects. Her expertise has been invaluable in helping to implement key initiatives, including our e-commerce platform, as well as Email and SMS marketing strategies. Her contributions have significantly enhanced our growth and visibility in the market."

- Avinoam Yerushalmi, President of Aqua Beauty Line

Call

630-542-2994

katherinecareycreative@gmail.com

About Me...

Job History

Born Beauty-Obsessed

Managed social media strategy, content planning, posting, and community engagement for Logan Parlor and Hair Has No Gender, developing static visuals, UGC features, and video content that drove follower growth and audience engagement.

Coordinated influencer activations, bartering salon services in exchange for social promotion to increase visibility and reach for both the salon and nonprofit.

Designed and updated website landing pages to highlight educational classes, fundraisers, and promotions, ensuring consistent messaging and an elevated user experience.

Led email marketing initiatives to promote events, classes, sales, and fundraising campaigns supporting both revenue growth and community impact.

Supported pop-up events for Hair Has No Gender, assisting with logistics and live social coverage to expand brand awareness within the professional beauty industry.

Developed and executed cross-channel marketing strategies to support trade show activations, product promotions, sampling programs and educational events.

Commanded project timelines through GANTT charts detailing project plans for dual-brand marketing campaigns across email, SMS and social media digital advertising.

Grew attendance for in-person and virtual educational events through targeted email, SMS, and social campaigns.

Optimized eCommerce UX and conversion via Shopify, enhancing performance across mobile and desktop.

Coordinated between internal stakeholders to ensure frictionless execution of campaigns for product launches, brand promotions, events and tradeshows.

Designed and executed lead generation campaigns with landing pages, pop-ups, and automated email flows; surged account sign-ups by 30%.

Led schedules, graphics, videos, copywriting, and team of 30 ambassadors, producing livestreams, YouTube tutorials, and trade show seminars monthly to drive product sales.

Managed annual marketing budget of $200K, 50 artist contracts, and all payments for digital content.

Instructed 500 affiliate businesses on social media best practices and designed promotional graphics to align with Sam Villa website promotions.

Facilitated biannual webinars for affiliates, featuring macro influencers and covering business topics including social media practices and promotions.

Managed YouTube account publishing and monetizing videos, tagging products and creating thumbnails.

Guided annual photo and video shoots enabling marketing campaigns and product launches.

Led team of 3 video editors, briefing on products and content goals, and ensuring guideline-compliant, accurate, and consistent deliverables.

Oversaw social agency for content mapping and community management, driving product sales and reaching 3M followers aggregated.

Spearheaded Sam Villa's presence on TikTok, handling all content mapping and community management, gaining 60K followers.

Ensured product copy consistency across web, social media, press releases, and partner platforms by verifying trademark usage and brand guidelines.

​​​​

Managed copywriting and graphic design for in-person seminars and 157 social livestreams with 550K views, educating stylists on Sam Villa products.

Wrote monthly analytics reports for the executive team, summarizing TikTok performance, social media activity, and follower growth of 30 ambassadors.

Arranged monthly video shoot shot lists for Owner, Sam Villa, supporting user-generated content (UGC) to increase monthly sales.

Enhanced brand engagement by capturing and curating content at tradeshows and popup events and promoting on social media.

Collaborated with social agency on their Instagram content mapping and briefed on upcoming monthly promotions and initiatives.

​

​

​​​

Oversaw digital strategy, media promotion, and reporting for 12 national scholarship campaigns.

Led scholarship programs, overseeing agreements, marketing strategies, web promotion, and judge coordination, allocating over $1M in funds for beauty school students and licensed professionals annually.

Produced scholarship reports for donors and the Board of Directors to compare month-over-month program success and applicant metrics.

Built ambassador team of 40 influencers and oversaw the organization’s social media channels; grew Instagram following by +200% YoY (3k to 20k).

Created video and graphic design elements for organization's social media channels and ambassador team.

Surged Beauty Changes Lives’ scholarship applicants +242% YoY from October 2018–2019 from 168 to 575.

​​

Directed editorial, influencer, and social media marketing campaigns for 30+ professional beauty client accounts.​

Authored and reviewed articles on formulas, colors, and trends, emphasizing technical accuracy, conciseness, and clarity.

Managed and coached 5 editors and oversaw digital press article copywriting, ensuring accurate and compelling storytelling. ​

Utilized influencer marketing platforms for strategically planned content activations.

Collaborated with the Creative Department on supporting digital graphics for onsite content and client campaigns.

Attended client popup events and featured product launches on Instagram.

​​

​

Managed digital campaigns and reporting for 30+ professional beauty brands.

Guided Creative Department in designing successful digital marketing banner assets to support client advertising campaigns.

Strategized with Editorial Team on developing digital press features, print advertorials, and on-location event coverage for clients.

Outlined invoicing schedule with the Accounting Department for all client advertising contracts.

Reported monthly digital client campaign results, involving social media insights, website article views, and email open/CTRs to all client accounts.

​

​

​

Internships

Supported sales promotions, marketing collateral development, and product knowledge communication for both Inside and Outside Sales teams.

Partnered with the Marketing Department to produce bi-monthly sales catalogs, coordinate events, and manage targeted direct mail campaigns for Outside Sales.

Oversaw social media strategy and execution, analyzing post performance through benchmarking to optimize engagement.

Assisted in planning and coordination of the Chicago Style Show at the Park West and W Hotel, welcoming over 400 participants.

Supported the Midwest launch campaign by coordinating locally focused Chicago events and engaging prospects and customers through targeted phone and email outreach.

Assisted in planning and executing a high-profile launch event at Y-Bar with 200 attendees.

Collaborated on a corporate braid bar activation at Coyote Logistics (80 participants).

Helped organize and facilitate a public promotional event at Shervan Salon, attracting 100 participants.

Salon Experience

Education

Technical Skills/Programs

Adobe Premiere Pro, Asana, Attentive, Brevo, Canva, Click Up, Figma, Google Analytics, Inﬂuenster, Klaviyo, Later.com, Mailchimp, Microsoft Oﬃce Suite, Refersion Affiliate Marketing, Shopify, Sprout Social, SmartSheet, Submittable, Type Form, Thought Industries, Wix, WordPress.

Testimonials

Directed editorial, influencer, and social media marketing campaigns for 30+ professional beauty client accounts.

Managed and coached 5 editors and oversaw digital press article copywriting, ensuring accurate and compelling storytelling.