Career Summary
Phone: 847-770-5973 | Email: jimcsmylie@gmail.com
Created SEO- and research-driven blog posts, articles, and downloadable materials for a variety of clients across the manufacturing, agriculture, technology, and transportation sectors.
Assembled knowledge through focused interviews with SMEs around AI and automation’s effects on domains ranging from food supply chains to financial regulations.
Built content calendars in close cooperation with clients and sales team members, leading to thousands of additional registrations for North America’s largest industrial automation conference.
Developed weekly emails to prospects and subscribers, boosting readership on existing articles by 25% and resulting in hundreds of new registrations.
Produced 10+ long- and short-form videos in partnership with visual designers and video editors, leading each project from initial storyboarding through final release.
Composed high-performing, analytics-informed copy for Instagram, LinkedIn, X, TikTok, and Facebook, as well as paid advertisements on Google.
SENIOR Copywriter
LoSasso Integrated Marketing, Chicago, IL
March 2023–February 2024
Developed custom learning solutions for 7 business sectors through research and client interviews.
Identified resources and 5+ subject matter experts for the first large scale SAP system integration project to help clients pivot from classrooms to virtual training.
Maintained a digital banking course, leading to reduced training time from 90 days in-person to a few hours online, removing the need for travel and improving other Instructor-Led Training (ILT) logistics.
Led a team of 3 programmers and designers to script and build a self-paced, 1-hour course for company-wide training, structuring it for use in ILT with minimal alterations.
Rebuilt and improved a food service client’s training materials, condensing a 50-slide ILT presentation into 25 interactive digital "cards,” reducing sessions from a half-day to 35 minutes, resulting in repeat business and a request for another 10-15 cards.
Built training from scratch for telecommunications client’s new mobile service line within 3 months.
Collaborated with team of 5-7 designers, programmers and partners from other service lines.
Trained and mentored 6 new hires regarding content production and quality assurance.
Aided in development of new best practices following EY’s acquisition of NogginLabs.
SENIOR CONTENT DEVELOPER
EY, Chicago, IL
November 2018-February 2023
CONTENT PRODUCER
NogginLabs, Chicago, IL
January 2018-November 2018
Generated research-heavy, SEO-driven informative content.
Obtained hard-to-find details of regional grocery chain promotions through a combination of cold calling and online research.
CoNTRIBUTOR
First Quarter Finance, Remote
May 2017–June 2017
Wrote and produced voiceover for television and radio commercials, reducing marketing expenditures.
Revitalized sales at the Green Bay location by co-leading the rebranding initiatives.
Built relationships with local businesses via grassroots marketing, cold calling and emails.
Tripled the number of followers on Twitter and Facebook pages through direct engagement with local institutions and contests.
Maintained and improved engagement with 100+ E-Club members via weekly email blasts.
Marketing associate
O'Brien International, Skokie, IL
2012-2017
Wrote all copy on SmylieBros.com.
Addressed customer complaints on Yelp and Facebook leading to changed reviews.
Writer
Smylie Brothers Brewing Company, Evanston, IL
2013-2017
Collaborated with a dedicated creative team in various roles on over 80 comedic sketches.
Co-wrote and performed in 22-minute sitcom pilot.
Writer, editor, producer, performer
PlanetTown Films, Chicago, IL
2012-2017
Directed tech-heavy show from casting to production over 2-month period.
Co-wrote and performed in 12 comedy sketch shows.
Produced and edited video and audio content.
Writer, editor, performer
Clown Car to Sicily, Chicago, IL
2011-2017
Built relationships with neighboring businesses’ employees, improving sales.
Supervised tight-knit, effective teams at Glencoe and Evanston locations.
Engaged in effective teamwork at all locations.
Received multiple MUG awards for customer service.
Shift Supervisor, Barista
Starbucks Coffee Company,
Glencoe, Evanston, Chicago, IL
2007-2012
Composed hundreds of posts as over 50 unique “users” on http://www.elumaforum.com, driving customer engagement.
Researched message board personalities and used latest e-cigarette information to heighten realism of posts.
Copywriter
Eluma E-Cigarettes, Chicago, IL
August-October 2011
Promoted Nike’s SPARQ initiative via conversational “magalogue” copy.
Took initiative to find sources within Nike for research purposes, comparing and contrasting SPARQ with other training programs.
Writer
Dick's Sporting Goods, Remote
April-May 2007
Reviewed Japanese animation and comic books.
Wrote news pieces about latest trends in Japanese animation.
blogger
Japanator.com, Remote
January 2007-January 2008
Education
Second city training center
Improvisational Comedy, 2009
Musical Improvisational Comedy, 2010
iO Training Center
Improvisational Comedy, 2011
drake university
Bachelor of Arts in Magazine Journalism, 2006