University of Minnesota

Accidental Brand Strategist  -  #1 International Bestselling Author  -  Building Brands That Win More Work®

Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States

BUILDING BRANDS THAT WIN MORE WORK®

Business is a conversation, not a transaction. Yet many organizations struggle to create conversations that convert. Clarify your brand message and create compelling, common ground with your target audiences, so they ultimately buy from you versus the competition.

MY APPROACH

My work is based on the belief that brand is the path of least resistance to revenue. I have helped more than 200 organizations across 20 sectors build brands that win more work through a proprietary approach that is:

Singular >> Many agencies are Jacks of All Trades but Masters of None. I eagerly stay in my lane with all things brand to provide you the best possible outcomes that will improve your business.

Transparent >> Branding is a serious investment. I skip the monthly fees and hidden agendas to provide fixed pricing with a clear scope of work so you can make an informed buying decision.

Fast >> Time is of the essence when it comes to hitting your revenue goals. I am quick and agile, collaboratively partnering with you to refine every piece of your brand in only a few weeks.

Actionable >> Your message means nothing if it isn’t heard and seen. I show you how to implement your brand across print, digital, and face-to-face channels so it delivers real results.

Educational >> Knowledge is a powerful tool for growth. I leverage a 20+ page Brand Playbook to teach you the why and how of building your brand as a part of a winning business strategy.

Kate DiLeo Branding

Brand Architect

I am honored to partner with Expert Dojo's cohorts, teaching startups how to build brands that win more work.

Expert Dojo

Mentor / Workshop Speaker

I am honored to partner with NYU Tandon Future Lab's cohorts, teaching startups how to build brands that win more work.

VentureFuel

I am honored to partner with UMSL's Accelerate program, in particular their Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Accelerator, teaching their cohort companies how to build brands that win more work.

UMSL Accelerate

I am honored to partner with FedTech's Startup Studio and Accelerator cohorts, teaching startups how to build brands that win more work.

FedTech

I am honored to partner with George Washington University's Summer Startup Accelerator program, teaching companies how to build brands that win more work.

The George Washington University

NYU Tandon Future labs

I am honored to partner with BETA's cohorts, teaching startups how to build brands that win more work.

BETA

I am honored to be an official partner and mentor to Stadia Venture's cohorts, teaching their companies how to build brands that win more work.

Stadia Ventures

Official Partner & Mentor

- Crafted the organization’s annual learning and development strategy while ensuring alignment with company's brand and overarching people development strategy
-  Researched, designed, and dynamically implemented effective learning methods to build the knowledge, skills, and competencies of our employees tied to brand and people development strategies
-  Created appropriate checks and balances that fostered leadership and employee accountability and ensures all tactics appropriately aligned with and bolstered the organization's brand philosophy
-  Collaborated with business units to assess organizational development needs and manage top-to-bottom training solutions through the effective prioritization, planning, procurement, and delivery of learning and development programming
-  Identified and procured the best training approach for the breadth of training topics needed throughout the organization, whether that’s self-administered with the development of custom curriculum, or by leveraging external training resources
-  Ensured effective tracking and measurement of training effectiveness, engagement, brand alignment, and skills adoption
-  Spearheaded the analysis of key training and development metrics to glean themes, problem-solve, and develop a point of view on how to continually drive improvement
-  Supported onboarding and retention & engagement of new hires through the coordination, communication, and tactical deployment of onboarding programming
-  Aided operational effectiveness through training support for enterprise-level training initiatives such as Lean process improvements, leadership skills, as well as systems and software initiatives
-  Engaged key internal stakeholders to develop a company-wide learning roadmap outlining optimal delivery approaches and prioritization for various enterprise-level training topics, including Lean tools, software & technologies, leadership skills, and core processes

McGough

Learning & Development Leader

- Managed company website and created a website enhancement roadmap, including ongoing content creation; SEO refinements; Google Analytics and local search maintenance; social media presence; and overall functionality improvements
-  Refined company's brand enhancement roadmap and supporting communication strategies to foster cultural adoption of key brand messaging and integration of brand messaging into external-facing marketing initiatives
-  Created company's human development and training programming, materials, and processes in alignment with brand values and culture priorities
-  Produced and refined a variety of tools and processes that supported company Lean initiatives, such as standard work, value stream mapping, and 5S protocols
-  Developed and rolled out company intranet platform and digital communications strategy in alignment with brand and culture development strategies and goals
-  Researched and wrote case studies, white papers, and proof points to substantiate the company’s brand pillars and value proposition
-  Formalized company’s customer satisfaction process to garner insights on impact of company outcomes and brand presence in the market
-  Developed, rolled out, and supported new sales and branding tools to the broader company population, ensuring cohesion in representing the brand inside and outside the organization

Initiative Manager

- Led and facilitated digital marketing projects for clients, including brand strategy and development, website design and development, PPC, e-mail marketing, SEO, and social media management
-  Educated clients on the how and why of deployed digital marketing initiatives, to ensure they could make smarter marketing decisions
-  Developed brand strategies and supporting advertising copy to increase conversions and client ROI for digital marketing initiatives
-  Managed client projects from start to finish, making the process easy and rewarding with excellent communication and follow-through

PureDriven

Client Relationship Manager / Project Manager

- Managed the sales and marketing for three lines of business in conjunction with internal departments and external partners to ensure revenue goals and overhead expenditures were on par with expectations
-  Coordinated and conducted sales development training to external partners and internal staff, ensuring all sales and marketing messaging was on-brand and created the path of least resistance for relationship building and revenue generation
-  Assisted professionals in the creation of a personal brand, including resume review and edits, individualized learning plans, and the development of key messaging to position them well in the marketplace so they could find their next role
-  Partnered with organizations in their learning and development strategies by providing individualized support for each student seeking to enhance their skills and be more productive in their role
-  Developed, branded, and implemented a new education offering, LearnBlocks, a which fostered a new learning environment and classroom experience that allowed students to learn the skills they need and get back to work
-  Helped individuals meet their personal career development goals, such as new skills acquisition, certification, and other competencies they were seeking in order to better their position and provide further value to their organizations