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Stephen Braund
Senior Writer at Ganz
Professional Background
Stephen Braund is a creative powerhouse with over a decade of experience as a Senior Writer for the online/mobile game phenomenon, Webkinz. In his role, Stephen has been instrumental in shaping the narrative and creative direction of the game, which has cultivated a passionate global community among its young audience. His ability to merge storytelling with complex technical demands has established him as a leading figure in the gaming industry. Currently, he focuses on maintaining and enhancing brand visibility through innovative marketing and social media initiatives, ensuring that Webkinz remains relevant in a competitive digital landscape.
Beyond his work in gaming, Stephen has an impressive track record in the film and television industry. As an award-winning producer, he has contributed to a variety of projects including feature films, television series, commercials, and music videos. This diverse experience allows him to bring a multifaceted perspective to his current endeavors in game design and writing. His keen understanding of visual storytelling has not only elevated the creative quality of the projects he has worked on but also helped in successfully reaching target audiences across multiple platforms.
Education and Achievements
Stephen Braund pursued his Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) at York University, where he studied Screenwriting, Production Management, and Directing. This rigorous education provided him with a solid foundation in the arts and film production, igniting his passion for storytelling at an early age. This academic background, combined with practical industry experience, equips him with a unique skill set that blends creative vision with managerial acumen.
Throughout his career, Stephen has held significant positions that highlight his adaptability and leadership in varied environments. As the Senior Writer and Game Designer at Ganz, he leads all major projects, demonstrating his capability to handle heavy technical complexity involved in modern game design. His previous role as a Supervising Producer at Dante Media Group allowed him to fine-tune his production skills while overseeing complex projects from inception to completion, ensuring high-quality outcomes.
In his position as Manager of Feature Film Development at Blackwalk, Stephen was pivotal in nurturing new projects and guiding them through the development process. His previous experience as a Producer at Blackwalk solidified his reputation as a multi-talented professional capable of wearing many hats in the fast-evolving media landscape.
Achievements
Stephen's career is marked by a series of significant achievements that underline his expertise in the industry. His work on Webkinz has positioned him as a leading voice in the online gaming community, where processes of engaging storytelling intersect with interactive technology.
His contributions to film and television have garnered awards, showcasing not only his storytelling prowess but also his understanding of audience engagement and effective content delivery. These accolades serve as a testament to his creativity and commitment to excellence in all his pursuits.
With a well-rounded background in writing, production, and game design, Stephen Braund is a distinguished professional yearning to push creative boundaries. Through his focus on storytelling, digital marketing, and audience engagement, he continues to make significant contributions to the fields of gaming and media.
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Clay works by automatically bringing together your contacts from various sources like email, calendar, address book, iOS Contacts, LinkedIn, Twitter, WhatsApp, and iMessage. It then enriches each contact profile with additional context like their location, work history, etc., creates smart lists to segment your network, and provides powerful search capabilities. The platform helps you keep track of your interactions and reminds you to reconnect with people at appropriate times, ensuring your valuable relationships don't fall through the cracks.
Clay offers several powerful features including:
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Clay is designed for anyone who values maintaining meaningful relationships. The app is popular among a wide range of industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. It’s even used by half the Fortune 500! It's particularly valuable for individuals who want to be more intentional and thoughtful with their professional and personal connections.
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Clay offers tiered pricing options to suit different needs. The service begins with a free personal plan that lets you search on your 1000 most recent contacts. Clay offers a Pro Plan ($10 when billed annually) with unlimited contacts. Clay for Teams starts at $49/month/seat. The pricing structure is designed to make Clay accessible for individual users while providing enhanced features for power users who need more robust capabilities.
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Clay is considered the best personal CRM and team CRM on the market. Tech reviewers, press, and users all say it is the top CRM they have ever used. Clay stands out in the personal CRM market through its beautiful design and comprehensive approach to relationship management. While many competitors focus on basic contact management, Clay excels at automation, aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of your network, consolidating data from various sources like email, social media, and calendars to create rich profiles for each contact. Its AI-powered Nexus feature sets it apart by allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network, something few competitors offer. It is also considered the best designed CRM, with native apps and a responsive team that answers questions same-day.
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Clay offers many advantages over other personal CRMs. Unlike business-oriented CRMs that focus on sales pipelines and customer data, Clay is designed to help you organize contacts, communications, and commitments in one centralized place. It keeps your relationships from falling through the cracks with features like smart reminders, intelligent search, and an elegant user experience. Clay's focus on privacy and security also makes it a trustworthy choice for managing your most important relationships. Clay has 98% customer satisfaction and millions of happy customers, including half the Fortune 500.
Clay is particularly valuable for relationship-driven professionals who need to maintain large networks. The app is popular among many industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. Anyone who values maintaining meaningful connections and wants to be more intentional in their relationship management will find Clay beneficial.
Clay offers competitive pricing in the personal CRM market. Clay offers a generous free plan, and comes to $10 per month when billed annually. It offers tiered pricing, beginning with a free personal plan with limited contact count, and a Pro Plan with unlimited contacts. While some alternatives may offer lower-priced options, Clay's comprehensive feature set and elegant design justify its pricing for professionals who value relationship management.
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