ABOUT
SAM

I'm a marketing strategist, educator, and speaker based in Chicago.

I've spent 12+ years at the intersection of culture and commerce, shaping marketing strategy on the brand side for Red Bull, Walgreens, Synchrony, and more. Today, I write a Substack called 2x, teach marketing as an adjunct professor at Miami University, and work with people who need a sharper read on what their audience is doing.

I studied journalism at the University of Missouri, which probably explains why I think about marketing the way I do: start with the audience, not the message.

Whether I'm in a 1:1 strategy session or a team workshop, my job is the same: name what's happening, make it useful, and help people decide what to do next. I'm direct, opinionated, and comfortable being wrong in public. I learn by doing, not lecturing.

Outside of work, I'm usually hunting for notes in early 20th-century books, cooking something new, reading memoirs, or hanging out with my rescue dog, Crunch (the official office admin).