MARKETING LEADER. STORYTELLER. DATA NERD. TRAVELER.
SAMANTHA MCGINNIS
You don't sell products. You sell solutions to people's problems
Everything we put in front of a customer helps them make progress from point A to point B. It's my job to identify what those customers want, how they feel, and how your brand solves their problem. Then, we'll put the right message in front of your customer at the right time to surprise, delight, and create brand advocates.
Your story isn't about you.
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It's about how you made your customer feel.​
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I'm here to help you tell that story. With experience in telling fundraising stories to inspire donors to give and understand the impact of a program and experience in customer interviewing and video production, I know how to get your customers talking.
Data is everything. Until it's not.
I'm equal parts creative and analytical. I have the skills to dig into the data, understand where we need to make a change, and develop the strategy and tactics to solve it.
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But sometimes, we need to do what feels right. The return on updated branding or sending a little something extra to make your customers feels loved might not show up in the data. That's where creative intuition comes in.
DON'T JUST TAKE MY WORD FOR IT ...
Sarah Szuba
Colleague at Context Travel
"As her accolades indicate, Sam is smart, adaptable and hardworking. She embraces learning opportunities with enthusiasm, competence and commitment. She brings good humor and empathy to all her interactions. She motivates her peers to be their best and do their best. And applies her skills in ways that benefits others ... I could go on, but what you need to know most is this: you want Sam on your team. I sure do!
Julia Hornaday
Supervisor at First Book
Rachel Czezewski
Colleague at Context Travel
I had the pleasure of working with Samantha, and I can confidently say that she is one of the most creative and innovative marketing professionals I’ve worked with. She consistently brings fresh, out-of-the-box ideas to the table and approaches every challenge with an open mind and a positive attitude... If you're looking for someone who combines talent, creativity, and a collaborative spirit, Samantha is the person you want on your team.
I can confidently say that she is one of the most dedicated professionals I’ve worked with. As a key member of the marketing team, Samantha consistently demonstrated a unique blend of strategic thinking and tactical execution, making her an invaluable asset to our efforts.
She was instrumental in shaping our customer journey, meticulously planning and refining every touchpoint with exceptional attention to detail. Her dedication went above and beyond—she was always ready to step in and support other projects, even staying up until midnight on Black Friday to ensure everything ran smoothly. Her commitment and reliability were unmatched.
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GET TO KNOW ME
Storyteller.
Creative with an Analytic Mind.
Enthusiastic and Sunny (even during chaos.)
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Want to grow your business or retain more customers? Reach them through organic channels? I’m a marketing and communications leader who centers people and customers with experience leading creative campaigns and strategies for increased engagement, retention, LTV, and and revenue for companies. ​I lead with an emotive, storytelling approach to help brands find their voice, tell their story, and engage with key audiences in a way that inspires and keeps reminding them why they come back.
I learned from my roles in fundraising that we must surprise, delight, and thank our customers along the way. And my background in nonprofit program design makes me obsessed with understanding customer motivations and communicating the right message at the right time. Plus, you're just as likely to find me rolling up my sleeves to create an email as you are finding me mapping out a new lifecycle or content strategy.
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Are you a mission-driven business or nonprofit? I have 6 years of experience in non-profit storytelling, fundraising, data analysis, and monitoring and evaluation. Together, we'll tell your story in a way that affects your audiences, slays your fundraising goals, and collects your program data in a way that allows us to prove you accomplished what you set out to do. ​
Need to achieve a lot, quickly? An attention for detail and ability to wear many hats allows me produce consistent, high-quality work in an environment of ever-changing priorities and deadlines. Plus, I’m a rare combination of a creative and a data nerd — so my strategies are grounded in past learnings and number-driven growth goals as I envision visually compelling and affecting content and advertising.
A skilled and organized project manager, I take a relationship-driven approach to everyone I work with — from my employees, brand partners, and cross-functional teammates. I using my background in social sciences research to lead with curiosity and empathy to get to the heart of team growth.
RECENT WORK EXPERIENCE
SENIOR LIFECYCLE MARKETING MANAGER
Context Travel
June 2022 - Present
Travel changes lives. Through it we can see the humanness in every person and learn the hidden stories behind cities and those who live in them. Context Travel provides transformative experiences in over 60 countries that connect travelers authentically with the places they visit. As Senior Lifecycle Marketing Manager, I oversee a two-person team to ensure new and returning customers have an excellent experience throughout their customer journey from the messaging they hear along the marketing funnel, to how they feel part of a community of intentional travelers. I also ensure we continue to grow through guiding strategy for our organic channels: email, content SEO, organic social, influencer and affiliate partnerships, and grassroots marketing. I drive growth for our business while ensure we're telling a compelling and creative story that customers can connect to and reminds them why they keep coming back.
MANAGER, CONTIUUM STRATEGY
Teach For America Colorado
May 2021- June 2022
Going back to my communications and marketing roots, this role allowed me to have a different kind of impact at Teach for America. How do you create community and communicate to members in a way that keeps them engaged and excited? How do you run a teacher training for over 100 new teachers virtually? I was able to change the way we communicated with our corps members in a way that increased event attendance and improved satisfaction metrics for the region. I also honed my ability to work cross-functionally and persuasively as I put more structures in place to help the team track and prove their impact.
MANAGER, GRANTS AND STRATEGIC EVALUATION
Teach For America Colorado
July 2017 - May 2021
Working to ensure every child has access to an excellent education, this role allowed me to combine my skills in fundraising and communications through grant writing and my skills in data analysis and program evaluation as I implement integrated data collection and monitoring and evalution practices for the program's team operating in Denver's high-need schools. I crafted compelling written proposals and pitches to match the drivers behind each funder's potential gift and helped the organization exceed its fundraising goal each year — even during a pandemic.
COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR
First Book
March 2014 - August 2016
My work on content marketing, market research, and annual fundraising campaigns at this social enterprise sparked my passion for education, closing opportunity gaps, and the value of a good story to communicate an organization's ability to fulfill it's mission. I was able to think creatively and showcase the organization's impact through written and visual mediums while partnering with other non-profits, corporations, and thought leaders within the education space to further our reach.
EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE
MA, INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Josef Korbel School of International Studies, University of Denver.
Denver, CO
June 2018
Concentrations in International Project Cycle, Gender, and Latin America
BA, INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
University of North Carolina - Asheville
Asheville, NC
June 2011
Concentration in International Development and Spanish
LET'S CONNECT
Get in touch and let's create real, measurable impact together.
