David Johnson Resume

PROFILE

Diverse creative and technical professional with experience in a suite of design and marketing skills. 7 years of experience managing the content and technical requirements for a Nashville company conducting business locally and around the globe. Extensive background in devising engaging ideas, applying advanced imaging skills, writing targeted copy, interacting with legions of media followers, and creating mountains of website content.

"Dave brought with him the incredible wealth of knowledge in marketing, internet know-how and graphic design that our company desperately needed. Through his guidance, World Music Nashville tripled its internet business within a month of hiring him. He learned our content management system and redesigned our web site to a much more fluid and easily navigable site. His posters and artwork directed customers to the many events and promotions, that he helped put into motion, and was responsible for the successes of many of our manufacturer events and Student Concerts. Dave was also solely responsible for developing WMN's now-extensive mailing list. Social networking developed as well under Dave's guidance.
     All-in-all, business surged with the addition of Dave Johnson. The only caution that I can give to any of Dave's future employers is that you resist the urge to NOT listen to Dave. Take in everything that he has to say because he doesn't make this stuff up as he goes. His strategies are extremely well thought out and he puts an insane amount of his own free time into devising them. Dave is, simply, a marketing guru. His networking abilities are incredible as he can talk and befriend anyone he wishes. He has the pulse of people and potential customers. Also, and most importantly, I know of no other person as loyal as Dave (aside from me, of course) as an employee. He has the experience to get things done in a fast and efficient manner. All he needs from any employer or client is trust and input. If he has those two things, Dave can bring ANY business beyond the next level.
      If you wish to speak to me about this referral, please feel free to call or email me."

Jonathan Varo ~ Fender Musical Instr. Corp.
Manager, World Music Nashville - 9 yrs.

Mr. Varo's full contact info, the full reference letter, and additional references are available upon request.

TECHNICAL ABILITIES

(in no order of priority)

- Advanced Graphic Design
- Advanced Photoshop Wizardry
- Digital and Print Advertising
- Print Production
- Website Design
- Website Operations Mgmt
- Web Content Creation
- Social Media Content & Advertising
- HTML Email Marketing & Design
- Research, Reports, Analysis
- Strong Copywriting & Copy Editing
- CMS, E-commerce, HTML, CSS,
- SEO, C-panel, phpMyAdmin, FTP
- Photography, Video Editing
- Digital & Analog Audio
- Dedicated Branding Watchdog
- MAC man with PC cred
- Audio, Video, Photography Gear
- Adobe Creative Suite
- Microsoft Office Suite
- Joomla!, Wordpress
- Logic, Final Cut Pro
- too much software to list!

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

MultiMedia Designer & Copywriter

Johnson Creative Media - Nashville, 2015 and currently
Consulting & producing work in:

• Print & Digital Graphic Design.
• Photoshopping new realities from scattered pieces.
• Creative Copywriting with a precise target in mind.
• Web Content Creation & Website Design.

All disciplines intertwined and wrapped with SEO, modern Social Media Madness, and Marketing Psychology's insights into the common traits and reactions of people across geographical, cultural and economic boundaries.

Marketing & Internet Manager - Graphic Designer

World Music - Nashville, 2008 - 2015 (3 Businesses)
Brick & Mortar Music Retailer w-Ecommerce / Lesson Teaching Center / Live Performance Theatre

• Sole creator of the company’s communications and marketing content for products, services, and live music and entertainment events.
• Performed: multi-discipline visual design, copywriting, website tech work and website content creation, email marketing, social media, database administration, international e-commerce sales, community networking and event hosting.
• Created all advertising concepts and graphic designs for local and national publications and just about every possible marketing vehicle. Included: event posters, websites, magazine and newspaper ads, social media, digital highway billboard signs, large window signage, brochures, mailers, bumper stickers, banners, tee-shirts, and too many other items to list. I have the ability to apply advanced Photoshop skills to make everyone and everything look better! Photoshopping images into something beautiful and wholly unexpected is a specialty.
• Performing complex multilayered, non-linear, video and audio editing is also in my toolbox.
• Wrote all copy for press releases, articles, social media, html email newsletters, advertisements & more.
• Shot product, portrait and situational photography for the web and print-work.
• Built and administered technical, creative, & content requirements for three distinct and beautiful websites. Researched and wrote all articles/blogs. All graphics custom made. Photographed products, researched and wrote product content. Upon backup the main website consisted of over twenty-thousand files. Communicated with customers and stakeholders from across the country and around the globe. Images showing the websites as they appeared under my administration can be found on my website. The company was sold in the 2nd half of 2016, is in flux, and their current presence is not associated with my work.
• Administered high-volume email and social media promotions. Wrote enticing copy, created eye-catching graphics, ran paid digital advertising, analyzed results, and bantered back and forth with new and current followers to drive up interactions. Expanded social media following and email list exponentially. Both our targeted customer audience and business partners commented on how much they enjoyed both the written and visual style of my work. As you learn more about me, you will discover a fun loving soul who loves to connect with people and who finds no greater joy than in helping others.
• Imagined and conducted clever interactive contests and giveaways.
• World Music is a local company. Amid strong, long-held owner apprehensions regarding expanding into international markets, I researched, devised, and implemented a plan to open the company to clients across the world. These operations alleviated company anxiety and protected the company from the pitfalls of international trade. The word “World” in World Music is now accurate. Under my supervision the company has transacted business with customers in the United Kingdom, Norway, Sweden, Spain, France, Germany, Australia, Canada, and Singapore to name a few. The vast majority of communication and service with these happy clients came from my keyboard. I can navigate very complex and delicate situations with impressive efficiency!
• Although the company firmly believed it could not be done, my initiatives resulted in W.M. receiving both its first Nashville SCENE - Best of Nashville Award and first Top 100 Dealers in America Award. There are approx. 4,000 dealers in the U.S.

Web Design & Graphics Teacher

ProTrain Institute - Oakhurst, 2006 - 2007
Prior to relocating to Nashville I was a full-time classroom teacher.

• Took charge of a faltering course curriculum with serious implications hanging over its head and turned it into a popular learning environment.
• Deftly managed a room full of budding designers and their computers.
• Taught a 300-hour Certification curriculum. WYSIWYG and hand coding.
• Received exceptional written reviews from the students.

Distribution / Marketing / Graphics

C.C.J. Inc. - N.Milford, 2000 - 2005

• National marketing for a hearing protection product for musicians. Distribution and sales.
• Copywriting, graphic design and production of custom marketing materials.
• Clients included large store chains like Sam Ash Music, Guitar Center, and Long & McQuade, plus local retailers.

Lecturer

Videomaker Magazine - part time - 2002 & 2003

• Taught seminars on the recording, editing & effecting of digital audio for video at the East Coast Expositions for this national publication.
• Received written rave reviews from attendees and invitations to write for the magazine from the Videomaker staff.

Audio/Sales/Design

L.B. Recording Studios, pre-Nashville

• Commercial music and voiceover recording studio.
• Conducted sales presentations, negotiated with artists, producers, and suppliers.
• Designed Ads & Wrote Copy.
• Placed media buys.
• Extensive music technology and music production skills are in my bag of tricks.

EDUCATION

School of Professional Education, Ocean County College
- Enhanced Web Master Certification
- Web Developer Certification
- Applied Managerial Skills Certification
Website Design, Web Coding, Web Graphics, Web Animation - Flash Actionscripting, db Admin, +

Brookdale College
Computer Graphics / Web / Marketing   4.0 of 4.0 GPA   Phi Theta Kappa
- Studied digital graphics, web design & code, marketing & advertising

Monmouth University  
- Bachelor of Fine Arts Major, Drawing, Painting, Art History, 3-D Design & Photography

Kindergarten, Madonna School 
- My love for the arts began here!

MUSIC CRED

Do I have any musical experience or ability? Can I truly relate to and empathize with the musicians, music production people, and musical techs who populate your clientele? Well yes, I certainly have had some experience in their shoes.

Like many in Nashville, I have written music and lyrics and performed as an acoustic guitar playing singer-songwriter. Yet, that is only a small portion of my meandering journey through music land! I have no claim to fame or success, but I have played in bands as a drummer, as a singer, performed solo - singing and playing piano, and worked in a recording studio - tracking and mixing. As a kid, I sang in a big vocal group, and even took a stab at the trumpet. Trumpet and metal braces - terrible match!

In the distant past, I've slept with my big drumset in rough and gross places to take on any opportunity to play. I understand the pressures on both sides of the recording studio glass. I anxiously lined up for open blues jam nights and songwriter cattle calls. I have laughed through all the starving musician calamities one might come across. And of course I mortgaged a little chunk of my soul in those early days to buy the cool equipment every music gearhead has to own. You could say I'm more than, shall we say, "into music".

As far as music gear goes, I've owned anywhere from multiple items to stacks of items from every single department in the largest music stores. I'm no world class expert on any category, but my eyes pop wide open as I read audio and music magazines like they were a Playboy mag. I know a bit about subjects ranging from tube mic pres, analog compressors & vintage tube mics, to acoustic guitars, lunchbox-size guitar heads & digital audio interfaces. I've wired a 400 point patchbay, studied books on room acoustics, and I can explain what sinker redwood is, or illustrate the difference between a semi-parametric and a fully parametric EQ. Of course I was at NAMM again this year right from the Pre-Namm opening party at Soundcheck.

Nowadays I spend part of my spare time watching YouTube instruction videos to improve my guitar skills. I'm hoping to eventually justify the purchase of one very expensive guitar!

Playing guitars, at the piano, lead vocal mic in hand, using my drums as a balancing device, and building a recording studio (that's my board).

 Dave's 7th year pic at World Music  - w/ Corey - (drumhead design D.A.J.)

How Can You Use My Potential:

I am available for any opportunities where you may have good use for the abilities listed above. I am also happy to consider opportunities that would require me to attempt wholly different skills and "situations". I love an adventure and a challenge. Anything short of going on the road with the Circus could be great fun. My interests are broad! If you have a promising situation where you believe you can use any part of my smarts, creativity, smoozability, or technical acumen, feel free to tell me about it. I learn fairly quick!

Here is the very short list of what would not be a match for my skills. While I have web code abilities, I am not a full-out computer programmer. Work that is for serious, nose in the code guys, is not a match for my training. Second, please no offers to sell something on commission purely at my expense. Thanks!

Call me on my cell here in Nashville, or send work related inquires to the following email address.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Cell: 848-404-6224
Email: davejohnsonmedia@gmail.com

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