TreeHouse Foods

Communications Manager, Social and Digital Engagement

Patina Solutions

Communications Consultant

Karen Nicholas Communications

Freelance Writer & Communications Professional

Millig Design Build

I recruited and onboarded new employees and created various communication pieces to increase employee engagement. I created a Human Resources department and established internal communications best practices. I helped plan events and contributed to our marketing communications efforts.

Director of Communications & Employee Relations

Willdan Performance Engineering 

I provided communication strategy, developed content for both internal and external audiences and recruited new employees for our division. 

I created targeted communications to ensure employee engagement. I identified new ways to improve and innovate our internal and external communication practices and channels, including monthly update meetings, a branded Medium.com site, video communications, etc. 

I also recruited, hired, and onboarded new employees. I focused on furthering initiatives around Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, particularly in the hiring, recruiting, and onboarding process.

Communications & Talent Acquisition Manager

I designed presentations to share critical findings with clients, focusing on simplicity and client engagement. I also helped package our data into consumable content such as charts, graphs, etc.

University of Kansas

As the first communications person for the IT Department, I created and oversaw all communication efforts, including communications planning, crisis communications, and copywriting. I developed internal communication strategies and materials to support new launches, programs, and processes. 

I distilled complex, technical information into simple, digestible, and actional messages for diverse internal audiences, including students, faculty, and staff.  I also built relationships with other departments and team members to ensure seamless launches of new technologies and programs.

IT Communications & Media Relations Manager

David Evans and Associates, Inc.

As the first person in my role,  I created and executed a media relations program – including pitching media, writing press releases, ghostwriting bylines, and submitting applications for various awards. I ensured our external messages were consistent with our internal messages and focused my efforts on telling DEA’s brand story. 

I developed media pitches and articles to attract and engage with new talent through employee profiles in publications, company culture articles, and Best Places to Work awards. We were ranked on Fortune’s 100 Best Places to Work during my time in this role. 

I engaged with senior leadership and colleagues on media outreach opportunities and provided media training, including crisis communications guidance. 

I also assisted in various internal communications efforts, including contributions to internal newsletters and employee communication pieces.

Media Relations Manager

Edelman

Account Supervisor

Special Olympics Texas

Public Relations Coordinator

Corporate Communications | Writer | Employee & Internal Communications - Helping companies engage with their employees and clients

In our current remote/hybrid work environment, engaging and communicating with employees has never been more challenging – or essential. Creating an environment for employees to be the best versions of themselves is not only a cultural win – it’s also a business win.

A Gallup "State of the Workplace" report found that when employees are engaged at work, profitability increases by 21%. Yet, this same report shared that 65% of employees aren’t engaged at work.

We spend a lot of time talking “at” people – not necessarily “to” them. My goal isn’t just to communicate a message. My goal is to ensure those messages are delivered and digested by the audience. It’s also my responsibility to provide executive guidance and direction when messages aren’t the right voice and fit for the audience.

With a background in media relations, editorial content creation, internal communications and employee relations, I bring a range of creative skills and experience to any position. Communicating with employees and partners can be a company's greatest strength rather than its biggest weakness.

Karen Nicholas

KAS Concepts

KAS Concepts supports leaders to strategically align learning to drive organizational growth.

Whether building a learning strategy, lining out training processes or standing up training teams, KAS can guide you through the process. 

KAS also exists to support the trainer's themselves to design, develop and deliver training that doesn't suck through it's line of No Boring Training products & services.

Founder

igus Inc.

Created and built out first ever learning & development department and processes for North American operations supporting 500+ colleagues across all disciplines in the organization 

Key Accomplishments
* Aligned learning to business strategy to implement customized learning approaches tied to business outcomes
* Led team organizing end user training of new enterprise software roll out to 300 plus users to increase adoption rates and reduce learning curve of new system 
* Created and implemented job skills training program for sales teams that lead to reduce ramp time for new sales team members 
* Created and delivered leadership development training series with customized in-person workshops, micro-video channel and self-study content to increase retention across the org   
* Created and delivered professional development training series to support continued growth of team members in areas such as interviewing skills and bias 
* Pioneered introduction of micro-learning video content of high cadence targeted trainings that have been adopted by the worldwide organization to fuel self and classroom study options 
* Led introduction of customer service new hire training program to standardize processes & training across teams, reduce order entry errors and increase customer satisfaction 
* Led creation and launch of new onboarding program for office and production team members  

Responsibilities Leading L&D Team 
•	Design, development and deliver of new hire job skills training programs across all divisions 
•	Design & implement comprehensive ongoing training programs to support talent retention 
•	Design, implement, deliver topic specific training workshops to address emergent needs
•	Create, manage and deploy self-study options via e-learning and micro-video platforms 
•	Coordinate with overseas headquarters to synchronize training, share ideas and expand training capabilities

Learning and Development Manager

Rebuilt training program to produce comprehensive onboarding and ongoing training programs for outside & inside sales roles. 

Key Accomplishments: 
•	Designed division wide new hire job skills training program that reduced ramp time from 36 months to 12  
•	Implemented structured instructional design process to create learning material tied to business outcomes
•       Trained SME instructors on Adult Learning Styles which lead to increased training material retention rates based on in-program testing scores and manager post-training review 
•	Designed & delivered various targeted sales process training workshops which directly addressed skills gaps and produced sales growth increases 
•	Created video sales training programs that have been adopted by global organization 


DryTech Division Trainer: 
•	Instructional design of sales team training programs: new hire process, follow on training & targeted workshops
•	Delivering instructor lead training content & coordinating other instructors as required by curriculum during trainings
•	Coordination & organization of ILT training groups  
•	Designing, monitoring and tracking training effectiveness evaluations during & after training cycles
•	Coordinating with and advising executive and field management leaders to identify training gaps and implement strategic vision via training
•	Coordinating with product support staff to develop sale training materials for new product releases
•	Developing & delivering sales training audio programs  
•	Creating & delivering sales training video programs

DryTech Division Trainer 

10 years successfully producing sales growth and building sales teams.  

From Jan17 to Dec20 I held the dual role of Regional Sales Manager and Drytech Divisional Trainer. 


South Region (2011-2016)
* Sales in the region have grown from $3m to $9.6m over 5 years. 
* Onboarded 6 new sales people growing team from 3 to 9  
* 12 states 

South Central (2017-2020) 
*  Built new sales team in under-served and under-performing territories to produce growth of $1,151,787 
* Onboarded 5 new team members 
* 6 states 

Gulf States (2020) 
* Realign sales team with corporate divisional structure changes including evaluation & creation of new sales territories to drive sales growth 
* Guide sales team through organizational change process
* 5 states 
* Guide sales team through challenges of pandemic

Regional Sales Manager

Local sales representative tasked with growing sales of DryTech products (including plastic bushings, linear slides and spherical bearing products) in the Southern Ohio, Southern Indiana and Kentucky area. 

Daily responsibilities included regular sales visits with customers, exploring opportunities for sales growth and identifying key strategic accounts, regular sales presentations to new potential customers, prospecting, and making proposals. As needed would present technical training presentations to customers to strengthen their product knowledge and uncover new sales opportunities. 

I was also tasked to support the Regional Sales Manager, as needed, for special projects. 

Sales for this previously underdeveloped area were increased from less than $200,000 to $800,000 annually. 

Special projects included overhauling existing sales presentation package (PowerPoint). Awarded Employee of the year 2006 and Outstanding Achievement 2007.

Territory Sales Manager

Witt Galvanizing

Sales representative for 3 hot dip galvanizing plants, covering a 6 state area. 

Responsibilities included relationship building with steel fabricators and steel specifying groups to drive sales. For larger projects, quoting prices based off estimated processing rates was required. 

Large profile projects included Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio and the CTA-Blue Line overhaul project in Chicago.

Sr. Technical Sales Representative

Asked to give a training but don't know where to start? ⚙️ Want your training to work? ⚙️ New to training or want to break in? ⚙️ Leaders, do you want happier, more innovative, more aligned people in your orgs? ?

Leaders lay awake at night worrying about revenue, profit, productivity, net promoter score, developing leaders and talent retention. 

How they can carve out a competitive advantage and drive top line performance. 

Aligning learning strategies with big picture vision builds the foundations so the organization can thrive. 

But especially in small to medium sized firms, late stage startups or larger autonomous teams training is a hassle due to workload. So it gets pushed off. 

Sometimes leaders just don't know where to start. 

Or worse yet, the training you do offer is dull, boring and people just don't want it.  

Powerful in-house training, supporting the overarching company goals, is not out of your reach. 

I support leaders to

✅ Align learning strategies with overall vision
✅ Build their own internal training capabilities 

I also support trainers themselves, especially those newer to corporate training or experienced trainers that need a second opinion or outside perspective. 

Built on experience and how people actually learn. I combine training experience with 25 years of sales, sales management and HR success to see the whole picture. 

You want more results and less yawns? 

Let's chat.

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The Battle

Karen Nicholas

Adam Spacht

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