WESTconsin Credit Union

Social Media and Digital Marketing Coordinator

ToyVentive

- Managed marketing efforts with effective planning and execution for a seven-figure Amazon seller
- Led the development and implementation of six new products
- Created and optimized graphics, photos, and videos throughout 26 listing variations
- Communicated effectively while managing graphic designers by turning rough concepts into detailed instructions
- Conducted product research by analyzing competitors and identifying opportunities
- Managed and analyzed digital advertising with emphasis on Amazon, Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram
- Implemented new social media strategy and created video content, causing a dramatic increase in organic reach
- Executed Amazon Live strategy for platform optimization, resulting in over 50 hours of livestreaming
- Created email marketing campaigns for direct connection with existing subscribers
- Repurposed existing chat marketing automation, leading to a daily increase of social media followers

Marketing Manager

Spee Dee Delivery Service, Inc.

- Responsibly operated a combination vehicle equipped with air brakes and a manual transmission
- Picked up and delivered freight for commercial and residential customers
- Loaded and unloaded trailers with a pallet jack, and by hand as needed

CDL LTL Driver

- Safely navigated a delivery route while demonstrating excellent organization and problem-solving skills
- Provided exceptional customer service while picking up and delivering packages weighing up to 150 pounds

Route Driver

Eau Claire Ford Lincoln Quick Lane

- Managed company websites, social media accounts, and reputation management platforms to ensure accuracy, engagement, and visibility during a period of record-breaking vehicle sales
- Created videos, photos, graphics, and written content to build online presence
- Exceeded a daily average of 24 hours of watch time from video content on YouTube
- Contributed graphic design work for a variety of in-house design projects
- Led and organized events including an annual community event for 2,300 people
- Managed inventory photography process while providing training and materials to Sales and Reconditioning teams
- Represented company at various seminars, trade shows, job fairs, and promotional events including SEMA
- Built email marketing campaigns for continued connection with customers
- Developed sales skills at ongoing training sessions
- Worked with digital advertising specialists for regular monitoring and optimization

Marketing Assistant

High Roller Skating Center of Eau Claire

Served as a team leader while engaging with customers in a high-energy recreational environment.

Shift Supervisor

Hoffy's Skate America

Delivered excellent customer service in multiple departments while providing a fun and safe recreational experience for people of all ages and backgrounds.

Head DJ & Floor Guard

Porter's/Jewel of India Restaurant

Independently provided exceptional service in a diverse, fast-paced environment.

Server

Years before I understood what “marketing” meant, I was editing videos, designing logos, and selling branded apparel to friends. In favor of my natural interest, I committed to earning my BBA and studied Marketing at University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. After graduating with four consecutive semesters on the Dean’s List, I dove into three years of hands-on marketing experience at Eau Claire Ford Lincoln Quick Lane. Most recently, I was the Marketing Manager at ToyVentive. At this point in my career, I’ve organically generated over 3 million views on YouTube, planned a major event for over 2,300 people, and brought six new products to life.

Brian Szymanski

Most vertical SaaS companies at $10M ARR have a problem they can't see.

Ask your product team why deals close. Then ask sales. Then ask marketing.

You'll get three different answers.

Nobody's lying. They just never sat down and forced themselves to agree on what's actually true.

So marketing attracts the wrong leads. Sales rewrites the pitch because the website doesn't work. Product ships features nobody pitches. New hires take 6 months to ramp instead of 6 weeks.

This costs north of £500k per year. Most founders don't realize it until they've already spent it.

I run audits on your recorded sales calls to find where the story breaks. Then we fix it before you invest another £1-2M in growth.

If you're about to scale and your teams are telling different stories — don't hire another VP of Marketing yet. Fix the story first.

Shaun Samonini

5 things that helped me grow to 492 followers on LinkedIn (don't sleep on number 4):



1. I have no idea
2. I'm British
3. I'm winging it
4. I'm a gooroo (I just don't know what for yet)
5. I love cheese... there are so many I haven't tried

Morning :)

I help $8-15M ARR SaaS founders prevent positioning drift by building narrative control systems, not running workshops that create temporary alignment.

You're at £8-10m ARR. Your board asks: "Why did we close those 5 deals last quarter?"

Product says: "Our new feature."
Sales says: "The relationships."
Marketing says: "The content campaign."

Nobody's lying! They each truly believe what they're saying.

But if everyone on your leadership team has a different theory about what's working, you can't confidently scale what you don't understand.

And at $8-15m ARR, it costs north of £500k per year:

Marketing spends £200k on ads targeting one customer profile. Sales qualifies leads based on a completely different profile. Product builds features for a third profile. 

New reps take 5-6 months to ramp because they're learning 3 different versions of your positioning. Product ships features that sales rarely pitches. £250k in engineering time goes toward capabilities that don't influence buying decisions.

And when the board asks, "What should we invest in next?" You're guessing.

You're about to invest £1-2m in growth, but you can't scale what you can't explain.

Founders at $8-15m ARR: What does your leadership team say when the board asks, "What's working?"

I've started open water swimming. For my American friends, that's 46 Fahrenheit. I don't have a picture, but last week, it went down to 3 (37 Fahrenheit).

I'm loving it! Apart from shivering uncontrollably for an hour after. And getting in? Ooowee, it's embarrassing. I stand there, waist submerged, and other people just waltz in like they're getting into a warm bath.

But just before I submerge myself and start hyperventilating, I say to myself, "I can do hard things."

Sometimes, I need to remind myself of that. I can do hard things.

I help $10M ARR B2B SaaS founders align their teams on why deals close through evidence-based positioning.

I turn 40 in three weeks 🫨 

And here I am, starting another business.

If you saw my journey, you'd wonder why I can't sit still (hint: i have ADHD, but it's not just that).

I've been

- a wedding singer (ongoing)
- a gym owner (and nutritionist and sports massage therapist)
- a freelance writer
- a growth marketer
- a content marketing manager

and now... a founder. Some days I wonder if I've made the right choices in life, but when I really dig in, I realise that my choices weren't about what I wanted to do... I only really made one choice over and over again... to take a leap.

That, and, people taking a chance on me. I used to think it was luck. "Oh. I only got that gig because I knew _____." But those people didn't HAVE to take a chance on me. They didn't HAVE to hire me. They didn't HAVE to promote me.

They did those things because I show up, learn quickly, I'm nice to work with, get results, and constantly look to improve.

I'm still learning that showing up is more than half the battle. So I'll keep doing that. And I'll keep learning. And I'll make my new business a success. 

40 is just the beginning.

For me, building in public means admitting that some days, I just don’t know where to put my focus.

This week, my good friend and mentor, Chris DuBois gave me some great advice:

Stop thinking you’ll get clients from LinkedIn.

He didn’t tell me to stop posting, sharing my POV, or talking about how I’m trying to help people, but he told me I need to be where my ICP is.

They’re not searching for solutions on LinkedIn — they come here after they find me elsewhere, to see if I know what I’m talking about and that they can trust me.

It can be overwhelming to start a business when there’s so much conflicting advice on how to do it.

But I think listening to someone I trust who is a few steps ahead of me is a great place to start.

Follow him if you’re trying to grow your agency — you won’t regret it.

taplio

The Battle

Brian Szymanski

Shaun Samonini

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance ScoreShaun Samonini's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

taplio

The Battle

Brian Szymanski

Shaun Samonini

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Shaun Samonini's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Performance ScoreShaun Samonini's LinkedIn Performance