Bright Idea Consulting

I founded Bright Idea Consulting to empower values-driven solopreneurs, startups, and nonprofit leaders to reclaim their time and double their impact through tailored fractional or project-based online business management, executive support, project/account management, and organic content creation.

Principal Consultant

Winning Mark

Winning Mark is a full-service media and political consulting firm in Portland, OR serving NGOs, corporate initiatives, political candidates, and elected officials nationwide. 

I managed dozens of client accounts, executing more than $500,000 in multiplatform digital campaign plans, coordinating between five departments and a suite of vendors across disciplines to meet ambitious deadlines, resulting in hundreds of thousands of impressions delivered and a more than 80% win rate for political candidates. 

I collaborated with clients, principals, vendors, and designers to write and produce hundreds of ads in English and Spanish and launch dozens of websites and email campaigns. 

I carefully placed thousands of dollars in media buys, religiously optimized ad performance to ensure the cost effectiveness of leads and impressions, created extensive KPI reports, and shepherded clients through every step of the process from thorough onboarding to meticulous invoicing. 

I regularly took the initiative to collaborate across teams to improve internal workflows and work products. 

I was laid off after the election cycle.

Project Manager

Engage Cuba

Engage Cuba was a 501(c)(4) startup advocacy organization dedicated to making the business case for lifting the U.S. embargo on Cuba. 

As communications director, I developed and implemented public relations strategies, earning hundreds of media hits internationally showcasing the organization's policy advocacy efforts and exponentially growing social media presence, earning positive engagement from Former Secretaries of State Clinton and Kerry, as well as several bipartisan Members of Congress. 

I executed a social media campaign to successfully lobby every 2020 Democratic presidential primary candidate to publicly support ending the embargo on Cuba. 

I communicated on behalf of the founder and senior leadership to the Department of State, Congress, diplomats, press, industry groups, stakeholders, and the public. 

As director of strategic initiatives, I managed significant and delicate cornerstone projects such as the launch of the Engage Cuba New Jersey State Council comprised of influential NJ lawmakers and business leaders. 

I spearheaded coalition conferences, events, and diplomatic meetings. I managed consulting client accounts, organizing multiple business delegations to Cuba, including in-country programming, travel arrangements, visas, itineraries, and expense reports. 

I managed the organization's internship program, hiring, training, and mentoring undergraduate interns.

Director of Communications & Strategic Initiatives

United States Senate

I took a Hill internship relatively late in my career, eager to bridge a knowledge gap around the inner-workings of Congress. During my time in the senator's D.C. office, I directly supported the communications and policy teams. I drafted social media content, floor speeches, and constituent correspondence for the senator. I created extensive reports for the communications team to track the media impact of the senator's trip to the U.S. border to inspect migrant detention facilities and subsequent advocacy around the issue. I drafted policy decision memos for the senator to inform his work on the Foreign Relations Committee and created extensive briefing materials for his trip to Puerto Rico in the wake of Hurricane Maria.

During this time I passed the Foreign Service Officer Test (FSOT) and advanced to the interview stage as a political section candidate.

Communications and Policy Intern

Oregon Legislature

For the duration of the 2018 legislative session, I served as a dedicated assistant to the Oregon House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee. In this role, I quickly mastered several new software systems to meticulously adhere to strict state protocols to orchestrate committee meetings, create detailed agendas, capture meeting minutes, and upload thousands of pieces of testimony to the public record. I managed the response to all public inquiries regarding the Committee. 

This was a limited duration position.

Legislative Committee Assistant

HECHT & NORMAN, LLP

I directly supported the Partner Attorney and Associate Attorney at an Oregon immigration law firm by managing hundreds of client accounts, methodically drafting USCIS petitions, conducting intake appointments with clients, requesting police and medical records, and providing careful Spanish translation and interpretation. 

I deeply enjoyed this work, particularly assisting DACA Dreamers and victims of crime adjust their immigration status, but left to pursue public policy (a plan I shared with my manager during the hiring process).

Legal Assistant

As a freelance journalist, I reported the Ammon Bundy trial from Portland, OR for Reuters and covered the Summit of the Americas in Panamá for Americas Quarterly. 

While living in Latin America, I assisted other journalists, photographers, and television teams from around the world with their reporting abroad, and accidentally ended up on the cover of Le Monde magazine in France. 

As a copywriter, I penned dozens of customized SEO blog posts for travel company Insight Cuba, driving more than 30% of organic website traffic.

Journalist, Fixer, and Copywriter

insightCuba

Insight Cuba specializes in legal, educational tours of Cuba for U.S. travelers. As the travel program coordinator, I managed logistics for about 300 tours, engaging in creative problem-solving to ensure the safety, satisfaction, and legal compliance of more than 5,000 travelers. I designed sanctions-compliant in-country programming, liaised with government officials and dozens of in-country vendors, designed complex budgets, closely audited expense reports, booked travel, and managed a team of more than 20 tour guides. 

I also led several five-star tours to Cuba and met with in-country partners in person. 

I onboarded and trained my replacement when I left the full-time position to pursue journalism. I continued as a part-time contractor for several years.

Travel Program Coordinator and Tour Guide

Reuters

As an intern reporter, I worked closely with the Reuters Havana bureau chief, as well as television and photography teams, to report and produce breaking news, features, exclusives, and analysis from Havana during the historic re-establishment of diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Cuba. 

I reported Secretary John Kerry’s visit to the island, the reopening of the U.S. Embassy in Havana, as well as Pope Francis' voyage across Cuba, and recurring coverage of the Colombian peace talks. 

My exclusive on the historic Port deal signed by former VA governor Terry McAuliffe was picked up in the New York Times. 

My original reporting on Cuba's overburdened tourism infrastructure was featured on Reuters TV and in radio interviews. 

It was not possible to obtain a visa to extend my internship or become a staff member at the bureau.

Intern Reporter

Center for Democracy in the Americas (CDA)

The Center for Democracy in the Americas advocates for policies and undertakes strategic initiatives to improve relations between the United States and Latin America. 

I was selected for the competitive Stephen M. Rivers Memorial Fellowship, during which I enhanced policy, communications, research, and fundraising efforts, including assisting with Congressional outreach and organizing Congressional delegations and programmatic trips to Cuba. I drafted and managed the publishing of the organization's main publication, a weekly newsletter for 7,000 high-value subscribers. I also penned Dear Colleague letters, blog posts, policy memos, social media content, and fundraising appeals.

Communications and Policy Fellow

Non-traditional EA, a true right hand to C-suite and solopreneurs | Fractional executive assistant + projects + content @ Bright Idea Consulting | Background: journalism, policy, Cuba travel

I founded Bright Idea Consulting to provide fractional executive support, online business management, project management, and content strategy to passionate solopreneurs, C-suite, and nonprofit leaders. 

I have 10 years of experience in exec/admin support, project management, and communications in private sector, government, and nonprofits. 

I spent much of my career trying to change the world through policy. Now, I am changing the world by optimizing the productivity and impact of passionate leaders at purpose-driven companies and nonprofits. 

I do this best through: 

🔵executive/admin support
🔵strategy and building systems 
🔵project and client management
🔵organic content 

I am both an architect and on the construction crew of the businesses and nonprofits I partner with. 

I love to meet new people, regardless of whether it results in a working relationship. 

Let’s get coffee: 
calendly.com/brightideaconsulting/meet-with-jaime

Visual person? Check out my portfolio here: 
Brightideaconsulting.co/portfolio

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