Maria Isbell

Experience

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  PRIMEDIA, a KKR company

  Jan 1997 - Jan 2009

  Represented New Home Guide, Newhomeguide.com, Americanhomeguide.com, Today’s Custom Home Magazine, Apartment Guide, Apartmentguide.com, Auto Guide, Autoguide.com and DistribuTech (merchandising arm).Built consultative relationships with national advertising agencies for effective client acquisition programs. Added new $2million + pipeline with new revenue stream for declining business unit facing obsolescence.Produced and executed business plans and budgets for all divisions as needed including LMS systems, CRM systems, critical acquisitions in new markets and start-ups for the company. Show less Oversaw transition of major acquisitions including national real estate Web company in the new homes space encompassing 250+ separate url’s and a 9+ multi-market merger of new home magazines critical for expanding national footprint of core new home products.Worked with struggling New Home guide start-up markets to establish market foot print, pricing strategies and sales programs to increase revenue. Created and delivered sales training for New Home Guide, Apartment Guide and Auto Guide sales organizations with a 95% satisfaction score from attendees, lowering sales staff attrition from 65% to 35% in 12 months.Developed and wrote training program for new home sales agents, leasing agents and auto showroom sales personnel on basic sales techniques, customer service, follow up and model demonstrations. Trained field reps to deliver the program to clients including workbooks, PowerPoint and how to use Call Source tracking and secret shoppers to measure results. Show less Managed top and bottom-line performance for 26 New Home Guide field offices, coast to coast. Division was built strictly by acquisition so required development of a complete operating strategy and merge of 26 disparate back office procedures, sales processes, compensation models, accountability structures and more.Took struggling division from inconsistent focus and repeated sales losses to a consistently managed, structured division posting consecutive sales gains and revenue growth of 3.8% while increasing profitability during the rebuilding phase. Show less

  • Vice President National Sales

    Jan 2008 - Jan 2009

  • Vice President, Sales/Training/Development --promoted

    Jan 2004 - Jan 2008

  • Vice President, New Home Guide--promoted

    Jan 2000 - Jan 2004

  • Group Director, Apartment Guide--promoted

    Jan 1997 - Jan 2000
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  Community Offers

  Jan 2009 - Jan 2012

  Chief Executive Officer/Chief Marketing Officer

  Technology start up in the online/social media space allowing local business to use a single dashboard to create local deals online, via mobile, SMS, QR codes social media and through a locally distributed loyalty card. My main goal was to develop sales driven culture for our organization through structure, messaging, materials, training and clearly defined vision. Grew from one to seven cities (feet on the streets) in first two years of business.Trained and managed sales staff with heavy cold calling, persistent follow up and service focused on ROI. Identified, designed and produced total branding concepts for new product including: Investors presentations, package design, Web design, App design, logo, sales messaging and marketing collateral.Provided operational support for start up including: office space, implementing CRM, outfitting business equipment, training sales staff, developing production procedures and back office billing support. Show less

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  Shecansell

  Jan 2012 - now

  Principal Consultant

  Operational and marketing support for Multi-National group of companies representing some of the world's best known brands and largest retail chains. Including medical, pharma, medical research, market research, higher education, real estate, transportation and more.

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  Austin Community College

  Jan 2017 - now

  Professor, Vector Graphics and Design Studio Lead

  Teaching Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign and Adobe PhotoShop

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  Semi-Stow

  Mar 2022 - Dec 2022

  Director of Strategic Operations