Flint Stephens

Experience

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  The Pekin Daily Times

  Feb 1984 - Aug 1986

  City Editor

  Hired as City Editor of the local daily newspaper in Pekin, Illinois, with a circulation of 18,000. Managed a newsroom staff of 20 andwas responsible for all local news content.; Worked as Managing Editor of the Mendota Reporter, a local paper with 5,000 circulation. Oversaw all editorial aspects includinghiring, budgeting, etc.

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  Brigham Young University

  Aug 1986 - Dec 1991

  Journalism Instructor

  during and after completing Masters Degree inCommunications.• Skilled in photography.

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  The Daily Herald

  Aug 1987 - Dec 1988

  News Editor

  The largest of 20 newspapers owned by Scripps League Newspapers with more than 200 employees and circulation of more than30,000 copies daily.Recruited to supervise all local news as City Editor. Made reporter assignments and edited all stories written by the reporters. Alsoserved as News Editor and Editorial Page Editor.• Managed staff of 12 reporters and more than a dozen correspondents.• Played a key role in introducing daily full-color—the first paper in Utah to do so. The result was increased circulation anda national Associated Press award. Show less

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  Jefferson Institute

  Dec 1988 - Dec 1990

  Marketing Director

  An educational and training company providing seminars on finance, investment, and entrepreneurship. A division of TargetPublishing, Jefferson Institute was owned by Howard Ruff, a leading financial adviser who produced and published Ruff Times, thenation’s largest financial and investment newsletter at that time. I was hired as a writer/editor and promoted in less than a year toMarketing Director.• Wrote and edited various newsletters, including Ruff Times, Mutual Fund Money Letter, Finance Over 50, The CompleatOption Report, Women$ense, Jack Anderson Confidential and Ruff Notes. Also responsible for producing other revenue-generating products, such as reports on Swiss banking, options trading, mutual fund Investing, gold mining stocks and more.• Conceived and produced Ruff Notes as a distribution method for advertising inserts. Initial issue produced $600,000+.• Generated more than $2.3 million in revenue from new product lines, including DVDs on investing.• Organized and supervised training seminars on options investing. DVDs of the seminars are still used and sold today.• Directed extensive advertising campaign in major daily newspapers and magazines to reach goal of 1,000 annual trip sales.Designed and scheduled all ads, as well as brochures and materials sent as follow-up to inquiries.• Created a travel handbook incomparable with any other travel industry publication. This resulted in a dramatic reduction incustomer service calls.• Personally negotiated the company's largest group sales for several consecutive years—each worth more than $100,000.• Developed several innovative methods of generating sales that increased the sales mix to 70% referral business. Show less

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  Stoddard International Marketing/AmeriRuss Cruise Company

  Dec 1989 - Dec 1995

  Executive Vice President

  An international company sponsoring educational tours, seminars, and cultural exchanges aboard river cruise ships in Russia, theUkraine, and Romania. Annual sales exceeded $3 million.Executive Vice President Recruited as director of marketing to provide creative marketing direction to this newly formed company.Promoted in six months to Vice President to oversee all aspects of company operation in U.S. and abroad.• Managed U.S. staff of 20 and supervised foreign staff of 20+.• Lectured on capitalism and free markets to dozens of groups of Russian business and political leaders.• Negotiated leases for cruise ships, hotels, restaurants, buses, etc. Followed through in-country to resolve problems.• Personally led more than two dozen tours.Freelance WritingAuthor of Mormon Parenting Secrets: Time-Tested Methods for Raising Exceptional Children, published in December 2011. In thepast year I wrote more than 40 articles for publications including Cabela’s Outfitter Journal, Utah Valley Magazine, the Deseret News,KSL and biggamehunts.net. I also produced press releases for several clients. Show less

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  AmeriRuss Cruise Company

  Jan 1990 - Jan 1995

  Executive Vice President

  Supervise American and foreign employees at tour company. Arrange tours. Negotiate contracts for ships and services.

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  Strategis Financial Group

  Dec 1995 - Oct 2017

  Marketing Director

  • Created and authored MarketOwl.com, a weekly investment blog with several thousand opt-in subscribers.• Directed an actively managed mutual fund investment strategy designed for low risk and conservative returns.• Edited and managed On The Money, a subscription-based newsletter that generated thousands of potential clients.A Registered Investment Advisor with assets under management of about $60 million. Marketing Director/Financial Advisor Joined firm in 1995 to oversee all aspects of marketing company's investment services and products. • Implemented a professional internship program that increased the effectiveness of full-time sales staff by contacting and screening new client prospects.• Revamped all printed literature in a format that enabled us to do most printing in house, saving a minimum of $60,000 a year in printing costs and allowing flexibility and customization of all company literature. Show less

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  Deseret Digital Media

  Jan 2015 - now

  Native Advertising Manager

  I am currently native advertising manager for Deseret Digital Media. I work with a team of advertising sales and support personnel to produce native advertising content for ksl.com and deseretnews.com.In the past I have worked with clients like the National Geographic Museum, Cirque du Soleil, Nissan, CenturyLink, Arizona Department of Health, Nevada Department of Transportation and more. I create article ideas in collaboration with advertising and media specialists. I make assignments to writers. I write and edit articles. I craft headlines and titles designed to work on print and web platforms. Show less