1. PERSONAL BRAND EXPLORATION
Tess Elise
Project & Portfolio I: Week 1
Mar
ch
6, 2022

2. IDENTITY
I come from and artistic ba
ck
ground. When I
began working, my original goal was to be a
freelance photographer. I worked on product
photography shoots, professional headshots,
weddings, and more. What I learned is that
while I love photography, what I love more is
helping others create their image. I want others
to be able to enjoy what they do as mu
ch
as I
enjoy what I do. I want to build a business that
helps other business owners build a brand
they’re proud of.

3. PROFESSION
Potential Job Titles:
•Sear
ch
Marketing Specialist
•Marketing Manager
•Business Development Specialist
BRAND ARCHETYPE - As the Creator,
I work to develop my artistic skills.
My work is an extension of myself,
and helps me showcase my
individuality.
Digital Marketer in the Retail Industry
Picture Relevant
to Your Industry
Goes Here

4. Potential Employers
TARGET AUDIENCE
Gwen VanderBurg
Outreach Plan:
• I will rea
ch
out to prior employers and coworkers for
endorsements on my customer relation skills
• I will email her in relation to the marketing and
communications department.
• I will follow up through email within a week of her
response
Vice President, Marketing
and Communications at
Chicago Botanic Garden
Hiring Managers
Outreach Plan:
• I will update resume to include current education
plan, along with the skills that I will obtain through
this program
• I Will email the hiring Managers regarding their
Marketing Operations position.
• I will follow up through email within a week of their
response.
At 1871
Julie Floyd
Outreach Plan:
• Update Adobe Suite skills published on LinkedIn
pro
fi
le.
• I will email her directly regarding my interest in
marketing position at the Chicago studio location.
• I will follow up through email, within a week of her
response.
Founder of Classic Kids
Photog
r
aphy

5. GOALS
Sho
r
t Term: (Immediately After Graduation, 2023)
•I will grow my personal brand presence online
through LinkedIn.
‣ Speci
fi
cally I will increase my conversion
rate of pro
fi
le views to connections by 10%.
Mid Term: (2027)
•I will laun
ch
my creative studio business and turn
my social media connections into a client base.
‣ Speci
fi
cally, I will create a customer base
that is at least 10% of my LinkedIn
connections.
Long Term: (2037)
•I will move my creative studio business from
strictly online to an online along with a bri
ck
and
mortar location to develop in person connections.
‣ Speci
fi
cally, I will grow my repeat customer
base by 5%.

6. SKILLS ANALYSIS
Notable Skills & Current Pro
fi
ciencies:
Notable Skills REQUIRED in TRADE & Current Pro
fi
ciencies:
Image Editing Software
SOFT
HARD
Novice / Adept / Expert
Of
fi
ce Suite Software Novice / Adept / Expert
Critical Thinking Novice / Adept / Expert
Time Management Novice / Adept / Expert
Business Intelligence and Data Analysis
SOFT
HARD
Novice / Adept / Expert
CRM Software Novice / Adept / Expert
Oral Expression Novice / Adept / Expert
Active Listening Novice / Adept / Expert

7. I help my future employer to continuously
evolve their brand by developing and
executing creative solutions that support
their organization’s operations.
PROMISE

8. CREDENTIALS
Work Experience:
• Freelance Product Photographer
• Customer Relations
Education:
• Digital Marketing, B.S., Full Sail University (2023)
Leadership Roles:
• Operations Manager

9. COMPETITION
Nicole Castor
Industry Experience:
• Marketing Director
• Social Media Coordinator
• Digital Marketing Specialist
Education:
• Digital Marketing, B.S., Full Sail University (2021)
Leadership Experience:
• Marketing Director
Skills and Pro
fi
ciencies:
• Adobe Photoshop
• Adobe Illustrator
• Customer Experience
Tess Elise
Overall Online Presence:
• 63 Connections
• Professional Headshot
• Pro
fi
le details work experience and career goals,
• LinkedIn URL customized
• Grade: Average
Industry Experience:
• None
Education:
• Digital Marketing, B.S., Full Sail University (2023)
Leadership Experience:
• Operations Manager
Skills and Pro
fi
ciencies:
• Adobe Photoshop
• Of
fi
ce Suites
Overall Online Presence:
• 73 Connections
• Somewhat professional Headshot
• Pro
fi
le la
ck
s details past current work experience
• Linkin URL customized
• Grade: Poor

10. COMPETITION
Breanna Reynolds
Noteworthy Experience:
• Fashion Industries Organization (NIU) President
(2019-2020)
• Fashion Industries Organization (NIU) Vice President
(2017-2019)
Tess Elise
HEADSHOT
Industry Experience
:
• Marketing Inter
n
• Social Media Coordinato
r
• Digital Marketing and Merchandising
Specialist
Education:
• Fashion Mer
ch
andising, B.S., Northerrn Illinois
University
Skills and Pro
fi
ciencies:
• Microsoft Of
fi
ce Specialist
• Adobe Photoshop
• Time Management x 1 endorsement
Overall Online Presence:
• 500+ Connections
• Professional Headshot
• Pro
fi
le includes work experience, certi
fi
cates, skills,
Honors and Rewards
• Endorsements and Recommendations
• Grade: Superior
Industry Experience:
• None
Education:
• Digital Marketing, B.S., Full Sail University (2023)
Leadership Experience:
• Operations Manager
Skills and Pro
fi
ciencies:
• Adobe Photoshop
• Of
fi
ce Suites
Overall Online Presence:
• 73 Connections
• Somewhat professional Headshot
• Pro
fi
le la
ck
s details past current work experience
• Linkin URL customized
• Grade: Poor

11. BRAND POSITION
For potential employers who want to grow their
online presence, I provide a creative solutions
through my knowledge of digital marketing
because I want to help others continuously
develop their brand to truly represent them.

12. NETWORKING &
MARKETING
Indust
r
y Events & Organizations
• Adobe Summit- The Digital Experience Conference
‣ Mar
ch
15-15, 2022 Online
• Networking Summit
‣ April 25, 2022 Online
• 3300+ Climbing Club
Digital Marketing
• Primary Content: As I continue through the digital marketing
program, I will publish
fi
nal assignments that show the skills
I’ve developed in brand building. This will include visual works,
pit
ch
es, and text.
• Primary Tools: I will use LinkedIn to publish my content, so I
can keep my pro
fi
le active and up to date, while also promoting
my work. I will update monthly with written posts talking
about the work I’ve done, along with visuals of what I’ve
created.
• Website: My digital portfolio will be the place where I can
organize projects related to my brand. I will update it as I
develop my brand, so the content always mirrors what I want
to represent.

13. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Mentor
• I want a mentor who has had at least 10 years of
experience working with small businesses to develop
their brand. EST. PARTNERSHIP in 2024
Formal Education
• Digital Marketing, B.S., Full Sail University (2023)
Te
ch
nical Skills
• Speci
fi
c task to address a te
ch
nical skill gap -
organization name, MONTH YEAR
• Speci
fi
c task to address a te
ch
nical skill gap -
organization name, MONTH YEAR
• Speci
fi
c task to address a te
ch
nical skill gap -
organization name, MONTH YEAR
Soft Skills
• Speci
fi
c task to address a te
ch
nical skill gap -
organization name, MONTH YEAR
• Speci
fi
c task to address a te
ch
nical skill gap -
organization name, MONTH YEAR
• Speci
fi
c task to address a te
ch
nical skill gap -
organization name, MONTH YEAR

14. Tess Elise
You know how small businesses have a hard
time rea
ch
ing their target audience? Well, what I
can do is
help business owners create a brand identity through content strategy,
development, and marketing. In fact, I developed my own brand identity
to make sure I rea
ch
ed the people I wanted to work with.
“

15. REFERENCES
1871. (n.d). Marketing Operations Intern. https://apply.workable.com/1871/j/6879E9358D/
Castor, Nicole. (n.d). Home [LinkedIn page].
https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolecastor/
Chicago Botanic Garden. (n.d). Marketing and Editorial Content Writer.
https://www.chicagobotanic.org/jobs/marketing_and_editorial_content_writer
classic kids (n.d). Our Family. https://classickids.com/about/our-family/
Glassdoor. (n.d). Chicago Botanic Garden.
https://www.glassdoor.com/Overview/Working-at-Chicago-Botanic-Garden-EI_IE262693.11,33.htm
ONET OnLine. (n.d). Marketing Managers.
https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/11-2021.00
ONET OnLine. (n.d). Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists.
https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/13-1161.00
ONET OnLine. (n.d). Search Marketing Strategist.
https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/13-1161.01
Reynolds, Breanna. (N.d). Home [LinkedIn page].
https://www.linkedin.com/in/breanna-reynolds/