CREATIVE NONFICTION.

Copywriting.

Creative Direction.

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I Tell Stories

I Write

I write marketing copy that evokes emotion and answers the question on all of our minds: “Why?” (Marketing friends, check out my work here.)

I write personal essays about everyday life that are honest and maybe even funny. (Essay enthusiasts, right this way.)

 
 
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Bios Are Awkward…

Some people want a long bio, others want a short one. So, here you go, my life summed up in your choice character count, written in third person (because I’m a rule follower and, for some reason, that’s probably how you wanted it anyway).

20 words

Samantha Schlemm writes personal essays (check a few out here and here) and weaves marketing stories as a full-time copywriter. 

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Before Samantha Schlemm moved to Baltimore and earned an MA in Creative Nonfiction Writing at Johns Hopkins University, she grew up in the New Jersey Meadowlands. Most days, she can be found writing personal essays (check a few out here and here) and weaving stories as a full-time copywriter. 

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Samantha Schlemm grew up in the New Jersey Meadowlands. Somehow, she avoided sounding like a character from The Sopranos (except when pronouncing Italian dishes or the word drawer [“dr-aw”]) before moving to Baltimore where she earned a Master of Arts in Creative Nonfiction Writing at Johns Hopkins University. Most days, she can be found writing personal essays (check a few out here and here) working as a full-time copywriter, and hanging out with her husband and daughter who force her to take breaks.

 

…Headshots Are Worse

 
 
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Creative Marketing Resume

[View as PDF]

Under Armour (Baltimore, MD)

Senior Lead Creative—Jul. 2018 to Present

  • Transform creative marketing briefs into effective global campaigns—from concept to photo shoot to final execution

  • Lead and collaborate with a talented team of copywriters, art directors, producers, content creators, editors, and agency partners to put our audience first as we build strategic brand content that drives action

  • Know the brand voice inside and out. Craft messaging that connects with our audience and fits the needs of different platforms and channels

  • Guide and edit junior copywriters’ messaging and concept ideas to help them learn the brand voice and hone their own creative skills

  • Research and interview athletes, mining transcripts to bring real stories to life with the social, design, production, and communications teams

Bozzuto (Greenbelt, MD)

Senior Creative Copy Manager—Nov. 2016 to Jul. 2018

  • Created all digital and print content for websites, blogs, emails, videos, ads, signage, executive speeches, events, and more

  • Led the messaging for a complete website redesign, while collaborating with the design team on art direction and photography 

  • Educated and trained co-workers on content, copywriting, and strategic branding best practices

  • Managed company-wide creative task force that concepted, wrote, and edited a 36-page quarterly employee and B2B publication

  • Directed our Agency of Record’s strategy, photoshoots, and workflow

  • Guided interns as they learned copywriting 101, adopted our brand voice, and wrote more than 250 property descriptions for Bozzuto.com  

Havas Lynx (New York, NY)

Associate Creative Director—Mar. 2016 to Nov. 2016

Senior Copywriter —Jul. 2015 to Mar. 2016

Copywriter—Oct. 2012 to Jun. 2015

  • Collaborated with creative, strategy, IA/UX, and account teams to develop unique concepts, tactics, video scripts, and new business pitches that felt more like an experience than advertising

  • Created brand identities and comprehensive stories based on category and target insights

  • Engaged various audiences in digital and print channels by simplifying complicated topics and developing cohesive ecosystems that wove the target’s voice into promotional campaigns, communications, and tactics

 

Palm Publishing (Norwalk, CT)

Editor—Mar. 2012 to Sept. 2012

  • Assessed and edited new novelty board and traditional picture books for preschoolers, as well as leveled early elementary readers

  • Generated book concepts, promotional materials, and cover copy

  • Managed authors, illustrators, designers, and licensors such as the Smithsonian Institution

 

Lowenstein Associates Inc. (New York, NY)

Literary Agent Intern—Sept. 2011 to Dec. 2011

  • Analyzed fiction and nonfiction queries in attentive, yet concise reports

  • Constructed book proposals for presentations and developed new social media marketing tactics

  • Organized all contracts and digital rights information

 

Toys"R"Us (Wayne, NJ)

Creative Copywriter Intern—Jun. 2010 to Aug. 2010

  • Wrote and edited copy for weekly newspaper inserts, catalogs, and marketing materials for Toys"R"Us, Babies"R"Us, and FAO Schwarz

  • Lead copywriter on the Imaginarium catalog

  • Researched specific product details and systematized the digital database

 

Allison & Busby Publishing (London, UK)

Editorial Intern—Jan. 2010 to Apr. 2010

  • Proofread and edited new manuscripts and eBook conversions

  • Constructed copy for book jackets, as well as prospective audience and marketing strategy reports

  • Designed promotional packaging and a quarterly digital catalog

EDUCATION    

Johns Hopkins University | Baltimore, MD

  • Masters of Arts Writing, Creative Nonfiction, December 2021

Quinnipiac University | Hamden, CT

  • Bachelor of Arts English & Interactive Digital Design, May 2011

University of Westminster | London

  • Semester Abroad, 2010

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Recognition

Established award-winning campaigns for Havas Lynx recognized by:

OMMA, MM&M, The Rx Club, DTC National, W3, PM360 Trailblazer

Established award-winning video for Bozzuto recognized by:

AIM Video Awards & Telly Awards

 

additional skills

  • Microsoft Office, Adobe Creative Suite, and basic HTML

  • Translates “strategy-speak” to “people-speak”

  • Slashes character-counts

  • Peels oranges in single spirals