Everware International

[ THE CONTEXT ]
Since 2015, Everware International has maintained a diverse portfolio of brands and product lines with robust retail sales channels, but its digital marketing and direct-to-consumer infrastructure hadn't quite kept pace.

E-commerce had been bootstrapped and stagnant relative to the product quality, pricing, and retail presence, especially on its own independent Shopify site. Ad creative was often generic and templated, funneling all traffic only to the homepage. The email/SMS channel was neglected, and there was no cohesive through-line connecting paid, owned, and earned channels, especially when it comes to its premium flagship brand, Cangshan Cutlery.

The team needed someone who could own the full marketing stack — not just run campaigns, but continuously build the connective tissue and optimize processes between brand, performance, and operations.

As the first digital x creative x bilingual in-house hire, I joined a small tight team reporting directly to Brand VP, working along with ecommerce and sales teams, and managing agency, media, or design partners.

[ THE HIGHLIGHTS ]
{Brand Strategy + Creative Direction}
> Produced complete visual refreshes and creative asset libraries for Cangshan, New Star, and Artaste: comprehensive designs, content, and campaigns spanning brand assets, ads, email, landing pages, social media, packaging, print, tradeshow/events, PR, and ecommerce.
> Provided creative and art direction for packaging, print, catalog, tradeshow, and collateral design across cross-functional teams.
> Directed end-to-end concept exploration and brand development for Austin Tool & Cutlery and Project Flatiron, new made-in-USA brand entities tied to Everware's domestic manufacturing launch.
> Collaborated on product launches and GTM strategy across the Everware factory team, retail partners (Costco, Williams Sonoma, Crate & Barrel), influencer/affiliate relationships, PR agency, and media.

{Ecommerce + CRO}
> Rebuilt paid media x Shopify experience architecture from the ground up — replacing a product page-only linking tactic with a full landing page strategy for product series, seasonal campaigns, brand stories, and sales events, then continuously optimized for conversion.

{Paid Media + Performance}
> Owned paid search/social/display channels (Google/Meta/TT/Pinterest/Reddit), including media planning, campaign production, and multichannel strategy of over $1M in cumulative ad spend in collaboration.
> Managed six-figure annual ad budgets and media buyer agency partners.
> Overhauled all ad creative and copy, expanded platform testing into Reddit and Pinterest, and ran continuous format and strategy testing.
> Achieved 2–4x ROAS, driving YoY increases of ~27% in impressions, ~21% in purchases, and ~10% in attributed revenue through proactive optimizations, strategic ad testing, real-time adjustments, operational improvements, and targeted expansion into niche platforms.

{Email + SMS + Lifecycle}
> Owned the email/SMS and loyalty/reviews/UGC platform (Yotpo) end-to-end.
> Grew the subscriber list from 11K to 24K+, increased email-attributed revenue 22%, lifted order volume 42%, and improved ROI from 8x to 29x.
> Negotiated a ~61% platform cost reduction during annual contract renewal.
> Troubleshot and rebuilt the critical flows to keep the revenue engine running during the brand's highest-stakes sales window when automated email flows broke mid-season ahead of Black Friday

{Online + Offline Integration}
> Connected digital and in-person brand experiences: product QR codes linking to care & maintenance landing pages, a consumer-facing sweepstakes activation at Austin Food & Wine Festival, Drew Barrymore show redemption fulfillment, LA fires product replacement program, and sponsorship giveaway redemption processes.

{PR + Partnerships}
> Spearheaded PR opportunities including 'best of' award nominations across platforms, ghostwriting for leadership to be quoted in trade publications, and podcast sponsorship outreach with relevant creators like Molly Baz and @wishbonekitchen.




[ THE REVIEWS ]
"I had the privilege of working closely with Wendi on a cross-functional Ecomm/Marketing team for two years, and she quickly became the kind of creative partner you can trust with absolutely anything. She brings a level of taste, intuition, and brand sensitivity that you simply cannot teach.

Wendi played a pivotal role in building a new brand's visual identity from the ground up, approaching every decision with a thoughtful and strategic eye. She also had an exceptional ability to stay on top of digital trends and translate them into relevant creative.

What I appreciated the most about Wendi was her willingness to jump in wherever she was needed. Whether it was a last-minute pivot or a project outside her formal responsibilities, Wendi was someone we could always count on. She was dependable, collaborative, and a great teammate. Any team would be lucky to have Wendi."

- Lauren Soules, Director Of Strategic Channels


"Wendi is a gifted collaborator. She has a keen understanding of brand building and sales strategy. Wendi has a solid understanding of digital marketing and how to translate metrics into strategies. Her adaptive nature makes her a valuable team player who is able to handle erratic work flows and tight deadlines.
Wendi's humor and style always bring great energy to the tasks at hand. I highly recommend her."

- Adam Fischer, Vice President of Brand