Marketing & Brand Strategist, Syracuse, NY

Clarity, consistency,
and culture.

I do my best work where strategy and storytelling come together, making sure every campaign, every message, and every touchpoint earns trust before it ever asks for anything.

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About Me

How I got here.

From the soccer field to the marketing initiatives I now lead, one idea has stayed central to how I work: organizations grow strongest when people are aligned around a shared identity and purpose. My years as a college athlete and coach taught me that leadership is less about title and more about clarity, consistency, and culture. That foundation has carried into every marketing role I've held.

Today I lead multi-channel B2B and B2C campaigns that sit at the intersection of strategy and execution. That means building messaging frameworks, guiding creative direction, and translating complex offerings into clear, compelling stories for both technical and non-technical audiences. I focus on making value easy to understand and easy to trust.

I'm based in Syracuse, NY, and that connection to Central New York is more than geography. It shapes how I think about community, authenticity, and the kind of marketing that actually means something to real people.

5+years in marketing
Marketing Philosophy

How I think about marketing.

"Strong organizations build credibility not just through the services they deliver, but through how consistently and authentically they show up: in their messaging, their community, and their culture."
80/20
The Content Rule

80% of content should educate, entertain, or add genuine value. Only 20% should sell. Audiences follow brands that give before they take, and they buy from brands they've learned to trust over time.

01
Value Easy to Trust

The best marketing makes complex, service-based offerings feel clear and human. I focus on translating what organizations do into language that resonates, for technical and non-technical audiences alike.

02
Strategy Meets Execution

I work at the intersection of strategic direction and hands-on leadership. Setting the vision matters, but so does rolling up your sleeves and shaping the work itself. Both have to live in the same person.

03
People Are the Story

The strongest brand content doesn't come from a campaign. It comes from the people living the work every day. That's true whether you're talking about your team, your customers, or the community you serve. When you invest in those people, highlight their voices, and put them at the center of your story, you build the kind of trust no ad budget can replicate. The brands that last show up for real people, consistently.

Portfolio

Selected work.

Social Media
Apartment Complex Lifestyle Instagram Grid

Built and ran the Instagram presence for a brand-new apartment complex with no ad budget, using only the property website and this page as channels. The lifestyle-driven grid did the selling: every apartment leased within two months of launch, along with the building's commercial spaces for local businesses.

$0
Ad budget
2 Months
To fully leased
Social Media
Rapid Response Monitoring Employer Brand Instagram

Built and run the employee-facing Instagram for Rapid Response Monitoring, an employer-brand channel aimed at prospective Specialists and our Dealers. The grid leads with our people: employee spotlights, work anniversaries and milestones, benefits and perks, and community involvement, all working together to show who we are and why people build careers here.

People-First
Content strategy
Employer Brand
Recruitment & culture
Social Media
Powell Lacrosse Instagram Grid Design

Art-directed the Instagram grid for Powell Lacrosse, treating the page itself as a canvas. Around each new stick release and event announcement, I designed cohesive multi-post moments, full-bleed grid takeovers and themed mosaics, so a product drop or the camp tour lineup landed as one striking visual story instead of scattered posts.

Grid-as-Canvas
Design approach
Launch Moments
Releases & events
Volunteer / Community
Radiothon for Kids 2026, Upstate Golisano Children's Hospital

Volunteered my time as both photographer and promoter for the Upstate Golisano Children's Hospital Radiothon for Kids, a fundraising event held live on NewsRadio 570 WSYR. I captured photo and video content throughout the day and helped build awareness ahead of the event through social promotion. The event raised $285,318 for children in our community. This is the kind of work I believe marketers should show up for.

View full gallery →
$285,318
Raised for Kids
Pro Bono
Volunteer Work
Watch Event Footage
Volunteer / Community
Triumph Over Stroke & Brainwave Bash, Crouse Hospital

Volunteered as photographer for Crouse Hospital's Triumph Over Stroke support group, capturing guest speaker sessions at their monthly meetings and their annual fundraising event, Brainwave Bash. Provided professional photo coverage at no cost to help the group document their community, share their story, and promote future events.

View full gallery →
Pro Bono
Volunteer Work
2 Events
Covered
View Full Album
Volunteer / Community
Beer for Good, Food Bank of Central New York

Volunteered as photographer and videographer for Beer for Good, a Music Bingo fundraiser held at Talking Cursive Brewing Co. in Syracuse, benefiting the Food Bank of Central New York. Captured the energy of the evening to help document the event's impact and provide content the organizers could use for future promotional efforts.

View full gallery →
Pro Bono
Volunteer Work
Food Bank CNY
Beneficiary
View Full Album
Email Marketing
Powell Lacrosse Email Campaigns

Designed and built email campaigns for Powell Lacrosse in Mailchimp, pairing strong product photography with clean, mobile-first layouts. Each send was written in the brand's voice and built to feel like it came from players, not a marketing department. Campaigns supported product launches and kept the community engaged between drops.

Brand Photography
Parker Walsh Team Brand Shoot

Directed, produced, and edited a full brand photography campaign for the Parker Walsh Team of Keller Williams in Norwich, NY. Rather than the standard headshot-in-front-of-a-sold-sign approach, the concept was built around who their clients actually are: people rooted in rural Central New York. Shoots took place at a local longhorn steer farm and around downtown Norwich, giving each agent something personal and unexpected. Delivered across new business cards, print ads, Instagram, Facebook, and individual agent LinkedIn profiles.

View full gallery →
10
Agents Shot
4 Channels
Distribution
Add project image here
Recommended: 1200×675px
Photography, Video & Campaigns
Powell Lacrosse Product Line Launch

Directed, filmed, and edited a full product shoot for Powell Lacrosse's newest stick collection, including signature limited editions: the Earth Stick, Wanda, the Lagoon, The Rain Dog, and the War Elephant, plus a new lacrosse-specific backpack. Content was deployed across the website at launch and seeded on social to build hype leading into release.

6
Products Shot
Web + Social
Distribution
By the Numbers

Results that speak for themselves.

+565%
Social media engagement growth in 90 days
+75%
Social reach increase at Powell Lacrosse
+15%
Annual event attendance growth, year-over-year
2,000+
New followers gained in a single 90-day campaign
Experience

Where I've built my craft.

My work sits at the intersection of strategy and execution. That means developing messaging frameworks, guiding multi-channel campaigns, and leading teams toward a shared brand identity that earns trust at every touchpoint.

Jun 2024 – Present
Rapid Response Monitoring
Lead Digital Marketing Specialist

Lead the development and execution of multi-channel digital marketing strategies across social, email, web, and paid advertising, driving B2B/B2C brand visibility and lead generation. Collaborate directly with senior leadership to align marketing initiatives with business development goals, and guide cross-functional teams toward a unified, consistent brand voice. Own the full multimedia content pipeline: video production, graphic design, newsletters, and the internal communications calendar.

Cross-Functional Leadership Multi-Channel Strategy SEO Paid Ads Content Production Brand Voice
Nov 2022 – Jun 2024
Powell Lacrosse
Director of Marketing & Events

Directed all digital, print, and web marketing for national youth lacrosse programs and ecommerce, with a focus on storytelling and consistent brand identity. Built and led an events team of part-time staff, camp directors, and coaches across 45+ annual events, overseeing logistics, staffing, vendor relations, and budget management. Grew event attendance 15% year-over-year through integrated B2C campaigns, achieving +75% social reach, 565% engagement growth, and 2,000+ new followers in a single 90-day span.

Team Leadership Event Operations B2C Campaigns Budget Management Vendor Relations Social Growth
Dec 2021 – Present
Grow With Grace Marketing
Freelance Marketing Consultant

Owner and operator of an independent marketing consultancy serving clients across multiple industries on a part-time basis. Provide tailored marketing services based on each client's needs, from social media strategy and content creation to email marketing, brand development, and campaign planning. Built and maintained client relationships with a focus on delivering measurable results and flexible, high-quality support.

Freelance Consulting Multi-Industry Experience Social Media Content Creation Brand Development Client Relations
Leadership

How I lead.

My approach to leadership was shaped long before I had a title. As a college athlete, team captain, and coach, I learned that the strongest teams aren't built on authority. They're built on clarity, consistency, and a culture people actually want to be part of. That foundation follows me into everything I do.

Clarity Over Command
Leadership is less about title and more about direction.

I lead by making sure people understand the why behind the work, not just the what. At Powell Lacrosse, that meant aligning 45+ events' worth of staff, coaches, and directors around a brand vision they could carry into every interaction, not just execute on paper. When people understand where you're going and why it matters, they stop needing to be managed and start leading themselves.

Empathy First
I listen before I create direction.

The best campaigns, and the best teams, start with understanding the people involved. Whether I'm working with a cross-functional team to develop a brand voice or building a campaign for a local business, I lead with empathy: listening first, then crafting direction that makes sense for both the team and the audience it's meant to serve.

Strategy & Sleeves
I set direction and then help shape the work.

I thrive at the intersection of leadership and execution. Setting strategy matters, but so does rolling up your sleeves when it counts. I manage budgets, vendor relationships, content calendars, and creative pipelines right alongside the people doing the work, because the best leaders don't disappear once the plan is made.

Rooted in Community
Leadership extends beyond the office.

Through CNYSME, CNY Professionals Under 40, the Greg Shelley Leadership Academy, and community volunteer photography work, I stay connected to the region I call home. That presence isn't just personal. It makes me a sharper marketer and a more grounded leader, because I genuinely understand the communities I'm helping organizations show up for.

Education

Foundation & formation.

Graduate Coursework
Athletic Leadership
Castleton University
12 Credits Completed · Currently seeking to continue at a new institution
During this period
Graduate Assistant, Conferences & Events · Supported logistics, marketing, and communications for institutional and hosted events
Bachelor's Degree
B.B.A. in Business Administration, Marketing
SUNY Morrisville
Graduated May 2020 · President's List, Dean's List, Athletic Honor Roll
During this period
2017–2020 Captain, Women's Soccer Team & Student Athletic Advisory Representative
Professional Development

Certifications & training.

Certification
Google Analytics 4
Google Skillshop
Certification
Digital Marketing Associate
Meta Blueprint
Certification
SEO & Digital Marketing
Semrush Academy
Certifications
Social Media Marketing & Talkwalker Social Listening
Hootsuite Academy & Talkwalker Academy
Certifications
Creative Cloud Professional & Canva Design
Adobe & Canva
Certification
CRM & Marketing Automation
Zoho
Recognition & Involvement

Community & professional recognition.

Member, Central New York Sales & Marketing Executives
CNYSME
Current
Member, CNY Professionals Under 40
CNY Professionals
Current
Greg Shelley, PhD, Leadership Academy
Leadership Development Program
Current
Community Volunteer Photographer & Videographer
Syracuse, NY
Ongoing
Captain, Women's Soccer Team & Student Athletic Advisory Representative
SUNY Morrisville
2020
Contact

Let's make something great together.

Open to freelance projects, full-time roles, and collaborations.

mgfazio53@gmail.com