Nice things people have said about me

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+ Olympian conceptual talent… strategic dousing rod… persuasive advocate… seer of culture and context… near-instantaneous processing speed…rapier-sharp taste and judgment. Rarely do the ad gods confer their gifts so freely. She's a goddam phenom - Greg DiNoto, CEO DiNoto

+ An amazing ECD - Samira Ansari, CCO Ogilvy NY

+ Liz's superpowers start with people - she talks, she listens and she understands. The thing that stands out for me about her concepts and her copy is that it always feels real, human...and right. I'm always hoping for creative leaders that push me and make me better - that's Liz at her core. - Jayme Maultasch, Managing Director, DNY

+ I can attest not only to her obvious creative excellence, but also the strength of her strategic thinking and collaboration skills. She really dived into the consumer understanding that we had and attended literally every piece of consumer research that we were undertaking, which is a level of dedication not always seen from senior creatives. I'd be delighted to work with Liz again. - James Kenney, Global Marketing Lead, Galderma (Cetaphil)

+ Liz is one of the smartest, most capable creatives I’ve worked with. She’s the kind of person you can bring in to lead a pitch/account, because she’s as strategic and thoughtful as she is creative. - Matthew Anderson, former Chief Growth Officer, BBH; CMO, Marina Maher

+ An incredible leader, creative and human. She leads by example, collaborates closely with her team and is always pushing for the best work. Her enthusiasm is contagious and sets the tone for the rest of the team. - Allison Navon, ACD Deutsch NY

+ Aside from being wonderful to work with in every conceivable way, Liz is one of those rare creative leaders that always manages to make the work better. Wild creative ideas, fearless leadership, incredible craft and dedication to detail plus a heart of shining gold. - James Cowie, GCD, DDB Melbourne

Some things you may not get from my resume

A lifetime of experience beyond the traditional ad agency creative director path has given me a unique perspective at the intersection of branding and advertising, influencer marketing, social media, earned media/PR, and content creation.

(I've been a hyphenate since before that was a thing.)

I love helping brands connect with people in ways that benefit them both equally. I like calling people "people" and not "consumers."

In marketing and advertising, I've spent years in leadership helping agencies, startups, PR firms, and F500 marketers build brands, establish brand identities, create unified campaigns, solidify market positioning, and find their voices by combining cultural insight and audience understanding -- and audience respect -- with grounded strategic and creative thinking.

Most recently, I created and launched Cetaphil’s first global branding campaign in their 75-year history; created the brand for the mission-based charity auction startup Boundless Giving from the ground up; and launched Village Medical with a cohesive campaign that helped surpass new patient goals by 27% and earned Best In Show in the Healthcare Marketing Impact Awards. I launched Bioré pore strips, introduced cargo pants for Old Navy, rebranded Mitsubishi Motors with "Wake Up and Drive," turned Universal Studios from a theme park to a resort destination.

I co-founded the popular parenting lifestyle network Cool Mom Picks (with a successful exit in early 2024) and grew it to 1mm+ monthly visitors and nearly 1mm social followers. I have been cited as an original influencer and thought leader by Nielsen, Forbes, The NY Times, LA Times, Washington Post, People, The Daily Beast, CNN. In 2021, The NY Times lauded my site for its "more journalistic" and trusted approach in a world of will-write-for-swag websites.

I've been a frequent media personality and conference speaker, discussing marketing to women/mothers, parenting culture, social media, technology, and shopping. I've been a recurring TODAY Show guest (I taught America to Tweet, Pin, and Snap live on air) and have appeared on Nightline, CNN, HLN, The Martha Stewart Show, Meredith Vieira, GMA Live, CBS The Early Show, and local network affiliates. I have bylines in Martha Stewart, Parents, BH&G, HuffPost and more.

Most of all, I do my best to live my values through all my work, whatever it may be. That can be tough in marketing, but it's important to me.

Oh, and I am hard on my keyboards.

Things I can do for you

Helping startups and lean brands in need of a fractional CMO/CCO/CSO. Building brands, reinventing brands, refining brands, helping brands find their people, whatever the platform. Giving brands a new voice, or even their first voice. Helping a creative department find the magic in the details. Turning a category on its head. Pushing for craft. Writing literally anything (with a mostly non-ironic use of the word literally). Figuring out a sharper strategy. Cracking the new business big idea, even when you're counting the hours until the pitch. Motivating and inspiring. Bringing positive energy.

Reach out at lgumbinner[at]gmail.com