The question is less, "What has Kate Ryan done?" and more, "What hasn't Kate Ryan done?" In all of my full-time jobs, I've colored far outside the lines of my original job description to take on social media, video production, graphic design, photography, community management, freakin' data science (!), branding, and more. I don't know how to stop making things. Help.
TL;DR
Manager, Brand Content
WEEDMAPS | 2020 – Present
At Weedmaps, I manage three owned media platforms: News (our timely, culture-oriented platform), Learn (our evergreen, educational platform), and Strains (our database of ~2,000 strain descriptions). I also:
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Manage full-time and freelance writers and editors
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Manage the Weedmaps' owned content calendar
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Maintain and optimize all owned content for SEO
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Consult on brand messaging and campaigns
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Pitch and execute new brand-oriented product developments
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Support branding and content efforts with the social, lifecycle, lifestyle, product, and marketing teams
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Content Director
PROPER | 2017 — 2020
At Proper, I developed and executed a content strategy from scratch. The goal? Influence and inform cannabis consumers. Did I succeed? Check. I either wrote or edited every word on the site. But I also:
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Managed full-time and freelance teams that included writers, photographers, SEO experts, social media managers, and marketing gurus
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Managed our CMS and editorial calendar
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Pitched branded content and managed content partnerships
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Crafted a weekly industry-oriented newsletter and content newsletters
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Did some light graphic design and original photography
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Educated my coworkers on industry trends with a quarterly educational capstone presentation
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Wrote an annual trends report contextualizing company IP for consumers and industry insiders
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Wrote and edited our brand book
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Developed our brand messaging
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Increased site engagement by 100%
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Increased monthly pageviews by 600%
Senior Digital Editor
GOOD MAGAZINE | 2016 - 2017
At GOOD, I worked with both the print and digital departments to craft engaging, high-quality content. In addition to sourcing, writing, and editing online content every goddamn day. Somehow I also:
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Wrote several long-form original features for a combined readership of 16 million
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Quickly produced original video content relevant to trending news
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Grew our readership via original Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, Instagram, and Snapchat coverage
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Wrote all of the content for a special branded partnership with Google
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Contributed to an ASME award-winning package
Senior Digital Editor
ELITE DAILY | 2015 - 2016
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At Elite Daily, I went from a trending news writer to a senior editor in a matter of months. I wrote a viral piece about what time of day most people poop, but I also:
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Oversaw a small team of young journalists while writing, editing, and sourcing daily content
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Managed freelance writers and photographers
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Launched four new content verticals
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Provided live Twitter and Snapchat coverage of celebrity news, politics, local events, and one very wild 4/20 in San Francisco
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Provided high-quality long-form content to a readership of 50 million
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Skills
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SEO, Strategy, Wordpress (but really any CMS), Google Analytics, Light Graphic Design, Basic Photoshop, Haphazard Shibori, Baking (I make a deadly biscuit), Haikus
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Volunteer Work
For the past 3 years, I've been doing policy work for the Resistance Squad at the LA LGBT Center.
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