Meet the Team Spotlight: Steph English
Who is Wanashaker?
Steph English, VP of Digital Strategy
Tell us a little about yourself?
Hi there – my name is Steph. Born and raised in Philadelphia, I’m a soft pretzel enthusiast (the cheesesteaks are tasty, but the real delicacy is a good Philly soft pretzel!). I recently relocated to Southwest Florida – based out of the Fort Myers area – along with my husband, John, and our two cats, Penny and Desmond. It’s been great enjoying the sunny Florida weather and exploring all of the lovely Gulf Coast beaches, but my heart is always in Philly – especially with our recent Super Bowl win. Go Eagles! When I’m not working on creating and implementing innovative digital strategies for our clients (?), I enjoy reading (usually on a beach), running races (mostly because it’s a good excuse to go to brunch afterwards), and traveling (looking forward to exploring San Diego this spring).
How did you get into digital marketing?
In college, I was a Communications major; however, my focus was actually on journalism. Upon graduation, I found myself working for a local newspaper where I had the opportunity to cover a lot of interesting events (like the Philadelphia Crossing Guard Awards). Unfortunately, with print newspapers losing the battle to their digital counterparts, the paper I worked for shut down about 6 months after I had joined the company. I started looking for other positions and, eventually, discovered the world of digital marketing – notably, paid and organic search. After working in local search for a few years, I joined an agency located in downtown Philly. Focusing within the healthcare industry, I had the opportunity to develop and implement digital strategies for large, multi-million dollar brands. Working alongside an extremely talented team, I learned so much about digital, and I’m excited to bring that experience and expertise to our Wanashaker clients.
When did you join the Wanashaker team?
It’s exciting to say I was one of earliest members of the Wanashaker team back in November of 2016. At the time, co-founder Margaret and I realized that many of her classmates at Wharton Business School were launching start-up companies and wanted to pursue digital advertising, but they didn’t know where to turn nor did they have the funds to attract the attention of big agencies. After identifying this gap in the industry, we set out to create an agency that focused on creating smart, integrated digital strategies for small and mid-sized businesses. We always say that good things deserve to be found, and I feel very lucky to have found Wanashaker.
What is your role at Wanashaker?
Officially, I’m the Vice President of Digital Strategy, as building innovative, cohesive strategies across the digital spectrum has long been a passion of mine. That being said, Wanashaker encourages team members to continue learning and growing in their roles, so over the past few months, I’ve definitely expanded my skillset to include many additional areas – such as website design, account management, organic social, and more. As Wanashaker continues to grow in size and capability, I’m excited to see how my role on the team evolves even more!
What do you like most about working at Wanashaker?
The mission. Every day, I’m inspired by the passion from both the Wanashaker team and our clients. Working so closely with start-ups and smaller businesses has been a really special experience for me, as the hard work and dedication is so tangible. Our goal is to help these awesome new companies drive awareness, growth, and success – and it’s so fulfilling when that mission comes to life.
What three words would you use to describe working at Wanashaker?
Summed up in three words, I would describe Wanashaker as: dedicated, collaborative, and enthusiastic. We’re dedicated to working with our clients and finding ways to help them develop digital strategies that work for them. We are definitely collaborative – both internally and with our clients. We like to work with brands as through we’re an extension of their team, as if we’re their in-house marketing department. And we’re enthusiastic about what we do. We’re so excited about the opportunity to work with such cool companies and help them develop their digital presence.
What is something about you that might surprise people?
I love the beach and the water, but I can’t swim ?
Where is your favorite vacation spot?
Key West is definitely one of my favorites. Driving through the Keys to get there makes for an especially picturesque road trip. Once you arrive, you can’t beat the laid back island atmosphere, with the sounds of steel drums and roosters in the distance. Not to mention, the key lime pie and Cuban coffee! Can’t wait to visit Key West again soon!
If you were to write a book about yourself, what would you title it?
Ma’am, Are You Done With Your Plate Yet?: The Chronicles of a Slow Eater
What is your favorite quote?
One of my favorites is from Kurt Vonnegut: “I urge you to please notice when you are happy, and exclaim or murmur or think at some point, ‘If this isn’t nice, I don’t know what is.” Life can get so busy sometimes, and I think it’s always important to take a step back every now and remember that “this is nice.”
