Aug 2019 - Sept 2023

Thistle Farms

Sr. Director of Marketing

Thistle Farms Overview

A Nashville-based, globally minded nonprofit serving women survivors of trafficking and exploitation. The social enterprises create meaningful employment for survivors and fund the 2-year residential program.

97% Organizational Growth

Over 4 Years

ThistleFarms.org

49% DTC eCommerce Growth

Website supports program, fundraising, events, and corporate gifts.

• 95 Evergreen and 400 Seasonal Skus

• Shopify Plus with 2.0 Theme

  • 43% Site Visitor Increase

    $70K annual advertising budget maximized through brand collaborations, earned media, influencers, and PPC.

  • 3.8% (+37%) Conversion Rate

    Through navigation changes, collection management, mission content, listing optimization, and photography elevation.

  • $85 (+35%) Average Order Value

    Through upselling, bundling, and gift sets with a higher MSRP. We also strategically and necessarily raised the free shipping threshold from $70 to $100.

  • 33% (+31%) Repeat Customers

    Through email marketing, stewardship communications, unboxing experience, and nurture campaigns.
    20% conversion rate for repeat customers.

Additional Websites

  • ThistleFarmsWholesale.org

    Customized product pages to feature case price, unit price, MSRP, and package components.

    • 51% Revenue Increase

    • 9.3% Conversion (post-login)

    • $587 Average Order Value

  • TheCafeAtThistleFarms.org

    Relaunched site March 2020 to adapt for local pickup and delivery services.

    • 138% Site Increase (from 40K to 94K) Over 3 Years

  • BeccaStevens.org

    Relaunched for book launch Sept 2020 and refreshed Sept 2023.

    • +165% Site Visitors in 2 Years

    • +300% Email List Growth

    Growth from topical Landing Pages, Lead Forms and PPC Campaign.

Leadership

Grew Team From 4 To 11 Roles

2019: 4 Roles. Average Salary $45k

Marketing salaries, tools, and advertising were only held against the product P&L. Resources were slim, team members were green, burnout was high, and business unit expectations were unattainable. 

To address, I positioned the team as an agency, allocating salaries and every dollar to the business unit P&L it supported. 

2023: 11 Roles. Average Salary $65K

2023 Marketing Strategy

EOS Strategy Tracker

  • 1. Elevate Organizational Presence

  • 2. Generate Awareness and Drive Revenue

  • 3. Build Loyalty and Engagement

1 3
EOS Strategy Tracker

Organizational Rebrand

The Goal: Embody the joy of our organization, while elevating our branding and packaging.

Our volume precluded custom vessels and closures, so we carefully sought accessible components with elevated touches:

  • From Cylinder To Boston Round
  • From Shinny White Closures To Matte Black

The cost of the elevated materials were within $5 of the previous packaging’s annual cost.

The revenue increase for the rebranded products ranges from 25-66%.

More Rebrand Insights

Earned Media

100+ Earned Media Placements and Collaborations Annually

At times, we leveraged a PR agency, but over the last 2 years earned media and partnership opportunities were managed inhouse.

  • Brahmin

    The purse brand has donated 350 bags to create gift sets and drives PR and email traffic to sell out each collaboration.

  • Jon Acuff

    Jon lovingly berates his tribe into purchasing 500+ candles each holiday. 

    View Microsite 

  • Brandi Carlile

    Custom candle to support Brandi’s book, “Broken Horses” and Concert Fundraiser with John Prine.

  • Kelly Clarkson

    Kelly has featured Thistle Farms and Becca 7 times in the last 3 years.

    Watch Excerpt 

  • Katie Couric

    Katie has featured Thistle Farms 11 times in 4 years, including gifting $20,000 when she stopped at the Ryman for her book tour in 2021.