About Seth
A Multidisciplinary Professional
Des Moines area expert for Business Strategy, Marketing, User Experience Design
Public Speaker, Coach, Voice Actor
20+ years exp
MBA + MS UXD
Master Storyteller
Ankeny, IA
01 · Experience
20 years of building things people use
Sr. Manager, Digital Content, Platforms, Analysis and User Experience
I lead Vermeer's digital marketing department: digital strategy, content and platform operations, performance analytics, and enterprise-wide adoption of UX and CX practices.
Leadership
Leading a digital marketing department · hiring, coaching, and talent development · mentoring beyond my team · budget management · connecting across the business
Strategy
Digital transformation · marketing plans and proving marketing value · market segmentation · global B2B, e-commerce, and dealer-channel marketing for equipment from $15K to $3MM
Technology
MarTech stack ownership · SAP, BigCommerce, Kentico, Bynder DAM, Campaign Monitor, Sprout Social · AI-assisted workflows and automation (n8n, Cursor)
Analytics
Recurring and ad-hoc reporting tied to OKRs · executive insight · market saturation and penetration metrics · GA4, Tag Manager, Looker, Power BI, SEMRush
UX & CX
Enterprise UX alignment across digital and physical product teams · customer journeys built around the business · research and usability testing · UX training and maturity building
Marketing
Content operations for blog, social, and PR · SEO/GEO · paid, earned, shared, and owned media · paid search and CTV · branding, video, and event production
15 Years; from Agent to Senior Marketing Consultant
Fifteen years and six roles, from selling policies in a call center to owning a partner platform as a product.
Retention Agent · 2005
Sr. Market Research Analyst · 2006
Regional Marketing Specialist · 2007
National Partnerships Marketing Manager · 2010
Partnership Marketing Operations Consultant · 2013
Marketing Product Manager · 2016
Leadership
Earning CEO buy-in · leading without authority across agencies and executive teams · difficult conversations with partner CEOs · leading multidisciplinary teams
Strategy
Affinity and partner program strategy · product vision, roadmaps, and prioritization frameworks · go-to-market planning · regional marketing plans across 20 states
Technology
Custom CMS platform delivery with agency developers · SEO with development teams · SharePoint, Trackmaven, Mailchimp · working knowledge of HTML and CSS
Analytics
Partner profitability modeling (IRR, LTV, ROI) · attribution and ROI projections · engagement metrics, NPS, and satisfaction tracking · budget forecasting · executive performance reporting
UX & CX
Customer research and personas · wireframe and prototype review · usability testing · gamified loyalty design · research-driven iteration
Marketing
Content strategy · newsletters, webinars, video, and podcasts · direct mail and lead generation · media planning across digital, print, and traditional channels
Business & Operations
Contract negotiation and divestment · project and portfolio management · budget ownership · vendor selection and management · document and data retention
Board of Directors, Marketing Chair
I served on the board and chaired marketing for the nonprofit that raises funds, awareness, and support for the Ankeny Kirkendall Public Library.
Leadership
Board governance · chairing the marketing committee · recruiting and coordinating volunteers · building consensus among fellow board members
Strategy
Strategic planning with the board · community awareness and outreach plans · aligning marketing with fundraising goals
Marketing
Promoting book sales, fundraisers, and events · social media and newsletters · messaging for members and donors · marketing on a nonprofit budget
Community
Library advocacy · partnering with library staff and local organizations · growing and engaging membership
Business & Operations
Nonprofit governance and fiduciary oversight · fundraising support · budgeting for marketing and events · working within volunteer capacity
Volunteer; Media Production, Video Editing
I volunteer on the media team, producing and editing video for services and events — the same craft I picked up running Central's campus TV show.
Production
Live service production · camera operation and switching · video editing for services and events
Creative
Visual storytelling · announcement and promotional videos · editing for pacing and emotion · graphics and titles
Technology
Video and audio equipment · editing software · livestreaming
Teamwork
Working within a volunteer crew · coordinating with worship and staff leads · delivering on a weekly deadline
02 · Education
Three degrees, one through-line
MS, User Experience Design
Kent State University
I'd spent a decade watching marketers, me included, borrow UX language without doing the legwork. Kent State's fully online program let me fix that around a full-time job and a family: research, interaction design, information architecture, usability, and accessibility. It's why I build customer journeys from real research instead of demographics.
My experience at Kent State
MBA, Technology & Innovation Management
Iowa State University
A lot of the core overlapped with what Central had already taught me, but Organizational Behavior and Ethical Leadership hit differently after five years on the job. Human-Computer Interaction was my first real look at the discipline I'd later go all in on. The part-time program in downtown Des Moines let me do it alongside work, with a colleague as a classmate.
My experience at Iowa State
BA, Business Management & Marketing
Central College
I came from a town of 700 and a graduating class of under 30, then switched majors three times: programming, MIS, and finally business with a marketing emphasis. Running the campus TV show, DMTV, and producing and voicing a spot for Central's 150th anniversary were early sparks. The liberal arts detours, from French to World Music, taught me to connect ideas that don't look connected.
My experience at Central
High School Diploma
Moravia High School · Moravia, Iowa
Fourth in my class… of twenty-eight. Student Council president, Brain Bowl captain, and the kid always out of class fixing district computers. A small school gave me room to try a bit of everything.
03 · Portfolio
Selected case studies
A few projects that show how I work: understand the people first, then design for what they actually do.
CX Strategy
Member Experience Network
Nationwide · Project lead · 2016–2019. Led the website build and all marketing and communications for a thought-leadership program teaching nonprofit partners to craft best-in-class member experiences.
View case study →
Information Architecture
Sharon Public Library redesign
Kent State UXD · Information architecture. Reworked organization, labeling, search, and navigation to make an underfunded public library's website easier to use.
View case study →
Interaction Design
10ft Interface · Streaming Media UX
Kent State UXD · Interface design. Designed sample views for a streaming TV interface, plus the remote control, to optimize usability from across the room.
View case study →
End-to-End UX
ReminderX · Productivity App
Kent State UXD · End-to-end UX. My first full project: user interviews, workflows, wireframes, and an interactive prototype for a to-do and reminders app.
View case study →
Usability
Papa John's Usability Study
Kent State UXD · UX lead · Spring 2020. Screeners, remote usability sessions, and task analysis on the desktop ordering flow, synthesized for an executive audience.
View case study →
Interaction Design
GetTogether · Find Friends to Game With
Kent State UXD · UX lead · Fall 2019. A new app concept and working prototype that helps gamers find friends they'd actually enjoy playing with.
View case study →04 · Certifications
Certifications and whatnot
I have plenty of real-world experience doing this work, but I like to confirm my skills with certification courses. There's usually a takeaway or something I haven't thought about in a while. I also do a bad job of taking screenshots, so this collection is incomplete.
Marketing
HubSpot — Digital Marketing, SEO, Inbound Marketing, Content Marketing
ANA — Content Marketing, Marketing Analytics
YouTube — Channel Growth, Content Strategy
Analytics
Google Analytics (Beginners)
ANA Marketing Analytics
UX / Behavioral Design
Gamification & Behavioral Design — Octalysis Framework (Udemy)
05 · Personality profiles
How I work, according to the tests
I'm not a big fan of personality tests, but Corporate America loves them. Here's what they say about how I work. Fair warning: I'm one of those outliers the system doesn't like.
DISC & Motivators
C/CS
I value data and diplomacy, respect the rules without being paralyzed by them, and dislike confusion and ambiguity. What drives me: learning for its own sake, helping others grow, and independence. Money barely registers.
What motivates me
Workplace Big Five
The calm explorer
Calm under pressure and quick to shift into problem-solving mode. I prefer focused solo work (and writing over talking), love new ideas and strategy, defer to the team to keep things moving, and juggle several projects at once, occasionally to a fault.
My five traits
CliftonStrengths · Top 5
1 · Learner
2 · Deliberative
3 · Strategic
4 · Adaptability
5 · Intellection
The process of learning excites me more than the outcome. I weigh decisions carefully, spot patterns and alternate routes quickly, and roll with it when the plan changes.
Myers-Briggs
INTP
I see everything in terms of how it could be improved. I'm happiest analyzing a hard problem and finding the pattern in it. Shy with strangers, gregarious once I know you.
Trust Quotient
Strength: low self-orientation
I earn trust by focusing on other people's goals instead of my own. My growth area is letting people in and sharing more of what I'm thinking.