Tiffany Napper

When I set out to spread my wings in early 2011, one of the first projects I accepted was the Unit Publicist for a Hollywood film starring Rose McGowan. I was asked to bring my creative, social campaign thinking to their promotional efforts, and we filmed and released daily videos to build hype and help land covers and features in the industry's biggest publications. I continued working in the music industry, representing Live Nation, Grandmaster Flash, Marc Cohn, Hot 8 Brass Band, Flow Tribe, Maggie Koerner, Robin Barnes, and more over the years. Other creatives also trusted us to secure their press and accolades, including Rebecca Rebouche, who earned the cover of Garden & Gun under our public relations guidance. But no matter if we were working on concert promotion for Live Nation or hearing aids promotion for Signia, we always operated from a customer-first mentality, constantly asking ourselves how we can stand out in their eye and exceed their expectations. With full-service branding and social media offerings under our umbrella, we were always more than smart press releases. We ensured that your online branding, your social media strategy, and your PR strategy all told a cohesive - and riveting - story. We took pride in creating multi-faceted campaigns that took your brand to the next level and connected you to the right audience. In 2020, I was asked to host a workshop and teach other creatives how to get through what we thought would be a short, unusual season. Thus my coaching and consulting practice was born, along with the Upleveler Society, a membership for creative businesswomen. I’m not here for singular success - one profitable year, one good launch. I'm here to teach others how to create businesses that are sustainable and, dare I say it, fun. We can work together 1:1, in a group program, or through my innovative Momentous Mastermind, which combines business coaching, branding, and PR guidance to help you take up even more space.

Sitting in my New Orleans kitchen, I became aware that the NFL would be implementing a handbag policy for the upcoming season. As a loyal Saints fan, I did a quick Google search for more details, took a tape measure to my handbag collection, and realized I didn't have anything that fit the stipulations. Another online search showed me that there wasn't much out there that *did* meet the requirements, and the few clear handbags I could find weren't very cute. So I commissioned someone on eBay to design a quick sketch, and that's how I became a handbag designer. I created one of the very first clear bags in the marketplace that met the stadium regulations, which earned me a fast following and national press attention. It also caught the eye of the NFL. I was honored to provide handbags for their owner's conventions, sell in their Superbowl pop-up locations, and be featured on their NFL Headquarters' shelves in NYC. The swift success of Flying Fox (originally Bats on Tees) also earned me a spot with the Idea Village's Big Idea incubator program and granted me access to a Shark Tank success story as a mentor. (If you're wondering, the eBay relationship, though sweet, was quickly outgrown, and our manufacturing facility moved to New Jersey.) Using my music industry background, we were creative with our marketing endeavors, and we took Flying Fox on tour for pop-ups at our most loyal boutiques, we created a Flying Foxy influencer campaign that tapped into sorority leaders across campuses, and we collaborated with other designers to grow our reach, including Krewe and Dirty Coast. Running Flying Fox taught me countless skills specific to product-based businesses, and it allowed me to express myself creatively through a physical medium: PVC and leather. Nearly 5 years of fun and lessons later, I decided to close the doors so that I could give my full attention to helping other creative entities grow their reach through my PR + branding agency.

I was thrilled to continue my time with Yamaha as a contractor and further flourish in the roles that I loved most: creative direction, public relations, and marketing. In 2011, I spent weeks at a time in Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas as we worked with Sir Elton John's team to bring "The Million Dollar Piano" show to life. In 2012, I was part of a small team tasked with launching Yamaha Entertainment Group, a record label. This took the world's largest musical instrument manufacturing company into uncharted territory and ushered in my first experience promoting an album from ground zero. I planned, led and orchestrated a campaign that took the label's first artist, a British rock 'n' roll band, on tour to SXSW. Every component of the trip was branded, filmed, and documented for social media purposes, and it culminated with Yamaha's new band, Leogun, headlining a Yamaha showcase in Austin, TX. I also worked on campaigns for Nathan East, Josh Groban, Elton John, Alicia Keys, Colbie Caillat, and The Muppets to name a few. I orchestrated social media sweepstakes to grow awareness and cultivate fan experiences, collaborated with influencers to promote new product launches, and quickly grew Yamaha's social media presence to over 100,000 likes. Ultimately my role with Yamaha allowed me to combine all of my skills: creative direction, branding, marketing, public relations, social media strategy, live concert production, and video production. Here is a quick peek at the skills I developed in this role: • Marketing • Branding • Creative Direction • Public Relations • Social Media + Digital Marketing • Video Production • Concert Production • Artist Liaison • Editorial Management

Once I chose Nashville as my destination, the music industry was at the top of my wish list. I was ready to spread my creative wings, and I quickly secured my seat at one of the most coveted musical enterprises in town, Yamaha. This position with Yamaha's artist relations division allowed me to further develop not only my public relations skills but also my marketing and creative skills. In this role, I interviewed Elton John, orchestrated a press conference with Alicia Keys, and launched the first social media account for Yamaha on Facebook. I also honed my video production coordinator and interviewee skills and learned just how fun, albeit stressful, live concert production can be. I was tasked with launching a video production arm to take fans deeper into the world of Yamaha artists. What started as a small two-person show with myself and one cameraman is now a full-fledged Emmy award-winning video production agency under the Yamaha Entertainment Group umbrella. In 2011, I opened my own agency (then Bats on Strings, now self-named), but I stayed on with Yamaha for another 7 years, bringing my full residency with them to more than 10 years. Here's a quick peek at some of the tasks I did in those first few years before becoming a contract team member: • Led promotional campaigns and content creation • Launched the first social media channel for Yamaha (Facebook) • Served as creative director and producer for live concert and video productions • Managed web developer and maintained five websites • Wrote news releases and secured media hits to raise artist + brand awareness • Planned and drove the award-winning "All Access" magazine; managed the design and production process • Served as producer and interviewer for video production featuring artists • Led and motivated video production editors

As an Editor at Gannett, I had daily contact with public relations professionals for the first time, and I started to sense that a PR role was more in line with my goals and visions. So I relocated to New Orleans as the Communications & Marketing Specialist for the American Cancer Society, one of the largest nonprofits in the world. In this role, I quickly thrived, landing a cover story in the Living Section within my first few months, and earning Shining Star awards on a regular basis. I loved the branding and storytelling component of this role more than anything and enjoyed making connections with media outlets to increase the reach and influence of the American Cancer Society. In this role, I... • Implemented branding guidelines; Protected and enhanced the image of the Society • Secured media hits and sponsorships; Wrote news releases, alerts and newsletter stories • Trained volunteers in the Society’s mission and media relations But perhaps the most momentous part of my career with ACS was the opening of the Hope Lodge, the first building to be resurrected after Hurricane Katrina. This campaign was about more than the opening of a building - it was a sign of progress and of hope for a city that was brought to its knees. And personally, it allowed me the chance to secure national media coverage during my first year as a PR specialist. Unfortunately, the devastation of the city around me did take a toll, and after the Hope Lodge campaign came to a successful end, I started setting my sights on a city that wasn't quite so crippled and unsafe. Nashville was next!

With a prized Journalism degree under my belt, I was thrilled to land a job with Gannett, the largest newspaper publisher in the U.S. Not only that, but I secured the role of Editor for a weekly paper that covered the Gulf Coast: Perdido Key, Orange Beach, and Gulf Shores. Talk about a dream gig! And it truly was. I excitedly ramped up the branding and influence of the publication and brought some flair to the cover stories, adding in topics like "Inside the Gulf Coast's Largest Yachts" and "Where Do These Tigers Come From?" My goal was to increase circulation by appealing to both tourists and locals alike, and I did that through creative cover stories, elevated imagery, and exciting advertising designs. I worked closely with the sales team to maximize the earnings potential of the magazine in a way that aligned naturally with the editorial direction without compromising the integrity of the publication. We never fell below an 80-page publication during my duration, and at times crept up into 120+ pages due to increased advertising sales. As Editor of a weekly publication, I wore the hat of: • Writer • Creative Director of Ad Design Team • Photographer • Manager of freelance staff of writers and photographers

Cumulative GPA: 3.70 / 4.0 Major GPA: 4.0 / 4.0