About
Hi, I'm Lori.
Born and raised in Northern Ontario (Canada, for any global friends), I'm a former Marketing 9 to 5er turned freelancer living with my husband and son in Edmonton, Alberta (even further north but still in Canada).
Since graduating with an Honours degree in Business, I've worked for big companies and well-respected global brands you've actually heard of, including BlackBerry, KPMG, and Wiley. My experience means I'm comfortable working for different types of businesses and industries—in fact, I love the challenge of applying marketing concepts and strategies to new environments. It keeps me on my toes!
Throughout my career, I've always worked as a marketing generalist (doer of many things) rather than a specialist (expert at one thing). Think of me as a marketing agency for my internal clients, whether product managers, senior partners or cross-functional teams. With their goals in mind, I create and execute marketing plans using a variety of strategies to get results.
I don't shy away from the dirty work, so pride myself on being equal parts planner and doer. Depending on the company and project, this may include branding, content marketing, email marketing, social media marketing, advertising, or sponsorship and events.
After 20 years of working for other companies, I'm going out on my own, dedicated to helping big-hearted small businesses and solopreneurs spread the word about their good works.
Big companies have big everythings: big teams, big budgets, big advantages.
Small businesses don't have these things, but they still have big dreams.
At this age, and stage of my career, these are the people I want to serve.
People just like me.
I want to give them every advantage of my 20 years of corporate marketing experience
to help them realize their big dreams.
Who knows? I might just realize my own in the process.
I believe less is
(so much) more.
It takes a lot to cut through the clutter. That's why I focus on doing fewer things on a bigger scale and consistent basis.
I balance the science,
and the art.
Numbers matter so I use data to inform but also want to produce work that's enjoyable to look at, read, and experience.
I value your time
and money.
I focus on the highest impact strategies only in a step-by-step, first-things-first approach to best manage your time (and cash flow!).
I keep the customer
at the centre.
That's you, as my client, and also your target audience. Neither is very far from my mind and I design everything around them.
I start with strategy.
Crawl, walk, run is my philosophy so before we execute, I'll make sure your brand and marketing strategies are in place.
I think big.
It's easy to zoom in on one thing (ahem, social media) but I look at the big picture (and all options) to create a plan that's right for you.
I value collaboration.
You're the expert on your business so you'll need to participate and talk about your product, service or idea, customer and more.
I tell the truth.
I won't lie about my experience or what I think about your website. I'll tell you (politely, always) and expect the same in return.
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Number of places I've lived in: five (including Australia)
Favourite day of the week: Thursday
Things I love: Cool Ranch Doritos, my folding Ray-Ban® sunglasses, champagne, travel
Special skill: making dinner out of random ingredients
First car: an Oldsmobile Alero, which I bought without having a job or knowing how to drive standard
Happy place: the couch in my mother’s basement
Dislikes: dill pickles, wasting limited resources (time, food, water), violent movies
JANUARY 2002
SEPTEMBER 2003
SEPTEMBER 2004
APRIL 2012
JUNE 2015
MARCH 2019
MAY 2022
I'm in university in Waterloo, Ontario (big city for a small town girl!) and pursuing a degree in Business Administration. I start my second co-op (or paid internship) at BlackBerry, the tech giant that just so happens to be based in Waterloo, too. It will be the start of a beautiful friendship.
I graduate and the tech bubble has officially burst. BlackBerry has its first layoff during my third co-op term in November 2002, so there's no job for me. I take an entry level marketing job at a small tech company in Toronto, Ontario (a really big city for a small town girl!).
My old boss at BlackBerry calls, and I come running. I spend nearly eight years there, working up to being the VP's right hand. I end up in advertising, where I'm spoiled with fancy hotels, celebrities, and million dollar budgets. It's the most challenging, thrilling and all-consuming period of my career but eventually, the music stops and it's time to go.
Looking for a fresh start, I trade tech for consulting, taking a marketing role at the global firm, KPMG. I wear suits every day, see Suits filming in the lobby, and get to travel business class. On paper, everything is copacetic but on the inside, I feel a change coming. A big one.
After a brief sabbatical, including a three-month trek across the Americas, I start in the marketing department at the global publisher Wiley in Melbourne, Australia. My Aussie husband and I need a break from Toronto traffic so we spend a near perfect three years living in a warehouse loft off Sydney Road. Eventually, it's time to come home.
I return from maternity leave to take a senior marketing role at the local library after relocating to Edmonton for my husband's job. I've always been a frequent library visitor, whether to check out the latest Nancy Drew (then) or self-help book (now). Almost a year to the day I started, COVID-19 hits and well, you know the rest.
Like for many people, the pandemic kicks my ass. Even with the benefit of working from home (which I've come to depend on), I'm struggling to enjoy life as a full-time working mother. While I love my job, I need flexibility. After years of debate and doubt, I hang up my shingle and Lori Blahey Communications is officially open for business.
