Nancy Chen
Lifecycle & Email Marketer / Content Creator / Fitness Instructor
Brooklyn, NY
www.nancylinchen.com
instagram @nancy.lin.chen
instagram @theartofbeinghumanpod
Q What do you do?
“Customer-first marketing.”
I work with mission-driven companies that help impact the world in a meaningful and positive manner and help them build a customer-driven retention and marketing strategy, with a focus on email, SMS, loyalty, and branding.
Q What steps did you take to get to where you are now?
I’ve always felt driven by the need to enact positive change in the world in any way I can. I actually was committed to going the pre-med or the psychiatry route, until my dad convinced me to listen to Northeastern University’s dean of International Business pitch me on their program.
And I was sold.
As I went through college, I realized that marketing allowed me to tap into my creative side, yet also tied in psychology and analytics as well. So I actually did study marketing with a minor in Psychology and Economics in college, but as I started working full-time, it became clear that I only felt aligned with marketing for companies whose missions I truly believed in. ButcherBox was my first job out of college (not counting the various internships I had done, which had allowed me to do everything from content marketing to measurement and analytics, to social media and digital marketing, and finally to demand generation and email marketing). I was ButcherBox’s first (and for a while, sole) email and lifecycle marketer, and we worked as a small, scrappy team in the basement of a Harvard Square building. It was an amazing foundation and kickstarted my career of building and growing email and retention programs for startups.
Q How do you stand out in your field?
As a content creator in the health and wellness space and an experienced marketer from different startups, I have the unique ability to see both sides of marketing — from the consumer’s POV and the brand POV. With connections on both the consumer and the business side, I’m able to tap into the holistic picture and truly provide the ultimate consumer journey experience.
Q What are you working on right now?
I’m working with some amazing pre-launch startups who are truly revolutionizing their niches in the health and wellness space, and I’m so excited to see them launch.
Q What’s your style?
My work is driven by purpose. It’s people, planet, and giving back first.
Q Out of all your slashies, which one do you wish you could do more often?
Not only am I a marketer, but I’m also a fitness professional! I teach boxing and yoga, and even though I’m almost done with my 300-hour yoga teacher training, I still wish I could spend more time in the yoga / meditation aspect of it all (both as a teacher and in that industry as a marketer).
Q What is frustrating you right now?
I’ve just switched from doing freelancing / consulting as a side hustle to my full-time hustle, so it all feels new and not quite frustrating, but it definitely is challenging navigating this full-time consulting lifestyle (somehow it feels like I have more to do?), but I’m glad I now can dedicate more of my time here.
Q If you could hire someone for $20/hour, what would you have them do to make your day easier?
Taking care of the “urgent but not important” tasks on my to-do list — things like running necessary errands.
Q What do you wish you could have told yourself, when, and why?
I would’ve told past me that it’s okay not to follow a path that someone else has set for me and that where I am at any moment is not where I’ll be forever.
It took a long time and a lot of struggle to learn to follow my own gut, my own path and make decisions that were for me, not anyone else, but it’s one of the most important lessons I’ve learned so far.
Q If you could talk to an expert to gain more insight on something, what would it be about?
Honestly, real estate investing. My dad is really into it and has some investment properties, so I definitely need to tap into his expertise!
Q What kind of opportunities/projects are you looking for?
Both my expertise and my passions are in building email + SMS programs either from the ground up (I’ve worked with a few pre-launch startups and helped them through launch) or with completely coming in and helping audit and revamp email + SMS programs.
Email + SMS always sit at a unique intersection of brand, creativity, and growth, but are completely owned channels, so these programs not only have a huge impact on companies’ bottom line but also allow you to control the customer journey almost fully.
Q Describe your ideal job/client/collaboration.
I’ve been really lucky to have worked with clients whose products and missions really align with mine, and it’s been an honor to help them build marketing programs that allow them to grow and create the impact they want.
Q: What is your rate?
I don’t work on an hourly basis, but I do have a retainer rate (starting at $1000 / month depending on what a client needs) and project-based rates (one common example is a $1500 full email audit).
Q How should someone approach you about working together?
Feel free to email me! I’m happy to chat and set up an intro call.
Q Who is a creative you admire?
My old coworker Hannah Chapman! She’s an amazing Creative Director and is so smart and intentional about branding and creativity.
Q Oh! and… how do you stay creative?
Alone time (especially in nature) and mindful movement.
This member profile was originally published in April 2022.