Blake Larsen
Chief Of Operations | Content Strategist | Business Developer | Digital Marketer
Cranston,RI
Websites
Summary
Talented, forward thinking and strategic Chief Of Operations with excellent employee development, expertise in trend identification, and analytics skills coupled with more than 18 years of experience. Comfortable giving engaging presentations to clients, driving new business, delivering fresh content, and establishing brand profile to delight target audiences. Excellent team builder, leader of initiatives and business strategist.
Quote
Progress depends on our changing the world to fit us; not the other way around.
Joe MacMillan | Halt And Catch Fire
Overview
18
18
years of professional experience
Work History
Chief Operating Officer
USA Development
Taunton, MN
01.2005 - Current
- Oversee real estate acquisition and development and operations for privately held enterprise with 10 shopping centers and 7 retail franchises.
- Hire, lead, and develop 150-member operations and management team.
- Direct contract development and negotiation, full- scope facility remodels, and stakeholder engagement.
- Retooled business strategy and technology systems to return underperforming storage facility to profitability.
- Revamped business model for location struggling due to encroaching competition, achieving first year of positive cash flow since purchase.
- Fashioned new processes for all Dunkin' employees to ensure uniform training models and decreased turnover rate by 10%.
- Overcame construction, permitting, and location challenges to expand portfolio.
- Managed 10 member crew responsible for property maintenance and new construction projects which directly led to addition of 3 new buildings to company portfolio.
- Assembled and motivated teams to optimize performance and revenue, including providing leadership to 1 of Massachusetts highest-grossing Dunkin' franchises.
- Refined organizational structure to consolidate, streamline and delineate necessary functions.
- Oversaw operations and coordinated with managers to increase quarterly profits by 6.25%.
- Collaborated with President and General Managers to develop and implement recommendations for service improvement.
- Negotiated and drafted contracts with business partners, clients and vendors, saving company over $20,000.
- Led operational oversight and budgetary supervision for 7 Dunkin' locations.
- Aligned organizational objectives with company mission, increasing revenue, profit and business growth by collaboratively developing integrated strategies.
- Facilitated over $5.5 million in annual business for 15+ years.
- Interviewed, supervised and motivated hundreds of staff members to achieve optimal productivity.
- Spearheaded 10+ third-party contract negotiations to obtain favorable pricing and scheduling parameters.
- Developed program to promote new managers from within, building and maintaining cohesive leadership structure.
- Oversaw business-wide changes to modernize procedures and organization.
- Maintained P&L and shouldered corporate fiscal responsibility, resulting in positive income throughout the entire pandemic.
Vice President | Co-Founder | Producer
Mary & Blake Media
Cranston, RI
01.2014 - Current
- Founded and expanded online content community with 16 podcasts and 2 websites.
- Lead and content strategy development and execution, digital marketing campaigns, social media programs, partnership and new business development, and podcast production.
- Manage 15- member team of writers, event planners, marketing experts, and content developers.
- Edited and streamlined all written content to maximize quality and brand uniformity.
- Designed, built, and launched multiple robust websites which reach over 120K Unique Views per month.
- Launched parenting and lifestyle podcast nominated for Best Family-Related Podcast.
- Conceptualized multi-category award-winning podcast dedicated to the televised STARZs drama Outlander reaching 20K listeners and introduced as one of the first podcasts on the Pandora platform. Winner of RI Monthly's Best Podcast in 2021. Nominated for "Best TV & Film Podcast" and "Best Podcast" in The Podcast Awards - 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020. Also Included interviews with several cast members, producers, and directors.
- Initiated and produced first podcast covering HBOs The Leftovers that included interviews with several cast members, producers, and directors and realized 20K downloads per episode.
- Created niche podcast for Rhode Island events, arts, and culture recognized as RI Monthly's Best Podcast three years in row - 2018, 2019, 2020.
- Crafted robust social media strategy to achieve hundreds of thousands of loyal Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter followers across all properties.
- Launched 2 podcast adjacent websites featuring hundreds of personally crafted unique designs and value added products which boasts tens of thousands of sales per year.
- Identified and solved issues with production, workforce and material sourcing to drive business objectives.
- Attended trade shows and client meetings, promoting company brand and building rapport with prospects and partners.
- Increased workflow by analyzing data and maximizing opportunities for improved productivity across several areas.
- Established performance goals for department and provided methods for reaching milestones.
- Developed comprehensive performance reports using Google Analytics to strategize resource allocation and establish performance metrics for clients.
- Facilitated over $100,000 in annual business for 2+ years.
- Furthered brand awareness through creating vibrant Youtube channel and establishing thriving Facebook and Patreon groups which included tens of thousands of members.
- Maintained P&L and shouldered corporate fiscal responsibility, resulting in increased net revenue for the past 3 years.
- Led operational team in creation, roll out and management of new product lines.
Skills
Relationship Building and Retention
Targeted Marketing
Financial Management
Content Strategy
Business Development
Product Development & Design
Contract Negotiation
Resource Coordination
Budget Administration
Online Community Building/Oversight
Audio Engineering
Video/Photo Editing
Web/Graphic Design
SEO
Social Media Planning
Trend Analysis & Identification
Adobe Creative Suite
Education
Bachelor of Arts - History
Saint Anselm College
Manchester, NHCertifications
ServeSafe Certified
ServSafe Certified
Dunkin’ Brand Expert
Microsoft 365 Certified
Microsoft Office Specialist
Google Data Analytics Certified
Google Project Manager Certified
Work Availability
monday
tuesday
wednesday
thursday
friday
saturday
sunday
morning
afternoon
evening
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