Essence Smith

About Essence Smith

Story has always been my entry point. Strategy is how I scale it.I am a Marketing Director and Brand Architect who builds brands from the inside out, shaping narrative, experience, and perception into cohesive growth engines. I am a creator first, grounded in strategic storytelling and driven by a deep curiosity about what moves people, what builds loyalty, and what makes a brand feel lived in rather than marketed.Over the past decade, I have led integrated brand initiatives across digital ecosystems, executive platforms, and multi channel campaigns, aligning creative direction with measurable business outcomes. My work spans brand positioning, campaign development, narrative design, and audience growth. I think beyond channels and focus on brand worlds. The story. The tone. The visual language. The experience. Every touchpoint matters.While my foundation began in digital strategy, my leadership has evolved into architecting full brand systems. I translate business objectives into stories that resonate culturally and scale commercially. I build structure around creativity so that instinct becomes impact.I am drawn to brands that shape culture, not just market share. Brands that understand community, experience, and identity as growth drivers. Whether scaling global audiences, repositioning narratives during moments of transformation, or defining a brand’s next chapter, my focus remains the same. Build brands that move people and move markets.

Experience

1. Marketing Director

   Ascendion

   Jul 2025 — Present

   Architect enterprise brand narrative across global digital ecosystems, aligning executive voice, acquisition communications, and AI positioning into a cohesive growth strategy.• Lead integrated campaign development across owned, earned, and executive platforms, translating complex technology offerings into culturally resonant brand stories.• Direct cross functional collaboration between marketing, design, leadership, and business units to ensure consistency in messaging, positioning, and creative execution.• Scaled global digital community to 1M+ followers through narrative repositioning and audience strategy tied to measurable engagement and demand impact.• Shaped thought leadership strategy for executive leadership, strengthening market perception and category positioning.• Guided brand storytelling during key moments of transformation, including acquisitions and platform evolution, ensuring clarity and continuity across audiences.

Education

• University of North Carolina at Charlotte

  Bachelor of Science (B.S.), Economics

  2010 — 2015

• North Carolina Central University

  Master's degree, Business Administration and Management, Marketing

Skills

• Outlook
• Microsoft Office
• Sales
• Team Building
• Management
• Social Networking
• Public Speaking
• Data Entry
• Microsoft Word
• Powerpoint
• Microsoft Excel
• Retail
• Teamwork
• Social Media
• English
• Event Planning
• Windows
• Customer Service
• Time Management
• Customer Satisfaction
• Facebook
• Leadership