About

Welcome. This site was originally created to showcase my talents, professional skills and creativity as I transitioned from a largely analog marketing career to a distinctly digital focus back in 2012. 

My story (from 2012):

After being laid off in February of 2011 as a result of corporate restructuring, I began a new chapter in my life. In March I completed a Mini-MBA program at Rutgers University, earning a Certificate in Social Media Marketing. I was fortunate enough to learn from an impressive group of accomplished instructors, many of whom are prominent figures in the social media world, including Mark W. Schaefer (@markwschaefer), Heidi Cohen (@HeidiCohen), and Christina “CK” Kerley (@CKsays). You can read a recap post I wrote here.

I completely immersed myself in the social media sphere, enrolling in a self-designed graduate course with significant fieldwork while simultaneously serving as the Community Manager for the Dave Cutler brand in my new role as Professional Networker. I have taken advantage of every available conference, seminar, webinar, workshop, tweetup, panel discussion and networking group, which ultimately raised my professional and social media profile in the greater Boston area, and beyond. I became an active participant in and contributor to communities like DSOB (Deep South of Boston) and a regular attendee at events like Mass Innovation Nights and its networking offshoot, Innovation Breakfast, which I had the pleasure of guest-hosting on a number of occasions.

I’ve devoured countless books, blogs, columns, whitepapers, articles and case studies. I launched a “Social Studies” series on my blog, interviewing people managing their business’s social media to learn more about their initial foray into social media and examined their use of the medium. I have both formally and informally advised a number of small businesses, providing guidance for their social media marketing efforts.  I also wrote a weekly “Business Watch” column for the Waltham News Tribune, with a heavy focus on social media, and began conducting and publishing interviews with Boston-based startups for a series on my blog entitled “Sitdowns With Startups.”

A quick professional summary:

I began my career in business development, selling and servicing partnerships for the New Jersey Nets and the NBA. I then transitioned to creative production, taking a job as a Marketing Manager in Sports Illustrated’s Consumer Marketing division. During my time at SI, I essentially served as an in-house advertising agency, managing the creation and implementation of the magazine’s television and radio ads (click here for an example). This entailed cultivating new promotion ideas, copywriting, and managing SI’s relationships with partners, production companies, and vendors to bring the commercials to fruition.

After moving to the Boston area in 2005, I spent some time as a small business consultant, advising local businesses on their marketing and advertising efforts. In 2007, I accepted a position as Production Manager at Decision Resources where I managed my group’s relationships with other departments to ensure the timely and efficient delivery of graphics produced to enhance company reports.  I also successfully identified areas for improvement in the production process and facilitated the implementation of the required changes.

Thanks again for visiting and reading.

Sincerely,
Dave Cutler
@CutlerDave