We are excited to welcome Lee Esmond to the BOLD team. We wanted to get to know more about Lee in her own words. Here's what she had to say...
Lee has an extensive portfolio of success driving marketing, sales, and business development efforts for leading Fortune 500, CPG, and retailer clients. She has cultivated a reputation for building one of the fastest-growing Integrated Marketing Agencies in North America, as well as being the winner of Path to Purchase "Women in Excellence" in Mentorship, Progressive Grocer's "Top Women in Grocery" Senior Leader Award, and more. She is instrumental in generating revenue, boosting market share, driving significant business growth via top and bottom-line revenue improvement.
Lee considers herself a "nurturer of teams and a grower of people," and her exceptional leadership skills and experiences are what make her the best fit for BOLD to lead our growing team of eCommerce strategists while also helping to shape BOLD's service offering.
Why did you decide to join BOLD Strategies?
I've been a friend and fan of BOLD since day one. Allan and I have circled the NWA business landscape together for a decade, and when the opportunity to be on the inside arose, it seemed like a no-brainer. I have spent the better part of twenty-five years building teams and creating cultures where the work is an adventure and coworkers become the characters in our life stories. So when given a chance to be part of helping to build a nimble best-in-class team that is recrafting the eCommerce experience for both shoppers and brands, how could I say no!
What's the first thing you ever bought on Amazon.com? What does that say about you?
The year was 1997 - I had just moved to San Francisco for my first job, and a coworker introduced me to Amazon. I am not sure which was first, but it was one of two books: 1) Italy for the Gourmet Traveler. I love food. I'm married to a Chef, and all trips are planned around what we are drinking and eating. 2) Memoirs of a Geisha (don't tell Allan!), but I remember calling in sick because I loved the book so much I stayed up all night reading it. I am a huge historical fiction fan and books. Actual paper books! Reading is an amazing way to adventure without going anywhere.
What is that one song that's the soundtrack to your life? If you're not a music lover, what's your favorite book?
Yikes! I can't pick one song. Life is like a playlist - songs selected by the moments in the journey but three that I always go back to. 1) Alicia Keys - Underdog 2) Beastie Boys - No Sleep Till Brooklyn. 3) Indigo Girls - Southland in the Springtime
If you could hop on a plane and not have to worry about expenses, where would you go?
EVERYWHERE! and I can be ready in fifteen minutes. The world is my playground. I am a lifelong travel junkie and have been to twenty countries. However, you will always find me ready to jet off to France. My husband and I lived there for a year when we were first married, and it became home. The food, wine, and lifestyle get into your bloodstream, and you forever look at life and balance differently. Have passport, will travel.
"I'm happiest when I'm..."
I'm happiest when I'm playing with my family. My husband Greg, my daughter Cate (15), and Maizey, our Mastiff (6). The gift of Covid for me was realizing that joy is the basics - health, family, and peace of mind.
"People would be surprised to know that..."
People would be surprised to know that I have a degree in Environmental Studies and a minor in Outdoor Education and Recreation. Further proof that life is a journey - every experience takes us to the next moment; hence I'm at BOLD.
