From Retail Floor to Global Campaigns: A Project Story

I’ve been sitting with this experience for a few weeks now, and I want to capture it while it’s still fresh. What started as a job behind the register in a downtown Denver retail store grew into leading digital storytelling for two global footwear brands. Looking back, it feels less like a linear career move and more like a project—a living system I stepped into, shaped, and ultimately left stronger than I found it.

This write-up isn’t a formal résumé bullet or polished case study. It’s a candid reflection on what I built, what I learned, and why the process matters as much as the end result.

The Jump: From Hourly to Annual

I spent over a year working in the Danner retail store, fitting boots and talking with customers about everything from mountain trails to daily commutes. Moving from that hourly role to a salaried position on the corporate team was a big shift—not just in pay structure, but in perspective.

Suddenly, I wasn’t just seeing customer insights one pair of boots at a time; I had the chance to translate hundreds of in-store conversations into a digital voice that could reach millions.

The stakes were different, but the heart of the work was the same: listen carefully and speak clearly.

Laying a Foundation: Fixing the System First

In those first few months, I noticed something right away: there was a disconnect between teams. Marketing, site, and social weren’t always aligned on messaging or timing. Content was getting made, but not always at the right moment—or with the right context.

I inherited a Figma board that tracked about four weeks of upcoming content. It was functional but short-sighted. We were constantly reacting instead of planning.

My first move wasn’t to chase flashy ideas—it was to fix the foundation. I expanded that calendar view from four weeks to fourteen, giving us quarterly visibility into what was coming.

This shift sounds simple, but it completely changed the game:

It created runway for content to be iterated, approved, and refined.
It gave every department a shared source of truth to reduce last-minute scrambles.
It made space for intentional storytelling, not just reactive posting.

By focusing on the system first, we unlocked capacity. Suddenly, we weren’t just producing more—we were producing smarter, saying just the right amount with every piece of content.

Building Momentum: Experimenting with Strategy

With a solid foundation in place, we could finally turn our attention to innovation.

Some changes were incremental—small tests in copy, timing, and tone. But others were bold leaps forward. Two stand out in particular.

1. UGC Retail Campaign

I spearheaded a user-generated content (UGC) initiative built around key retail locations. Instead of polished studio shoots, we curated a roster of local creators to visit stores and share products in a natural, relatable format.

The goal wasn’t just to capture content, but to capture energy—to bridge the gap between Danner’s physical stores and its digital presence.

This campaign:

Showcased products in real-world settings customers could see themselves in.
Strengthened the feedback loop between retail and marketing.
Built a community of creators aligned with the brand’s voice and values.

2. The Danner GO THERE Photo Contest

Early on, I floated an idea for a photo contest that would activate the Danner community on Instagram. It took months of discussion, legal reviews, and planning, but when the timing was finally right, we launched.

The GO THERE Photo Contest wasn’t about generic engagement. It was about directing energy with intention:

We focused on hikers and explorers—people pushing past their comfort zones.
The contest became a gathering point, encouraging people to share their stories and journeys.
It turned Instagram from a broadcast channel into a meeting ground for our audience.

Running this campaign required cross-team collaboration at every level:

Legal to ensure compliance.
Product and retail to align promotions.
Creative to build assets and messaging.
Social to keep the community engaged and energized.

It was a team effort, but also a personal milestone for me—proof that a seed of an idea, given enough care and structure, could grow into a nationwide activation.

Lessons Learned

This project taught me a few things I’ll carry forward into every role, contract, or client engagement:

Systems Come First
Flashy campaigns are great, but if the foundation isn’t solid, they crumble under their own weight.
Alignment Creates Freedom
When teams share visibility and understanding, creativity can flow without chaos.
Community Is the Goal
The best social campaigns don’t just get likes—they build belonging.

Closing Reflection

When I think back to that first day on the retail floor, lacing up boots for a customer, it’s wild to see how far the journey went.

What started as one-on-one conversations in a Denver store grew into global storytelling, uniting teams, creators, and communities across the world.

At its core, this project was never just about content calendars or contests. It was about building bridges—between departments, between brands and customers, between an idea and its impact.

And like any good bridge, the real test isn’t how it looks on paper—it’s whether it helps people go there.