Julian Gothard

Current

Writer - LA RVing Examiner at The Examiner

Past

Sales Manager at Staples
Assistant Manager at Electronics Boutique
Team Leader at Target

Managing Director at Gothard Management Consultancy
Features Editor at Linedancer Magazine
Feature Writer at Step By Step Magazine
Feature Writer at Country Calendar
The Line & Country & Western Dance & Music FAQ at Freelance Internet Publication

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Education

University of Nottingham - Nottingham University Business School
University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne

Recommended

1 person has recommended Julian

Connections

29 connections

Industry

Marketing and Advertising

Websites

Julian Gothard’s Summary

Born in Singapore at the waning of the British Empire, I was subsequently privately educated in England. I attended both Prep and Private Schools, before becoming an undergraduate Political Science student at the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

In 1987 I was accepted at Nottingham University’s Institute of Management studies in its inaugural year. Founded in 1881, The University of Nottingham is ranked in the UK's Top 10 and the World's Top 70 universities by the Shanghai Jiao Tong (SJTU) and Times Higher (THES) World University Rankings.

After graduating in December 1988 I founded Gothard Management Consultancy (GMC) and focused primarily on marketing and business planning for small family run businesses. GMC also undertook contracts for multinational companies like Nokia Data and Input.

In 1997 GMC moved into artist management, acting as road manager for the UK tours of four US dance instructors and a Canadian C&W musician. In 1998 GMC promoted the Don Valley Country and Western Dance Festival in Sheffield and the UK tour of Denny Hengen & Rick Tippe. That same year GMC was dissolved when I emigrated to the United States. I believe that GMC provided me with an excellent grasp of business planning, marketing management, copy writing and media planning.

For the last decade I worked in the USA as a Retail Sales Manager for Staples, EB Games and Target Corporation.

After a ten year absence I recently returned to one of my passions, writing and photography. It's true, absence does make the heart grow fonder. I love to write! I have previously written, and shot photographs for, the Newcastle University Student Newspaper (Writer & Sports Editor), Linedancer Magazine (Features Editor), Step by Step Magazine (Feature Writer) and Country Calendar (Feature Writer), prior to joining the Internet based Examiner as the LA RVing Examiner.

Julian Gothard’s Specialties:

Market Research, Marketing Planning & Business Planning. Journalism, Photo Journalism, Writing, Editing and Publishing. Sales Management.

Julian Gothard’s Experience

Writer - LA RVing Examiner

The Examiner

(Privately Held; Online Media industry)

June 2009 — Present (6 months)

Highly successful Los Angeles RVing Examiner providing recreation and travel reviews, news articles op-ed pieces and photographs. Originally featured in the LA edition of the Examiner, from August 6th, 2009 I became a featured writer in the Examiner National edition. Some comments on my work:

Janet Chapple (author of Yellowstone Treasures)... "Congratulations, Julian, on your interesting and accurate article about Yellowstone Park for RVers! It is a pleasure to read something about the park where the author has obviously done his homework."...

White Pine County Tourism & Recreation Board..."Thanks for a great article about Great Basin National Park!"...

Malinee Crapsey of the US National Park Service..."Thank you for the personal support and the article [on Sequoia & Kings Canyon]. You've done a great job of distilling a lot of details, regulations, and advisories, and making them sound good, and the links are great."...
Sales Manager

Staples

(Public Company; SPLS; Retail industry)

May 2004 — March 2009 (4 years 11 months)

I managed up to 30 associates & coordinated the daily sales activities for a $5 million and $7 million dollar a year store. My responsibilities included providing high levels of customer service, scheduling work hours, directing staffing, training and performance evaluations for my departments, driving profitable sales, achieving budgeted goals and ensuring consistent merchandising standards.

..."Thank you for your flexibility and your kindness in this matter. You saved me a tremendous amount of time by allowing me to exchange the item" [Letter from customer 2005]

..."I questioned Julian about the product that I was purchasing. He knew exactly what needed to get accomplished and presented me with the right tools. It helps when you have someone with his knowledge base to execute a decision based on his experience"... [Staples 2008 Customer Satisfaction Survey]
Assistant Manager

Electronics Boutique

(Public Company; ELBO; Retail industry)

November 2002 — March 2004 (1 year 5 months)

With annual sales of $1.3 million I was instrumental in lifting store 557’s sales ranking from 81st in the region to 46th out of 142 stores. Some notable accomplishments included achieving 100% to goal in our Vendor of the Month program in less than 3 weeks whilst personally making some 33% of those total VOM sales.

..."Julian constantly challenged other team members to meet store goals, including myself, yet he did so with positive encouragement...providing concrete examples based on his own personal performance."... [John Abulencia, Store Manager EB Games]
Team Leader

Target

(Public Company; TGT; Retail industry)

October 2000 — November 2002 (2 years 2 months)

With annual sales of $65.5 million, and $2 million in sporting goods alone, store 0199 was Target Corporation’s highest volume AAA store in District 207. As Team Leader I was able to significantly reduce ghosts, baffles and shortage whilst increasing inventory turnover and improving my in-stock position. This led to a dramatic improvement in profitability within my departments.

..."Julian has been outstanding...he is a very intelligent, responsible and dedicated employee who excels at problem solving and dealing with tough situations"... [Luz Vera, HR ETL Target]
Managing Director

Gothard Management Consultancy

(Management Consulting industry)

December 1988 — November 1998 (10 years )

For a decade, GMC focused primarily on marketing and business planning for small family run businesses. GMC also carried out customer audits for multinational companies like Nokia Data (UK) and assisted with market research and business analysis for US-based Input computer consultancy. GMC created direct marketing and legacy giving campaigns for charities such as the Southern Derbyshire Community Foundation, provided market research for Derbyshire Police when they were evaluating fixed and rotary wing aircraft and staged commercial exhibits from over 80 Welsh companies for a military function held at the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe in Belgium.

..."Many thanks for the (SHAPE) briefing package...I have begun to use your advice already and am sure that I shall refer to it often in the months to come"... [Squadron Leader R. Cherry, Royal Air Force]
Features Editor

Linedancer Magazine

(Newspapers industry)

April 1997 — March 1998 (1 year )

As Features Editor of Linedancer Magazine (UK) I was responsible for significantly improving the magazines overseas circulation and international visibility, as well as managing the magazines' first UK tour by an overseas C&W artist.
Feature Writer

Step By Step Magazine

(Writing and Editing industry)

1997 — 1998 (1 year )

I was a guest columnist for this US publication. My photographs were featured on the July 1997 front cover (Volume 3 Number 4).

"Julian was hired by the equivalent of my magazine in the UK as a writer...It is my opinion that the rapid growth of that magazine was due in no small part to the wit and style of the interviews and articles that were his contribution." [Denny Hengen, Publisher Step by Step Magazine]
Feature Writer

Country Calendar

(Writing and Editing industry)

1997 — 1998 (1 year )

A featured columnist covering both C&W dancing and computing issues.
The Line & Country & Western Dance & Music FAQ

Freelance Internet Publication

(Publishing industry)

August 1995 — October 1998 (3 years 3 months)

I wrote, compiled, edited and published this highly respected Internet based FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) guide covering Line Dancing, Country & Western Dancing and Country Music. This FAQ was a huge compendium of dance and music information related to Line Dancing. Although no longer hosted by CompuServe it remains available via Robert Fielder's website.

Julian Gothard’s Education

University of Nottingham - Nottingham University Business School

MBA , General Management MBA , 1987 — 1988

Dissertation: “Innovation must be planned if it is to be successful – A study of the Optica light aircraft development.”
University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne

BA Hons , Politics , 1983 — 1986

Activities and Societies:

Vice President Freemens Hall of Residence. Writer & Sports Editor for The Courier University Student Newspaper.

Additional Information

Julian Gothard’s Websites:

Julian Gothard’s Interests:

Photography and Travel including Belgium, France, Holland, Germany, Switzerland (by accident), Ireland, Wales, Scotland, England, Singapore, India, Mexico, Canada & USA. I love my RV & Camping and have visited Bryce & Zion Canyon, Canyonlands, Arches and Dead Horse Point in Utah, Sequoia & Kings Canyon and Yosemite in California, Vancouver Island (BC), Grand Tetons & Yellowstone in Wyoming, South & North Rim of the Grand Canyon in Arizona, Valley of Fire in Nevada and the Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado.