Strategist and Maker of Things
Burlington, Vermont Area
- Current
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- President/Janitor at Thoughtfaucet
- Speaker/Panelist/Trainer at [gahlorddewald.com]
- Past
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- Director of Web Strategy at Union Street Media
- Community Faculty: Animation at Burlington College
- Music Director at Viva La Voce Puppet Opera
- Account Executive at Peter Harris & Associates Design
- Education
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- Marlboro College
- Recommended
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28 people have recommended Gahlord - Connections
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287
connections
- Industry
- Media Production
- Websites
Gahlord Dewald’s Summary
I work with businesses to develop strategic creative assets and relevant content. I have over 10 years experience designing websites, producing animation and conducting branding/identity work for entrepreneurial organizations of all sizes. I specialize in understanding what site visitors like and helping clients make more of it.
I'm a frequent speaker on web development, analytics and marketing issues for business audiences. Most recently including Blogworld in Las Vegas, Inman Connect in San Francisco, Blogger Connect in NYC, the Women's Small Business Development Program in Burlington, Vermont and the Vermont 3.0 Tech Jam and Conference also in Burlington. I also write a weekly column for Inman News on technology and marketing in lead generation businesses.
Outside of work, I am active in Burlington's cultural life as arranger and musical director for a puppet opera company, college-level animation teacher, and bassist in a wide variety of situations ranging from community orchestras to improvisatory rock ensembles.
I am most motivated by projects which allow me to make use of data and information to assemble meaning and make things people like.
Gahlord Dewald’s Specialties:
Web analytics, content development, design, explaining complicated topics in ways that help decision-making and action.
Gahlord Dewald’s Experience
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President/Janitor
Thoughtfaucet
(Media Production industry)
October 1999 — Present (10 years 2 months)
Thoughtfaucet provides strategic design and content creation services. The full process involves consultation to align business objectives to measuring systems such as web analytics, designing and making content to achieve those objectives, and measuring/reporting on results. Thoughtfaucet can be engaged for the complete process or enlisted to assist organizations in an ad-hoc manner on any of the three areas outlined.
Work often includes multi-channel development for the web,social media, print and television.
Thoughtfaucet is a sole-proprietorship, so I locate clients, manage projects, develop creative materials and coordinate with print and other production vendors.
Example projects: Blog design and development for Time Book of the Year winner Alison Bechdel, consultation (story and character development) design (styleguides, pitchbooks, DVD) and animation services for children's media property Dogsharks™, website design and development for ECCO PR Internationals (including goal setting with offices from Egypt to Finland to Australia--which was more enjoyable than you might imagine), print poster series for Burlington rock band Charles, Dead or Alive, live sound effects design for the Queen City Radio Hour produced by Vermont Public Radio. -
Speaker/Panelist/Trainer
[gahlorddewald.com]
(Media Production industry)
March 1998 — Present (11 years 9 months)
Speaking and presenting on a variety of topics including social media, web analytics, marketing, music + technology, and small business development.
Focus of presentations and speaking engagements tends to focus on overview of a topic and specific strategic applications.
"Social Media Marketing: A Practical Approach"
Women's Small Business Program, Burlington VT
"Mask: An Augmented Reality Project"
Dark Arts Gallery/Nightmare Vermont, Burlington VT
"All You Ever Wanted to Know About Web Analytics"
Blogworld, Las Vegas, NV
"Concepts and Parameters in Augmented Reality Projects"
Champlain College, Burlington, VT
"Sinjensen5000 Digital Dishwasher: Augmented Reality, Performance Art and Market Research"
SEABA Art Hop, Burlington, VT
"Social Media Strategy"
Inman Connect, San Francisco, CA
"Measuring Social Media"
Web Analytics Wednesday, Burlington, VT
"The Web and Social Media"
Women's Small Business Program, Burlington, VT
"Down and Dirty Analytics"
Inman Connect NY, New York City, NY
"Understanding your online audience"
Blogger Connect NY, New York City, NY
"Web Marketing"
Women's Small Business Program, Burlington, VT
"Build Websites"
Vermont 3.0 Creative/Tech Jam, Burlington, VT
"Analytics and ROI"
Inman Connect, San Francisco, CA
"Charts, Graphs and Presentation for Scientists"
Marvin Seminar Series: UVM Plant Biology, Burlington, VT
"Using CrazyEgg to Inform Design Decisions and Help Visually Oriented HiPPOs"
Web Analytics Wednesday, Burlington, VT
"Intro to Websites"
CEDO Small Business Program, Burlington, VT
"The Hand & the Computer in an Early Twenty-first Century Book"
San Francisco Public Library, San Francisco, CA
"Internet for Scholars: New and Old Uses: Virtual Roneat"
Society for Ethnomusicology 45th Annual Meeting, Toronto, Ontario, Canada -
Director of Web Strategy
Union Street Media
(Privately Held; Internet industry)
October 2007 — April 2009 (1 year 7 months)
Develop best practices for the internet marketing team, consult with clients on their goals and how to use the internet to achieve them and provide recommendations for improving marketing capabilities of the core software we use for making websites.
Some specific projects/outcomes of my role at Union Street Media:
Expanded branding and name recognition from regional (New England) to international via conference appearances, blogging and social media. Several contracts were inked as a direct result of this activity, and Union Street Media's increased brand-awareness was cited on an entrepreneurship award received from the local Chamber of Commerce.
Developed roadmap and specification for a tiered, scalable real estate website CMS. The system was designed to be focused on internet marketing functions such as SEO and integrating with website analytics vendors such as Google Analytics and 4q. Analytics and marketing functions are more deeply embedded in the company culture as a result of this activity.
Content creation and direction for a Department of Labor Workforce Education Training Funds (WETF) grant, in coordination with partner EpikOne. Union Street Media has materials to quickly train new staff as a result of this activity.
Developed a new internet marketing service (scope, marketing language, reporting database assets, workflow process) based on continuous improvement processes. This service was designed to be complementary to the firm's existing software offering. Union Street Media has a new revenue stream as a result of this activity.
Provided direct client consultation on blogging, social media, web analytics with a focus on specific actions that could be taken by the client or by Union Street Media. Client satisfaction was built upon and improved as a result of this activity. -
Community Faculty: Animation
Burlington College
(Higher Education industry)
September 2007 — December 2008 (1 year 4 months)
Burlington College is an alternative liberal arts college in downtown Burlington, Vermont. Graduates of its film program have been successful in the industry both in Vermont and beyond.
In keeping with the self-directed ethos of BC, I have developed a curriculum which focuses on helping students become capable of producing independent animation outside of the traditional animation production industry.
Specific successes have included: developing a core-skills program covering a variety of animated media from traditional hand drawn to computer assisted to experimental forms such as pixilation and sand painting, student successfully creating an animation rig for multi-plane paper cut-out animation in his kitchen, students completing 30 second and greater compelling and visually engaging animations -
Music Director
Viva La Voce Puppet Opera
(Performing Arts industry)
January 2005 — November 2008 (3 years 11 months)
Viva La Voce is an amateur puppet opera company combining the talents of local opera singers, musicians, puppeteers, set designers and theater specialists. Over the past four years we have staged Carmen, Faust, Die Fledermaus and Madame Butterfly.
My role of musical director involves recruiting an ad hoc orchestra of volunteer musicians, arranging the full orchestra score for my ad hoc orchestra, rehearsing and leading the orchestra from rehearsals through to performance.
Some successes include: Encouraging musicians who hadn't touched their instrument since high school band to participate to their fullest capability, sold out shows at the Flynn Space in Burlington, fitting all the parts of a full orchestra into a full sound using just six instruments. -
Account Executive
Peter Harris & Associates Design
(Graphic Design industry)
May 1998 — October 1999 (1 year 6 months)
Peter Harris & Associates is a small print and packaging design shop in southern Vermont specializing in Natural Foods and Natural HABA clients.
In my role as account executive I helped clients formulate clear goals and objectives for the design team. I was responsible for coordinating with the design team, print vendors and the client.
Successes: Management of a large catalog design process including photography and copywriting, development of a standardized creative brief process, management of final file proofing and preparation for domestic and Asian print houses.
Additional Information
Gahlord Dewald’s Websites:
Gahlord Dewald’s Interests:
music, animation, cross-country skiing, typography.
Gahlord Dewald’s Groups:
Last Monday Interactive,
Seamonster Potluck,
Peru Nordic Masters,
Web Analytics Association (Certification Sub-Committee)
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Web Analytics Demystified -
Online Marketing, Web Analytics, and E-commerce Group -- WebAnalysts.Info -
Web Analytics Association -
Animation, Media & Entertainment -
REBarCamp -
Marlboro College -
TED: Ideas Worth Spreading -
Burlington Vermont People -
Last Monday Interactive -
Vermont Business Leaders Networking Group -
Children's Media -
RE.net
Gahlord Dewald’s Honors:
Papervision3D Official Training with Lee Seb-Delisle
3rd Place Champion: 2008 National Summer Biathlon, Senior Division
Epik/Champlain College Online Marketing Bootcamp
Best Dressed: Old Northender Academy Awards Gala
Artist-in-Residence: Burlington City Arts "Process/Progress"
Audience Choice: "Golgonooza" VT International Film Festival
5k Competition: Flash, Interactive Musical Dictionary (Polyrhythm 3.8k)
Gahlord Dewald’s Contact Settings
Interested In:
- career opportunities
- consulting offers
- new ventures
- expertise requests
- business deals
- reference requests
- getting back in touch
