Social Media Evangelist at Zacuto + Zacuto Films: FilmFellas + [ critics ] + Creative Director at Urban Lifestyle Decor.
Greater Chicago Area
- Current
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- Social Media Evangelist + Community Builder at Zacuto
- Contributing Writer: Home Furnishings & Design at 2Modern Design Talk
- Creative Director at Urban Lifestyle Decor
- Past
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- Manufacturer's Sales Representative in Home Furnishings Midwest at Urban Trading Company
- Buyer & Store Manager at John-William Interiors
- Display Director & Buyer at Stowers Furniture
- Merchandising Manager + Lifestyle Director at The Furniture House
- Education
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- University of Texas at San Antonio
- Connections
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199
connections
- Industry
- Marketing and Advertising
- Websites
Susan Rapp’s Summary
Over 20 years experience in the Home Furnishings Industry as a Lifestyle Director, Merchandising Manager; Buyer for Home Accents, Upholstery and Case Goods; Display Designer for large, high-end showrooms; Trend Direction + Home Fashion Stylist; and Multi-Line Manufacturer’s Sales Representative for the Midwest Region (8 states).
Experienced with FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) Certification, Sustainable Furniture Manufacturing, Direct Container programs for multi-store retailers and CRM Salesforce.com (Customer Relationship Management).
Web 2.0 Skills/Social Media:
Multiple Social Networking Platforms: Facebook: Fan Pages, Groups, and Networked Blogs; Twitter, LinkedIn, Flickr, MySpace, Bookmarking: digg, StumbleUpon.
Blog Networking:
Actively promoting across multiple media sites. Engaging readers and creating buzz across numerous blog networks and social communities. Blogger, RSS feeds, Feedburner. Writing Experience on Blog Platforms: Blogspot & Typepad
Susan Rapp’s Specialties:
Furniture, furnishings, home decor, design, interior design, purchasing, buyer, home accents, upholstery, case goods, lifestyle merchandising, creative director, display design, buyer multiple stores, slot-planning, open-to-buy, market research, trend merchandising, inventory management, furniture manufacturing, territory management, territory development, prospecting, road warrior, sales training, wholesale, importing, direct containers, sustainable manufacturing, FSC Certification
Susan Rapp’s Experience
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Social Media Evangelist + Community Builder
Zacuto
(Privately Held; Entertainment industry)
June 2009 — Present (6 months)
Social Media Evangelist: mixing with the cultural creatives in the independent filmmaking industry. Media support for Zacuto Films: our webisodic series of programming ~ FilmFellas + [ critics ] + One On One.
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Contributing Writer: Home Furnishings & Design
2Modern Design Talk
(Marketing and Advertising industry)
February 2009 — Present (10 months)
2Modern.com Design Talk: Modern Home Furnishings.
Contributing Writer in Home Decor, Interior Design, Art, Home Fashion, and Eco-Decor with a concentration in Sustainable Furniture Manufacturing. -
Creative Director
Urban Lifestyle Decor
(Marketing and Advertising industry)
January 2009 — Present (11 months)
Creative & Lifestyle Director.
Urban Lifestyle Decor: furniture + wares for the urban dweller
Website & Blog:
Dedicated to the Home Furnishings Industry, [Design + Build] Furniture Companies, Sustainable Furniture Manufacturing, Home Fashion + Avant-garde Designers. Featuring Independent Manufacturers in Home Furnishings & Decor with a concentration and dedication for Sustainable Manufacturing + Eco-Decor.
The Creation of Urban Lifestyle Decor:
I covet beautiful things and live in the "Sin of Furniture" ~ always searching for fabulous finds & the cultural creatives who make them.
For years, I worked in the home furnishings industry as a Display Designer & Director of LifeStyle Merchandising and worked with some of the most amazing independent furniture manufacturers & importers in "The Biz". I started "The Urban Lifestyle" as a passion and an obsession for everything furniture + decor. Come find your Urban Lifestyle at http://www.urbanlifestyledecor.com/
About Urban LifeStyle Decor:
The Urban Lifestyles of Modern Home Decor: an eclectic mix of modern home furniture & wares: urban organic, urban glam, vanity fair vintage, bohemian chic, gothic grunge, home couture, eclectic lounge, european modern, urban industrial, modern minimal, flea-market, {pure vintage} & {pure modern} + Eco-Decor. -
Manufacturer's Sales Representative in Home Furnishings Midwest
Urban Trading Company
(Marketing and Advertising industry)
August 2003 — December 2008 (5 years 5 months)
Responsible for the development and management of the Midwest sales region (8 States). Skilled at maintaining and strengthening dealer accounts by building strong relationships with buyers and owners. Continuously trained and provided product presentations for retail sales staff to increase level of sales. Researched all aspects of customer’s business in order to offer product lines based on the specific needs of the buyer or store lifestyle. Researched industry and competing product lines to maintain knowledge of current market trends. Increased account base by actively prospecting and networking with retailers, designers and other industry professionals.
Manufacturer’s Sales Representative Experience:
Case Goods/Imports: South Cone Trading Company,Terrasur, Revco International, Blue Fish Home. Upholstery: Cisco Brothers, Covet, Contemporary Art: Phoenix Art Group.
Territories: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio and Wisconsin.
Strong dealer relationships with high-end retailers: Walter E Smithe (13 Stores), Jayson Home & Garden, Gabberts Furniture; and To the Trade Designer Showrooms: CAI Designs, Hampton Row. -
Buyer & Store Manager
John-William Interiors
(Marketing and Advertising industry)
August 2002 — June 2003 (11 months)
Responsible for all aspects of store operations. Managed, trained and motivated sales staff. Buyer for upholstery, case goods, and accessories at multiple store locations. Slot planning + Style Direction. Researched market trends to identify new product sources. Developed strong relationships with vendors. Trained company wide sales staff in customer tracking and sales software (TRAX).
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Display Director & Buyer
Stowers Furniture
(Marketing and Advertising industry)
September 1999 — July 2002 (2 years 11 months)
Purchased upholstery, case goods, and accessories while maintaining open-to-buy parameters and profit margins. Display & Lifestyle Director for 82K sq. ft. high-end showroom. Created slot plans and display galleries based on lifestyle themes and good/better/best product assortment. Responsible for set displays for commercial advertising (print & television).
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Merchandising Manager + Lifestyle Director
The Furniture House
(Marketing and Advertising industry)
June 1985 — July 1997 (12 years 2 months)
Trend Direction + Style Direction across all buying departments. Coordinated buying departments to effectively merchandise two local showrooms. Purchased case goods, upholstery, and accessories. Created Lifestyle slot plans and designed vendor galleries for each showroom. Analyzed rate of sales to ensure appropriate inventory distribution. Maintained relationships with vendors and researched market for new product lines. Responsible for Display Direction and Stylist for advertising (print + television).
Susan Rapp’s Education
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University of Texas at San Antonio
B.A. Psychology , Marketing, Advertising, Sociology , 2000 — 2002
Additional Information
Susan Rapp’s Websites:
Susan Rapp’s Interests:
Furniture Design, Product + Lifestyle Development: Home Fashion, Sustainable Furniture Manufacturing + Eco-Decor, [Design + Build] Companies: Furniture + Design, Photography + Art + Culture + Film, Creative Writing: fiction + screenplays.
Susan Rapp’s Groups:
Contributing Writer ~ Home Furnishings Industry:
Krftd.com: Guest Writer + Special Reports in Home Fashion. Contributing Writer in Home Decor, Interior Design and Sustainable Manufacturing. Specializing in Avant-Garde Home Fashion Industries.
Interior Designer Support Services by Curcio Marti Interior Design: Contributing writer in Home Furnishings & Sustainable Furniture Manufacturing.
C.H.I.P.s Chicago Home Int. Pros: Member + Guest blogger for Interior Design & Sustainable Furniture Manufacturing.
Featured Design Blog at Home Decor News.com
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HAPPEN -
eMarketing Association Network -
Green & Sustainability Innovators & Innovation Network -
Innovative Marketing, PR, Sales, Word-of-Mouth & Buzz Innovators -
Architecture and Interiors -
Social Media Today -
Photography Industry Professionals -
Sustainable, "Green" Design Group. -
Retail Industry Professionals Worldwide -
Designers Talk -
WITHIT -
Building Green, a Sustainability Group -
Furniture Design -
Global Trend Forecasting -
CREATIVE DESIGN PROS -
Advertising Photographers of America, APA -
International Trade Network -
Trendwatchers - 360° Product Design Trends -
Green Design -
Future Trends -
Home Furnishings Industry Professionals -
GloboTrends: Economics, Innovation and global trends -
Interior Design Networking Group -
Furniture Manufacturers -
Trend Watching -
Greenwala -
Green Bloggers -
Vignette Home Decor & Interior Design -
Social Media for Furniture Retailers, Manufacturers and Suppliers
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Southern Living at HOME -
myBusca -
EcoHome Magazine -
Greater New York Home Furnishings Association -
Association of Furniture Sales Professionals -
Sustainable Resources for Furniture and Bedding Retailers, Manufacturers and Suppliers -
CHIPs (Chicago Home Interior Pros) -
Green, Sustainability, & Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) - Chloregy -
Retail Fixture & Furniture Designers -
Futures Furniture Business Directory & Resource Guide -
Solid Surface -
Design & Architecture
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Jason Phillips Design -
Twittering -
Twitter Power for Business -
The Chicago Market: Living and Giving -
The Merchandise Mart Design Center -
The Social Media Book Club -
High Point Design Center/HPDC -
Furnicology.com -
Social Media for Interior Design
Susan Rapp’s Honors:
Press + Awards:
Financial Times, London. April 14, 2009
Urban Lifestyle Decor Named Top Blog for "Eclectic Interiors"
Set Design for “San Antonio Living”- A Local Lifestyle Daytime Program. April 2002, NBC Studios.
Susan Rapp’s Contact Settings
Interested In:
- career opportunities
- consulting offers
- new ventures
- job inquiries
- expertise requests
- business deals
- reference requests
- getting back in touch
