Right Side Up Talent Spotlight: Leah Jakaitis

The Right Side Up Talent Spotlight series profiles some of our full-time employees and freelance growth marketing consultants. We chatted with them to learn about their incredible professional experiences, expert marketing insights, and how they’re balancing work and life.

Leah Jakaitis | Freelance Growth and Marketing Science Consultant

Where is home these days?

I'm currently doing "slow-travel" as a digital nomad, gearing up for ski season in the Adirondacks and White Mountains—and preparing to spend a stretch in the American Southwest, enjoying the high desert. Recently, I upgraded my home workstation to include a 35" 4K monitor and a Moonlander ergonomic keyboard; both have had a massive impact on the joy and pleasure of a creative, fun work environment.

Tell us about your professional background and area(s) of expertise.

My background is in leading marketing science functions: I work with cross-functional teams of data scientists, artificial intelligence/machine learning researchers, designers, and product managers to develop and implement intelligent systems to drive growth. I'm personally fascinated by complex systems and draw heavily on systems thinking, rapid experimentation, and iterative development to test and scale initiatives.

I lead all of Altway Insurance's marketing and growth, delivering 14 consecutive weeks of 10% growth and contributing to our $400M acquisition by Acrisure in September 2020. At Carrot Fertility, I established and scaled their business intelligence and advanced analytics function. And now, I'm proud to be supporting a great clothing brand’s marketing analytics function through RSU while also building my independent consulting firm, Totem Analytics.

What excites you about growth marketing?

The expectation of privacy and ethical application of data on social media and search platforms has undergone monumental changes. It's created new challenges for marketers, but has also created a landscape where brands and companies can be more thoughtful about their outreach and cultivation of their relationship with opportunities and customers.

People are hungry for authenticity and connection and can tell if they're treated as a commodity or cash-grab by a business. I believe the future of marketing lies in a synergistic combination of niche targeting (that is, connecting with the exact right people, at the exact right time) and honest, relevant rich media that addresses their pain points or aspirations.

What has the structure/flexibility of Right Side Up’s model allowed you to do outside of work?

I'm dedicated to passion projects. I regularly speak and interview on ethical technology and humane design, mentor other women entering the tech sector, and take classes. I just enrolled in the University of Chicago's four-year Great Books program and look forward to exploring the Western Canon. My professional work and clients directly benefit from the variety of interests, too; I have a rich well to draw upon for ideas, frameworks, and strategies that can be leveraged in service to an organization's goals.

Now let’s get to the fun stuff…

What do you like to do for fun in your area?

I'm an inveterate outdoorswoman. I alpine ski and snowshoe in the winter, and backcountry camp and hike in the summer—all across the US.

What’s a book you’re loving right now?

Benjamin Labutat's novel, When We Cease to Understand the World, is an absolute masterpiece. I can't recommend it enough, and love discussing it with others.

What’s your favorite place you’ve traveled to?

Prague, Czech Republic. The city is hauntingly beautiful, the national opera and the Czech literary tradition drew me in, and I was fortunate enough to live adjacent to Prasky Hrad (Prague Castle) and the Strahov Monastery, home to the finest beer in the world.

What’s a fun fact about yourself that people wouldn’t expect?

Prior to entering the tech world, my first career was as a rare book and manuscript librarian specializing in Central and Eastern European special collections. So, besides Python and SQL, I've worked in a variety of languages including Hungarian, Yiddish, Polish, and Czech.

Are you interested in freelancing through Right Side Up? Send us a message at talent@rightsideup.co. Or do you want to hire A+ marketing talent like Leah? Get started at growth@rightsideup.co.

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