Martin Smith

Marketing Pro and Startups Entrepreneur

Veteran Internet marketer, entrepreneur, coach, writer, and teacher with more than 13 years experience in every aspect of B2C and B2B online commerce, content marketing, product development, and SEO.

Phone: 919.360.1224
Address: 749 9th Street #014
Durham, NC 27705
Website: Curagami.com
Email:

Experience

December 2013 - Present (2 years 5 months)

Curagami

Founder

Creating apps and providing consulting in web strategy, content marketing, branding, product development, web design, online community and gamification for e-commerce merchants. Helped Moon-Audio.com create more than $2M in annual e-commerce revenue after a Magento redesign. 


October 2011 - November 2013 (2 years 2 months)

Atlantic BT

Marketing Director

Worked with company CEO Jon Jordan to develop content marketing, SEO, and brand positioning doubling website traffic, producing two record sales years, and winning accolades from Fortune (Fastest Growing Companies) & Triangle Business Journal.

March 2010 - October 2011 (1 year 8 months)

ScentTrail Marketing

Founder

Developed 3 Legged Stool of New E-commerce:

  • Community, Content then Commerce 
  • Movements, Campaigns, and Hero Marketing
  • Gamify to create engagement over time

The "new e-commerce" has made one client over two million in annual revenue. 

April 2010 - September 2010 (6 months)

Martin's Ride To Cure Cancer

Founder

Martin's Ride was a 3,300-mile trans-American bicycle ride to raise awareness and funds for cancer research in summer of 2010. The ride took 60 days, raised $49,000 for the Duke Cancer Institute and was the adventure of a lifetime.

January 2003 - April 2010 (7 years 4 months)

Townsend Enterprises

Director E-Commerce

Won customer hearts, minds, and loyalty profitably lifting print cataloger's online sales from less than $1M annually to more than $6M while establishing industry leadership and developing a frequently copied website. 

August 1993 - January 2003 (9 years 6 months)

FoundObjects.com

Co-Founder

Created a specialty gifts distribution business developing a $50M market for Magnet Poetry Kit. Built one of the first B2B and B2C websites, FoundObjects.com after learning HTML and other design. 

January 1989 - August 1993 (4 years 8 months)

The NutraSweet Company

Sales Director

Left M&M/Mars to work for Doug Wheeler managing NutraSweet's $22M dairy business. Created regional meetings and visited dairies from Seattle to North Carolina resulting in more than 30 new sugar-free novelties and record sales.  

Education

1976 - 1980

Vassar College

BA, Psychology,

Activities and Societies: Vassar Lacrosse 1978, 1979, Graduate of the Choate School, 1976
1973 - 1976

Choate Rosemary Hall

High School, Prep School,

InterestsInternet marketing, reading great marketing books, writing, cycling, art

Projects

April 2014 to April 2015

Magento Upgrade Moon-Audio.com

https://www.behance.net/gallery/34936717/Leveling-Up-Moon-Audio-from-then-to-NOW

Nichole and Drew Baird Moon-Audio.com founders, Kayla O'Daniel grahic desigher, Adi Poli Exinent (code) and Mark Price Tranquil Hosting. 

Volunteering

January 2013 - Present

Founder at CureCancerStarter.org

Curing Cancer

Created one of the first crowdfunding websites for cancer reserch working with great cancer care and research centers including UNC Lineberger, Duke Cancer Institute, UW Carbone, and Roswell Park Cancer Institute.

Recommendations

Nichole Baird

Cfo / Director Of Operations

Marty's passion for being a Brand Ambassador stops nothing short of SPECTACULAR. He is extremely thorough when making recommendations and sees so much more than anyone I've ever met, he can truly help someone make their next leap into explosive marketing growth. His knowledge of ecommerce strategy, digital marketing, social marketing navigation, diversification and the uncanny ability to SEE the next wave in marketing before it happens makes him a true gem. He's a rare find, most marketers can see one side of marketing well but Marty can truly see the entire spectrum which gives him full execution power when it comes to helping brands deliver and create their own blue oceans. I HIGHLY recommend any SMB, Ecommerce marketer, or Online Strategist that needs help navigating Google search, Ecommerce strategy or Marketing Diversification to ask Marty for help. His expertise is truly limitless.

Cynthia De Stefano

Was Martin (Marty)'S Client

Martin's extraordinary passion for his Story of Cancer Foundation, aimed to raise funds and awareness for the fight against cancer, is inspiring. His personal story and commitment to finding a cure make people want to help him meet his goals. In the 10+ years I've known Martin, we've worked on projects together and for each other, and his knowledge and expertise across so many things continues to amaze me. As a results- driven big thinker, he's a great person, a tireless champion for cancer research, and one of the smartest and most driven people I know. In working with Martin, you'll be in great hands!
2013

Bill Bing

Worked With Martin (Marty) At Scent Trail Marketing

Marty is a deeply passionate individual with a gift for story telling and many years of traditional and internet marketing experience. He worked with Loyalese at a critical time and helped us crystallize our valueproposition, sales channels, and differentiation. I learned a lot from Marty about content and search enginemarketing, and appreciate his efforts to help steer Loyalese in the right direction.

Karen Cochran

Worked Directly With Martin (Marty) At Scent Trail Marketing

Martin has been an invaluable member of our team. As a volunteer with a dream, he has demonstrated both vision and heart. He has served as an inspiration to the development staff in the Duke Cancer Institute and to others with whom he has come in contact. Martin’s willingness to do whatever it takes to get the word out about this terrible disease has helped to raise Duke’s profile as a world renowned Cancer Institute while also raising funds for cancer research. His journey to bike more than 3,000 miles across the country became everyone’s quest to cure cancer. Martin was bold in his thinking, energetic in his execution and tireless in his enthusiasm. Additionally, Martin is highly creative and intelligent. With Martin’s understanding of social networks, search engines and general e-commerce principals he enabled us to think differently about raising money for Cancer at Duke. There were a number of teams which supported Martin's Ride including Duke Cancer's Board of Overseers, our development staff and our in-kind partner, Ogilvy. Given the short time frame from conception to execution, we had to make decisions, sometimes very difficult ones, to achieve our goals. Martin’s leadership and sense of purpose helped guide us through many a rough patch, where others might have derailed. I am grateful for all that he has done to support the Duke Cancer Institute. I would recommend him with confidence for any challenge which requires collaboration, is bold in its purpose and demands endless energy and enthusiasm.

John Gaston Iii

Worked With Martin (Marty) At Townsend Enterprises

I am by no means the wordsmith that Martin is so I hope I can give him the justice he deserves in this recommendation. I have known Martin for almost 8 years and I was fortunate enough to get the opportunity to work closely with him over the last 3 years. I say that it was fortunate for me to be able to work closely with Martin over the last 3 years because of the wealth of knowledge and expertise that he so generously imparted on my career. A couple of words that best describe him are; professional, smart, kind, inquisitive, generous, creative, loyal, and a good friend. There are others words to describe him, but these represent who Martin is and the motto he lives by. Besides being a wordsmith, Martin has the ability to work in diverse corporate enviroments. Whether it's a fortune 500 corporation or a smaller privatley held company, he has the temperamant and skills to communicate at all levels and to grasp what is needed to take a company's marketing channel(s) to that next level. Martin is a dreamer and I mean that as a compliment. Instead of saying "why" he is more likely to say "why not". He is a realist, but thinks outside of the box and brings new technology and processes to any organization who is lucky enough to have him as an employee or as a business partner. I can only hope that I bring a fraction of that value that he has so kindly brought to our friendship. Any company would be lucky to have a talent such as Martins' and I hope to get the chance in the future to again work with him on a professional level.

Dana Shirlen

Worked With Martin (Marty) At Townsend Enterprises

Martin is a HUGE asset to any team and/or project he's a part of. In addition to looking at tasks and solutions at a 360 degree level, Martin is also highly knowledgeable on new media, marketing trends and what's new and useful in the marketing industry - and moreover, how to apply it for the best ROI possible. Martin takes the time to really understand a problem before recommending and furthermore, executing a solution - making him both highly analytical and excitingly creative and innovative. It was a pleasure to work with Martyn during his tenure through the Sinclair Institute and any company looking to see real, dynamic growth in the areas of web marketing should look no further than Martin Smith.

Heather King

Reported To Martin (Marty) At Townsend Enterprises

With little experience, but a voracious appetite to learn, all I needed was a shot and Martin gave me a chance when he hired me. I learned a lot working with Martin. He made me a better writer, designer, marketer and manager. I consider Martin the ultimate salesman. He has amazing communication skills and is excellent at motivating others to his/any cause. You will never get less than 110% with Martin... he puts his heart into everything he does, thus inspiring those around him. Thinking outside the box and rising to a challenge are just a couple of Martin's assets. He is always reading, researching, learning, doing and more importantly trying new things... which is how he is one of the best in web marketing/design/optimization I know.

Bob Narindra

Was With Another Company When Working With Martin (Marty) At Townsend Enterprises

I first started working with Martin about six years ago when we developed a plan to create content on Lovingyou.com aimed at promoting Martin's company to our readers. Since that time, Martin and I have had wonderful conversations about the state of marketing on the Internet. He has been an incredible resource for me due to his insight into and in-depth knowledge of eCommerce. If I was setting up an eCommerce website, Martin would be the first person I call about coming on board. Together we have created some incredible campaigns and I know we will work together again soon.

Phil Buckley

Reported To Martin (Marty) At Townsend Enterprises

I only had the opportunity to work with Martin for a brief time, but it was time well spent. In my move from web developer to search marketing over the past few years, the tech side was easy, it was the marketing part that took time. It takes even longer when you don't have a mentor. All that changed the day Martin hired me. From the very first hour I was immersed into a world where everything was connected to everything else to move us forward toward our goal. Martin has the ability to keep dozens of balls in the air even though the gusts were substantial from time to time. He taught me the immutable truths of marketing, like: Tie all discussions with the executive team to revenue. Always ask for more than you need, because you'll always get less than you ask for. Two things became the refrain, watch the money and what can we do to be the best in our niche. One more than one occasion Martin pulled the team back on track when we would drift away from the goal. Keep the mission in focus. Allowing the team to be as good as possible, challenging us to be better than we thought we were. All ideas were listened to and evaluated for what they were... ideas. Brainstorming could occur at full-speed because everyone felt empowered - a rare feeling. Martin had the rare quality of being able to lead by example, which makes you want to follow and help.

Steve A. Cates

Worked With Martin (Marty) At Townsend Enterprises

Martin is the type of person you want to know; well rounded, passionate and highly intelligent. All these attributes that make the person also help to shape a true ecommerce visionary. His zeal for ecommerce is unrivaled and keeps him on the cutting edge of what’s next. In my opinion what really separates Martin from other ecommerce professionals is his ability to sift through layers and layers of dynamic information and develop a vision that encompasses content, user functionality, relevance and brand synergy. I honestly could go on and on with adjectives to describe his work and contribution to the ecommerce community, but really it comes down to my first sentence “Martin is the type of person you want to know” – Martin is a person I am proud to say I know; I respect his opinion and often seek his advice.

Stephanie Cutler

Was A Consultant Or Contractor To Martin (Marty) At Townsend Enterprises

I have worked with Martin Smith for many years as an attorney on various contract and business matters in which he has taken the lead for his company. Martin is highly knowledgable in his field. Every time I have worked with Martin I have been impressed with his professionalism, intellect, creativity and dedication. It is simply a pleasure to work with him and to count him as a friend.

Tola Oguntoyinbo

Was A Consultant Or Contractor To Martin (Marty) At Townsend Enterprises

Martin gets it. He has a real sense for what's going on in the new and social media space (and applies it himself). At the same time, he keeps the all important reality of ROI in his sights. Martin is not a guy to take outlandish risks, but he is able to make excellent calls that when implemented - can have a positive impact on a business both in dollars and direction. Martin is an effective leader of cross-functional teams - managing software developers, contractors, and agencies to produce and promote large scale e-commerce sites. On top of all of that, Martin is a good guy - which makes working with him a pleasure.

Molly Freudenberg

Worked With Martin (Marty) At Townsend Enterprises

Martin is always one (or two or three) steps ahead of the game which on the web is what separates winners from losers. He is a visionary who will fight for ideas that will make a company money - even if no one else can see it yet. Martin posseses a certain rare creative brilliance that puts a little magic into every project he touches. In addition to having the vision to build a business, Martin also has the ability to juggle many projects at once and make sure they are efficiently executed. He understands brand and buzz and is uniquely able to build both and make it seem easy. Martin can do amazing things - I've seen it and it's really fun to watch.

Eric Garrison

Was A Consultant Or Contractor To Martin (Marty) At Townsend Enterprises

Martin is not what I would call a passive person. Many people purposely do what they can to live under the radar and when 5 pm hits, shuts off. Not Martin. He and i have come up with some our best ideas and plan on at a Saturday lunch or 10pm an night. Some of those big ideas have made lots of money and some have fizzled. Even the ones that fizzled, they were not total losses, they were learning experiences or test beds for the next plan. Martin and I don't just have a Vendor - Client relationship, we are also friends. He is one of those people I am sure I will be in contact with years after stop working together. Without a doubt, I would recommend Martin. Eric Garrison

Mary Kay O'connor

Was Martin (Marty)'S Client

Martin Smith and I met working for The NutraSweet Company in the early 90’s. In his role as Sales Director, several things stood out. Martin worked very hard developing solid, trusting relationships with frustrated customers requiring long hours on the road and lots of active listening. He was persistent in pursuit of a new business and a strong, internal advocate for resources to secure and grow key accounts. He was a tough but fair negotiator. The result was loyal, profitable customers who didn’t leave NutraSweet when our food patent expired. Given his marketing ability, Martin also made significant contributions to positioning and promotion of new products. He recommended developing prototypes to demonstrate feasibility and economics of new ingredients so only commercially viable products made it to market. Martin is a Renaissance man. His innate curiosity and creativity means he is always uncovering fresh new ideas – in art, literature, technology and business. He is quick to grasp, develop and apply new marketing trends. He was one of the first I knew who owned an Internet company handling commerce transactions online. After leaving The NutraSweet Company, we stayed in touch. I’ve used Martin repeatedly over the years as a marketing consultant. He provides valuable input about Starting Point’s Website and I appreciate his thoughts on how to market my company’s services. Martin’s artistic ability and marketing expertise come together in the Web environment. He has a good eye for just the right graphic element to reinforce brand positioning and he understands how to design Websites using social media tools to build traffic, generate loyalty and revenue. Martin’s generosity and willingness to help others is what I appreciate most. I highly recommend Martin Smith. - Mary Kay O’Connor, former VP Food Sales for The NutraSweet Company and Founder Starting Point, Inc.