OVERVIEW

Managing a digital magazine prior to its premiere issue launch was incredibly challenging, yet rewarding.  All of my duties were carried out remotely, so developing a communication plan that worked for all involved was my first line of action. 

I worked closely with the team to create a substantial backlog of actions each department would need take within the first sprint. It was quite effective in assessing how the team would gel, where we would need to address deficiencies in productivity, and how we would move forward with the remaining sprints until the launch. 

DETAILS & CONTEXT

The team consisted of 8 content writers, 5 editors, 2 freelance graphic designers, and 2 external copy editors. 

One of my main responsibilities included managing a budget of $18,000. The logistics of keeping to the budget involved negotiating installment payment plan with our performance platform, processing salaries for contributors, and collecting payments from advertisers.

From initiation to launch, there was a 6 month window. An Agile framework was used to manage the process. Trello boards allowed me to correspond with the editorial team, and a customized communication plan was used to communicate with contributors. Standard email transmissions were used to negotiate with advertisers. 

CHALLENGES

Throughout the project there were three significant challenges I faced. 

• • • Working with contributors across various time zones posed as a challenge. This issue was resolved by using Trello boards, clear mapping of each sprint, and agreed upon guidelines for meeting deadlines.

    • Keeping the project within budget challenged the resources of the project. One approach which worked well was offering contributors a free ad space in exchange for content. This helped to offset the costs involved in obtaining content. The project closed 15% under budget.

    • Outsourcing graphic design challenged our deadlines. The graphic designers struggled with understanding the visual concept of the magazine. Several iterations of edits and revisions were required before approval of the final draft.  

OUTCOMES

Overall, the launch of the magazine met the determined benchmarks in terms of budget, and quality of content. Expat Divas Media successfully developed a community of like-minded entrepreneurs and innovators to support their initiative for resourcing expat women. 

Though the magazine is no longer in circulation, it still remains a valuable resource for the community. The contributors have also gained value in the ability to use the content in their personal portfolios. 

TAKEAWAYS . . . 

Acting as the project manager for the launch of Expat Divas digital magazine allowed me to hone my delegation skills, negotiation skills, and most importantly my analytical skills. 

One thing I would have done differently would have been to utilize an external marketing team. The marketing strategy held weaknesses in that is was mostly organic via the contributors, and community pages involved with the project. 

The metrics indicated that not enough attention was given to the marketing strategy, which was evident in the conversion rates. While there was heavy traffic to the website, purchase numbers reached 25% above sales projection.

Moving forward, because I am confident in my ability to pinpoint problems and find solutions quickly, my eyes are keen to heading off potential problems early. I have come to understand when solutions are within my reach, and when external assistance is needed. I thrive when working with a team, as I have an innate ability to motivate people towards success.

Duties

• Recruited vendors to sell their goods and artists to donate artwork for event

• Coordinated with facility to schedule, cater, and host event

• Managed media team responsible for promo kit and multi-media set up at event

• Controlled budget to secure facility crew and media team

• Monitored the finance team to secure safe transfer of funds to Esther's account

Challenges

• Limited time-frame - on a tight schedule, we were able to organize the event within 3 weeks reaching our projected donation goal of $1,000. Wanting to give more, a GoFundMe page was established to allow for continued donations beyond the event. 

Outcomes

• Fundraised 56% above projection for a total of $1,560. Esther was able to secure her documentation for travel to the UK. She is currently attending school, receiving honors, and scheduled to graduate on time. 

Duties

• Consulted with program organizer to determine theme, objectives, and expected outcome of seminar

• Assisted program organizer in theme development to increase community engagement

• Sourced professionals from local businesses and universities to discuss pathways to career success

• Conducted post-event feedback survey with presenters to assess their event experience to improve execution of future seminars 

Challenges

• With limited preparation time, I was able to secure 15+ professional speakers from my personal network

Outcomes

• Survey results revealed positive feedback from both student participants and speakers

• Survey data was used for the development of Career Day events in the following years