Everything
is hard

But try anyway.

FLIP ME OVER

Rebranding a legacy company is hard

When East and West Coast leadership spent 11 weeks trapped in revision hell over our new B2B look, I didn't just keep designing. I pulled the CEO aside, and asked him to take another look at my original wordmark. A week later, the new Marx Foodservice logo was printing on business cards. Perseverance can be revisiting a good idea again when you hit a dead end.

Marx Foodservice logo

The Work & The Strategy

Click any card to flip and read the strategist notes behind the creative execution.

// Crushworthy

Apparel B2B & National Distribution

Apparel B2B & Distribution

// Strategist Notes

Challenge: How do you rapidly scale wholesale distribution and secure national retail partners without destroying bottom-line margins or causing operational chaos?

Approach: Built a targeted spatial lead generation system and automated inbound buyer funnels via MailerLite. Conducted deep COGS analysis to build a distributor SKU catalog with >60% profit margins, while migrating fragmented inventory into Odoo ERP.

Learnings: Grew active accounts by 300% (from 2 to 8) in six months and signed our first national partner. True scalability requires pairing aggressive sales outreach with bulletproof ERP tracking and margin discipline.

// Marx Companies

Positioning 6 Distinct Beef Programs

6 Specialty Beef Programs

// Strategist Notes

Challenge: How do you sell 6 different premium beef programs without them cannibalizing each other in an intensely crowded commodity market?

Approach: Crafted unique brand positioning and visual prestige for each program (*Irish Nature Beef*, *Ocean Beef*, *Pure Black Wagyu*, etc.) across 5 distinct axes: feed, country of origin, age, breed, and price point.

Learnings: Generated $10.4M in program revenue growth over two years (a 48% increase). When you clearly articulate the unique pedigree of a product across multiple dimensions, you turn a commodity into an indispensable menu feature.

// Marx Companies

Test Kitchen Operations & 10x Output

Test Kitchen Operations

// Strategist Notes

Challenge: Directing a high-pressure, greasy, 8-hour kitchen shoot involving a matrixed team (CEO, guest chefs, shipping, videographers, copywriters, and social assistants) without bottlenecks or product waste.

Approach: Became sole manager of test kitchen productions, engineering a synchronized studio schedule and aligning every stakeholder on exact deliverables, shot lists, and brand goals before the burners turned on.

Learnings: Increased usable A-roll output by 10x (from ~20 to 200+ elite shots per shoot) while eliminating downtime. True creative scaling isn't just about camera gear; it's about flawless operational choreography.

// Crushworthy & Marx

Social Media & Organic Momentum

Social Media & Momentum

// Strategist Notes

Challenge: How do you create social content that cuts through algorithmic noise without burning cash on massive ad budgets?

Approach: For Marx, produced terabytes of gorgeous, sensory meat photography and video loops that salespeople use daily to close deals with chefs. For Crushworthy, developed a bizarre, funny, and relentlessly authentic social narrative across TikTok, IG, and Bluesky.

Learnings: On just $35 of total ad spend, Crushworthy reached organic escape velocity—gaining daily momentum and new followers even on days without posting. When your content is genuinely entertaining, your audience becomes your marketing engine.

My Philosophy

The frameworks and beliefs that drive my work.

Relentless Curiosity

Active listening first. Strategy begins by understanding what is left unsaid.

"The best questions are the ones you didn't know you needed to ask."

Service Leadership

Caring for others, stewardship, and leaving the world a little better than I found it.

"Lead by supporting the people who actually do the heavy lifting."

Challenge & Grit

Doing the hard things, failing forward, and having fun while doing it.

"If it was easy, everyone would do it. And that's boring."

Unapologetic Authenticity

Being unapologetically myself in an unyielding world.

"No filters. Well, maybe an SVG fractalNoise filter."

Resume

The receipts. Click any card to flip for detailed metrics & achievements.

Jan 2026 - Present
Crushworthy | Seattle, WA

Marketing & Social Director

Scaling wholesale distribution footprint, automating B2B acquisition funnels, and leading operational ERP migration for an expanding Seattle apparel brand.

// Click to flip for receipts & metrics

  • Scaled wholesale footprint by 300% (from 2 to 8 accounts) in six months by forking to B2B2C & B2B acquisition channels and driving targeted network expansion.
  • Negotiated and secured the brand's first national distribution agreement, analyzing COGS to build a distributor catalog of SKUs with a >60% profit margin to protect bottom-line revenue.
  • Automated the brand's B2B inbound marketing funnel using MailerLite to capture buyer leads and digitally distribute line sheets.
  • Led the transition to operational maturity by migrating fragmented inventory into Odoo ERP, establishing foundational tracking for wholesale fulfillment, margin analysis, and corporate disbursements.
  • Created the new ecommerce website and social media narrative using a combination of AI and rapid prototyping tools.
Jan 2025 - Present
Marx Companies | Seattle, WA

Creative Director

Spearheading brand development, creative strategy, and cross-functional team leadership for specialty food products and white-label programs.

// Click to flip for receipts & metrics

  • Spearheaded brand development and creative strategy for specialty food products, driving $13.3M in total revenue growth (33% increase) from 2023–2025 through strategic positioning and immersive storytelling.
  • Generated $10.4M in beef program revenue growth (48% increase over 2 years) by launching 6 white-label brands and 5 new beef programs (including Irish Nature Beef, Ocean Beef, and Pure Black Wagyu).
  • Revitalized underperforming categories through targeted "hero" campaigns, achieving a 166% sales spike in Venison and a 50% increase in Veal sales over two years.
  • Managed a cross-functional matrixed team alongside our marketing manager and the CEO.
  • Provided intensive skills mentoring for new team members in Adobe Creative Suite, studio photography, and efficient post-production workflows.
May 2019 - Jan 2025
Marx Companies | Seattle, WA

Senior Designer & Videographer

Directing multi-channel print, web, and social design across numerous vendor brands and internal sub-brands, while revolutionizing content production workflows.

// Click to flip for receipts & metrics

  • Designed for print, web, and social across many vendor brands and internal sub-brands. Led the successful rebrand and relaunch of Marx Foodservice in 2024.
  • Led integrated marketing campaigns that increased email engagement by 30% and click-throughs by 25%, supporting overall company revenue growth.
  • Decreased email load times by up to 80% through advanced compression techniques.
  • Led web storefront front-end development with UX/UI wireframing in NetSuite, WordPress, and HTML/CSS sites using agile workflows.
  • Designed new content production workflows, increasing photography and video output by 500% through AI-integrated tools and streamlined processes.
Sept 2018 - May 2019
Avanti Markets | Renton, WA

Designer & Videographer

Driving video/audio branding, design standards, and rapid brand creation for quick-service retail SaaS clients.

// Click to flip for receipts & metrics

  • Created 2–3 new brands per month for SaaS clients in the quick-service retail space, including 3D mockups of new retail locations.
  • Spearheaded video and audio branding, design standards, and large-scale printing for POS vinyl and tradeshow materials.
  • Delivered comprehensive UX/UI app design and technical documentation.
June 2012 - Sept 2018
University of Washington | Seattle, WA

Web Information Specialist

Leading instructional design, digital media teaching, event media production, and media internship programs.

// Click to flip for receipts & metrics

  • Taught 20–30 undergraduates per quarter in digital media classes for college credit.
  • Oversaw 3–5 interns per quarter in the media checkout internship, producing skills-based video tutorials on emerging media.
  • Created instructional designs, IT support, videography, photography, and graphic design for university events.

Okay But Who Is Evan?

Evan Swope Headshot

I believe that the best creative solutions are backed by rigorous systems design, and the best business strategies are brought to life through beautiful visual storytelling.

Over my 15-year career, I have made 8 original brands from scratch, written their guidelines, scaled email campaigns, and worked in formats ranging from documentaries to scoring audio for contemporary dance and robotics.

I graduated from the University of Washington with a BFA in Digital Art & Experimental Media (DXARTS) and a BA in Communication.

Beyond the desk

In my off time, you can find me tackling home improvement projects, doing stand-up comedy, or relying on my retired drag persona to remind me not to take myself too seriously.

And yes—I currently work two full-time jobs while serving as the VP of my condo board (and acting as the sole eligible defendant in a lawsuit against said board). I thrive in the chaos.

Say Hello

Whether you're looking for a Creative Operations leader to scale your CPG/retail brand, or need a growth consultant to design B2B distribution funnels and automate pipelines—let's build something rad.

evan@evanswope.com LinkedIn

Click to flip

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