Cassidy Esslinger

I have a minor in Marketing and was one class away from a Nonprofit Management Certificate from the University of San Diego. I was the Director of Communications for the Ambassadors Club and Director of Philanthropy for the Alpha Phi Sorority. In the latter role, I planned a 400-person gala that raised over $60,000. I interned for Tappy App (think: Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat stories before that feature existed!) leading beta groups and reporting on UX and Modern Luxury magazine, where I cold-called 100+ businesses to sell ad space. Currently, I do digital marketing consulting for an education company, where I manage our marketing operations and CRM on HubSpot, do Search Engine Optimization (SEO) for our website via WordPress, create Canva graphics, write social media captions for LinkedIn, and more.

I was recruited by Teach for America and taught first grade at a Title I school for two years. During my corps experience, I attended Arizona State University to earn my Master's in Elementary Education. My thesis was on the power of the self-fulfilling prophecy and how teacher belief influences student outcomes. I was nominated by my professors to represent our cohort at the graduation ceremony. Following this, I taught kindergarten for three years: before, during, and after COVID! During the pandemic, I started a private tutoring practice: HEARTS Education, LLC, where I primarily served neurodivergent students (with ADHD, autism, or dyslexia).  With a total of six years in education, I gained great confidence in my ability to effectively communicate, listen, public speak, and present.

In 2014, I was a marketing specialist and advertising sales strategist intern for Riviera magazine, now called Modern Luxury. Cold-calling and selling ad space was a fun challenge. I also developed skills in social media, event management, and task tracking. In 2015, I was asked to apply for a sales professional role at the new POLO Ralph Lauren store in San Diego. I worked part-time for a year before being asked to move to the luxury store location, where I worked full-time while attending school full-time. Providing excellent customer service and nurturing my client relationships came naturally to me and is something I enjoy. A career in sales truly excites me, so I am looking forward to future opportunities!