sparkie
I'm Steph Parker ("Sparkie"), an award-winning strategist & team leader of 15+ years. With a diverse portfolio and broad skillset, I act as the 'single source of truth' keeping the work anchored to the right insights, aspirations, and business outcomes →
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what I do
integrated strategy
A rotating roster of brands throughout my career has sharpened my ability to spot hidden insights and operationalize them. Not many strategists have launched both AAA video game titles and blockbuster oncology treatments; because of my varied experience, I'm often the go-to problem solver for briefs (and accounts) that need help getting unstuck. My skills have been field-tested globally and blend data and creativity right out of the box.
How I work
candor & collaboration
I've created and sold in new IP, designed and launched new departments, and led in times of great change from M&As and major industry shifts. Though I'm no stranger to business development or owning a P&L, I'm most passionate about developing cross-functional teams through direct communication, shared accountability, and clear opportunities for growth. Ownership of the work becomes care about the work.
colleague, SVP + Senior Design Director
"She has a talent for breaking down complicated challenges into clear, thoughtful strategies that feel as smart as they are practical."
Extra credit
TEACHING & TRAINING
Since 2014, I've taught university-level marketing courses to adults in certificate programs, in-person and online. As a partner to edtech companies, I've played a critical role in curriculum design and program development. For organizations, I've delivered standalone professional development workshops.
Extra credit
consulting
For the right mission-driven brands, I reserve a handful of pro bono hours to offer input as a strategic advisor. Most often, I work with seed stage organizations looking to refine their business plans and investor pitches, or growth stage organizations building out their marketing and ops teams.
Client, Senior Communications Officer
"It feels like for a long time, I've been banging my head against the wall, trying to make bits and pieces of this into reality. I feel very excited. It's like you are in my brain."
MAKE THE FIRST MOVE
contact
I'm open to hearing about strategy-focused roles, freelance projects, teaching or training opportunities, and speaker requests for inclusive gigs. If something you have fits the bill, share a few details below and kick off the conversation.
© 2025. All rights reserved. Based in Boston (GMT-5).
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CORE FOCUS
Strategy & intelligence
Building the vision and materializing it into an ethos that becomes more than just an organization's values and its mission statement. Brand-building work is an intentional practice. Beginning with research and discovery, it asks the right questions and turn over the right stones. It then transforms from science to art, using insights as its guide for who and what you are.
CORE FOCUS
TACTICAL PLANNING
Tactics turn the audience journey into tangible brand experiences. This work involves channel planning and creative execution across a brand's entire marketing ecosystem. It pulls through the levers from brand for consistency, but prioritizes engagement to moves people down the funnel and drive quantifiable business results.
Specialty
Workshop Facilitation
Teamwork is an essential problem-solving tool. This work designs collaborative sessions, of varying lengths, through guided discussions, group exercises, and prompts. The goal is productive advancement of a project or idea, and is anything but a meeting that should have been an email.
Specialty
Practice Architecture
Designs or reimagines an embedded strategy function within an agency or in-house environment. This work is a months-long process that first audits before it implements and eventually iterates. It requires cross-functional participation and a willingness to experiment in order to work.
Specialty
Change Management
Diagnoses the current state, sharpens the ideal state, and builds the right bridges between the two. This work relies on all sorts of strategic frameworks and modalities to help teams navigate transformation while mitigating associated risks, based on an organization's goals.
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Cheers!
If your message wasn't spam, you should receive a response within 48 hours (excluding weekends and holidays). Catch up on recent POVs over on Substack in the meantime.
guidelines for
advisory
Whenever possible, I lend my skills to support the development of organizations whose goal is to make the world a better place — through things like fighting climate change, ending homelessness, improving access to healthcare, or designing equitable systems and solutions for people who are habitually overlooked.Your organization can be either nonprofit or for-profit, but must be able to clearly articulate how the thing you do or the way you operate gives back. You must also be personally invested in the importance of these things for us to be good partners.If interested, please send an email with a brief description of your organization, its mission, and your goals for pro bono consulting to:
Disclaimer
Last updated December 27, 2025WEBSITE DISCLAIMER
The information provided by Steph Parker ("I," "me," "my," "we," "us," "our") on http://www.stephparker.com (the "Site") is for general informational purposes only. All information on the Site is provided in good faith, however we make no representation or warranty of any kind, express or implied, regarding the accuracy, adequacy, validity, reliability, availability, or completeness of any information on the Site. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCE SHALL WE HAVE ANY LIABILITY TO YOU FOR ANY LOSS OR DAMAGE OF ANY KIND INCURRED AS A RESULT OF THE USE OF THE SITE OR RELIANCE ON ANY INFORMATION PROVIDED ON THE SITE. YOUR USE OF THE SITE AND YOUR RELIANCE ON ANY INFORMATION ON THE SITE IS SOLELY AT YOUR OWN RISK.EXTERNAL LINKS DISCLAIMER
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