Who Am I?
I decided to leave the client side in 2007 to pursue my career passion to be a qualitative consultant. I started this stage of my career at a qualitative research firm called Insights in Marketing. I started GLJ Research in 2013.
Over the years conducting qualitative research, I have led well over a thousand marketing research projects, moderated thousands of focus groups and in-depth interviews, and have overseen close to 100 hybrid projects of in-person and online studies.
I hold a BS in Business from the University of Wisconsin, Madison and an MBA from Northwestern’s Kellogg Graduate School of Management. I am also a RIVA and Burke Institute trained moderator and serve as one of the Chicago chapter leads for the Qualitative Research Consultants Association (QRCA).
Categories I’ve Worked In
What Makes Me Different
I love what I do and am very passionate about it. I am super curious in a natural, genuine, and strategic way and bring out consumer truths because of this.
What really separates me from other moderators is that I am a consultant not just a moderator because I have walked in your shoes! In fact, much of my career was in brand management taking consumer insights and developing and implementing strategies behind them. I have been responsible for developing advertising campaigns, brand strategy, new products, etc. So I know what the client is going through and how insights will be used on the back end to drive business growth.
My Style
With the client… collaborative, consultative, strategic, flexible, objective, and part of the team! And of course, I love to have fun while doing it!
With the consumer… engaging, fun, and friendly in a way that challenges top-of-mind reactions to dive deeper into rooted beliefs and motivations.
Key to My Success
In the room/moderating… ability to navigate the discussion beyond the guide to uncover insights not anticipated going in. I also have the ability and personality to get consumers to divulge their deepest feelings and emotions.
In the backroom… I quickly grasp the insights identified throughout the project and put together a compelling story grounded in these insights and strategy to move my client’s business forward.
Put simply, I GET IT!
One of the Key Things I’ve Learned in Business
Don’t overthink it. Sometimes (not always) but often, the answer is easier than we think. Consumers, after all, are humans just like us!
What I like to do Outside of Work
- Hang out with my husband and basset hounds Bentley and Bumper Cars!!!!
- Go to Chicago street fairs in the summer, of course. I hate the Chicago winters!
- Travel to warm places as often as I can. (I hate the Chicago winters!).
- Eat Garrets Cheese Popcorn and Lou Malnatti’s pizza.
- Love ‘Da Bears’ and the Cubbies.
- Have fun!!!!!
Check out my latest blog posts below.
How are Teens Feeling About the World Right Now?
At a time like this when everyone is helping everyone out, we thought it would be appropriate to do the same by sharing some things we learned about how teenagers are feeling about the world [...]
Unprecedented Times Call for New Ways of Doing Things
IT’S TIME TO GO ONLINE… FOR NOW We hope you and your loved ones are holding up okay and managing to stay sane and healthy in these very trying times. We are thinking of you, [...]
Oprah’s 60 Minutes Segment Illustrates the Power of Focus Groups
This Sunday’s 60 Minutes segment, “Divided”, hosted by Oprah Winfrey, illustrated what’s possible when you bring people together in a focus group’s safe and organized environment to express their opinions. What at first would have [...]
Top 5 Benefits of Using Smartphones for Mobile Qualitative Research
We all know that life hasn’t been the same since the introduction of the smartphone. Most of us have our smartphones with us 24/7 – in our pockets, bags or backpacks, on the nightstand or [...]