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Nic Ilieff

Digital Media Designer, Digital Marketing Specialist  • Chicago, IL
+1 773 786 9992 •  [email protected]

Graphic & web design freelancer with marketing experience and light coding knowledge

all topped with a passion for technology.
Specializes in bridging the gap between design and marketing to create more efficient, seamless, and affordable growth solutions and strategies for companies and individuals.

Work Experience

Digital BrandLink
Owner, Designer, Marketer • Oct 2018 ~ Present

My solopreneurship and business venture that requires the responsibilities and skills of a small business owner, graphic/web designer, and digital marketer.

  • Graphic design, motion graphics, WordPress design & development, WordPress/website hosting & management, digital marketing, social media marketing & management, and brand management are the services that I offer to my clients
  • Business is self-funded and relies on acquiring new business and nurturing the current clients I have to provide a steady stream of income and promote repeat business
  • Execute new design + marketing techniques to attract customers and follow trends
  • Professional use of the Adobe Creative Suite
  • Marketing Automation and integration into my daily tasks
  • Utilize web forms, capture leads, send cold emails, track leads through sales pipeline, pitch sales, negotiate deals & contracts
  • Invoice clients and track expenses and revenue
  • Create and track legal documents and agreements
  • Continually take courses, learn online, or teach myself through tutorials and trial & error to continue my education and remain current in my professional market

Virtual Assistants of America LLC
Director of Digital Media & Marketing
Mar 2017 ~ May 2018


  • Analyzed internal areas that needed improvement
  • Created specific Marketing Campaigns and Implemented them internally and for clients
  • Designed all internal and client print/digital marketing assets
  • Managed a team of two other designers/marketers
  • Lead daily standups
  • Responsible for creating all client websites
  • Maintained and updated company website
  • Worked directly with the directors of sales, business development, and telecommunications to educate them on new design & marketing trends and practices

Progress Bar
Creative Director and Lead Graphic Designer
May 2012 ~ Apr 2016


  • Solely responsible for any print or digital designs that either Progress Bar used internally or for outside advertising
  • Designed promotional material for non-profit organizations, corporations, and individuals hosting events within the venue
  • - Created visual content, wrote copy, and scheduled posts for three social media accounts on a weekly basis
  • Designed printed promotional flyers for large street festivals and events such as Chicago Gay Pride (1.2million in attendance) and Northalsted Market Days (largest street festival in the Midwest).
  • Completed two bootcamp courses in Adobe After Effects with successful intentions to shift the advertisements, graphics, and general media toward motion graphics and animation

Aleksandra Enterprises
Head of Business Development:
Growing Through Arts • Sep 2011 ~ Oct 2012

  • Was promoted after six months from Executive Assistant to the CEO to Head of Business Development & Marketing for the new educational division, "Growing Through Arts"
  • Made calls to current retailers to bring awareness of the new line that would be available to their business
  • Set up local sales meetings with retailers within Chicago to introduce the products and encourage them to include the new line in their current inventory
  • Designed, scheduled, tracked, and analyzed the monthly newsletter for the umbrella company as well as my division
  • Worked remotely with the manufacturers in China to make sure production and shipping deadlines were met as well as the final products matched the quality provided in the samples received prior

Education

Indiana University, Bachelor of Arts (BA), Journalism & Public Relations, 2004 ~ 2008

Professional Skills and Expertise


Adobe Creative Suite, Graphic Design, and Motion Graphics

With 12 years of experience using the Adobe Creative Suite, predominately Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, & After Effects, I have created logos, print & digital flyers, invitations, brochures, business cards, large-scale signage, etc. 


WordPress Front-end Design & Development

All of my client websites are built using WordPress. Up until six months ago, I would only consider myself a web designer, but over the course of those months, I have taught myself to read & write some HTML & CSS code to develop my site more accurately.


Website Hosting & Apache Servers

I currently host my company website, in addition to client sites on an Apache-based server with access to C-panel as well as WHM (WebHost Manager). I have a above average understanding of FTP, SSH, SSL, DNS, PHP, HTML, CSS, & some JSON

                                                                                                                     Skills (continued)


Digital Marketing & Marketing Automation

My areas of digital marketing expertise are in email marketing, lead capture & list building, marketing automation, and customer retention campaigns/nurture campaigns


Brand Identity & Development 

To me, brand development is the most important part of starting a new business. My skills range from logo design to creating style sheets & brand guidelines to promoting a cohesive look and message all the way through researching true target markets


Data Interpretation, Collection, and Light Analysis

The range of my skills here is installing tracking scripts into web pages, viewing data collected by tracking software or another means, interpreting data, forecasting trends based on past data, compiling the data into an easy-to-understand format, and helping clients understand the data & to reallocate or reinforce efforts and funds.

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Most Recent Projects

These are four of my most recent WordPress Design & Development projects that I have been hired to do within the last six months. Any incomplete work is due to client non-payment or lack of content promised by client, but never delivered to me.

Projects 02 00@2x

Fill Up The Cup

www.fillupthecup.com

WordPress Blog

Logo Design • Branding • WordPress Design & Development • Graphic Design • Photography • Digital Marketing • Web Hosting & Maintenance


(no longer updated due to client abandoning project)

Projects 02 00@2x

eriksosa.com

www.eriksosa.com

Artist Portfolio


Logo Design • Branding • WordPress Design & Development • Graphic Design • Photography • Digital Marketing • Web Hosting & Maintenance

(on hold per client request)

Projects 02 00@2x

Digital BrandLink

www.digitalbrandlink.com

Digital Media &
Marketing Company


Logo Design • Branding • WordPress Design & Development • Graphic Design • Photography • Digital Marketing • Web Hosting & Maintenance

(an ongoing project to make it better)
Projects 02 00@2x

Trappin' Issa Sport

www.trappinissasport.com

Urban Streetwear
Apparel Company &
Ecommerce Capable Website

Logo Design • Branding • WordPress Design & Development • Graphic Design • Digital Marketing • Fashion Design • Web Hosting & Maintenance


(coming soon/in progress)