Creator-Led Growth:
The $2M Revenue Engine (CareerFoundry)
From zero to $2M: turning niche authority into a revenue engine
Role: Head of Social & Content
Client: CareerFoundry (Global EdTech)
Scope: Influencer GTM Strategy, Creator Operations, Full-Funnel Attribution
Platforms: YouTube, LinkedIn, Discord, TikTok, CRM/Email
Challenge
Selling a $7,000+ career-change bootcamp requires more than just reach; it requires a level of trust that traditional advertising can't buy. CareerFoundry had no influencer presence and no framework to track creator ROI.
The Goal: I was brought in to build a "0 to 1" program that moved beyond vanity metrics. The mission was to reach career-switchers through the high-authority voices they already trusted on YouTube and LinkedIn, positioning CareerFoundry as the premium, credible alternative to mass-market certificates.
Built and scaled CareerFoundry’s first-ever influencer department, generating $2M+ in lifetime revenue and 5M+ impressions.
Strategy: Building the "Anti-Ad" Engine
I shifted the influencer model from "one-off posts" to a repeatable, data-driven system anchored in long-form value.
The Authority Filter: We moved away from "lifestyle" influencers to "Expert-Creators" (e.g., Alex the Analyst, Chloe Shih). We targeted creators who held established trust in tech, data, and design communities.
The "Value-First" Brief: I co-authored content that focused on high-anxiety pain points – job guarantees and the future of AI. By trading "pitches" for educational reviews, the content felt like a resource, not a commercial.
Full-Funnel Attribution: I integrated the creator stack with our CRM. By using custom UTMs and promo codes, we moved beyond "estimated reach" to track every dollar of the $2M+ revenue back to specific creator touchpoints.
Execution: YouTube as
an Appreciating Asset
We prioritized search-intent and community-depth over short-term "buzz."
Long-Tail Search Value: We focused on deep-dive YouTube reviews. These assets continue to drive passive, organic enrollments years after the initial post, effectively lowering our CAC over time.
Bridging the Conversion Gap: We didn't stop at the video. We hosted sold-out webinars and Discord Q&As with creators to move users from "viewers" to "leads" in a high-engagement environment.
Global Operational Scale: We managed the lifecycle of 50+ international partnerships across four continents, governing everything from legal contracts to performance reporting.
Campaign Highlights
Alex the Analyst:
The $550K Pilot
We partnered with the top authority in Data Analytics for a multi-channel activation. By combining a technical YouTube review with LinkedIn thought-leadership, we leveraged Alex’s 1M+ subscribers to drive $550K in revenue from a single partnership. This pilot set the blueprint for the entire department.
Chloe Shih:
The Product-Led Launch
Leveraging Chloe’s Forbes 30 Under 30 status, we used "Day in the Life" storytelling to humanize the Product Management curriculum. The collaboration generated 650K+ views and proved that lifestyle-native content could sell high-ticket educational products.
Aliena Cai:
Competitive Positioning
We tackled the "Google Certificate" comparisons head-on. By partnering with Aliena for a transparent, "no-fluff" comparison, we positioned CareerFoundry as the premium, high-value choice for serious career-changers.
Leveraging the Power of Alumni Advocacy
We identified standout CareerFoundry alumni — such as Maureen Herben (Product Designer at Miro) and Tom Hopcroft (Tom Charlie Design) — to serve as brand advocates. By leveraging their real-life career pivots, we transformed personal success into a scalable influence model that built immediate trust with our community.
Tom Charlie Design: Turning Real Talk into Real Results
With a 200K+ following and a talent for cutting through the noise, Tom Hopcroft (aka Tom Charlie Design) partnered with us to deliver high-impact, relatable content across Instagram and TikTok.
By tackling high-anxiety topics like mid-career pivots and salary transparency, his "no-fluff" storytelling resonated deeply with aspiring designers. Integrated with live webinars and community Q&As, this partnership moved beyond simple engagement to drive measurable enrollments, cementing creator-led strategy as a core growth engine for the brand.
The UX Glow-Up: Maureen’s Career Truths
With experience at top-tier firms like Miro and Zalando, Maureen Herben provided the industry authority needed to bridge the gap between "student" and "professional."
Maureen’s content demystified the UX world—covering everything from AI workflows to $200K salary expectations—successfully converting social engagement into high-intent leads. The partnership culminated in a series of fully booked webinars, solidifying Maureen as a cornerstone of our alumni advocacy strategy.
Results
By treating influencer marketing as a performance-led narrative, we established it as the brand's highest-performing acquisition channel.
💰 $2M+ Attributed Revenue: A measurable, bottom-line impact anchored by the initial pilot success.
📈 5M+ Global Impressions: Massive visibility across a curated network of tech and career-focused creators.
🚀 From Pilot to Core Pillar: Successfully scaled a "test" project into a permanent, multi-million dollar marketing department.
🌎 Operational Excellence: Governed end-to-end partnerships across the U.S., UK, Germany, and Canada.