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Kristy Sammis

CEO & FounderCLEVER

Napa, CA

Member Since March 2021

Skills

Entrepreunership
Influencer Marketing
Values-Driven Leadership

About

I am Founder & CEO of CLKS Digital (formerly CLEVER), a global, full-service influencer and creator agency. Over the last 15 years, my agency has worked with such clients as Jeep, Disney, Amazon, LEGO, Unilever, and Delta Airlines. We've also won several agency awards including "Best Small Agency" (Shorties) and Outstanding Digital Innovation (Marketers That Matter). I've been awarded Forbes' Top 40 Over 40 and FOLIO: Magazine's Top Women In Media; featured in The New York Times, CNN, AdAge, Adweek, INC, and Business Insider; and authored Influencer Marketing For Dummies (featured on Good Morning America). My speaking highlights include Martha Stewart's "American Made" conference; National Retail Federation’s “Big Show" (keynote); TEDx (#Batkid story, Social Media & Global Participation). Specialties: Social media marketing, strategy, entrepreneurism, content marketing, influencer marketing, female entrepreneurism, female leadership, social media marketing, and, you know, humor.

Published content

18 ways for introverts to communicate more effectively on the job

expert panel

Here are key strategies to grow in confidence and strengthen business relationships.  Contrary to popular belief, a successful, savvy business person is not necessarily always the biggest extrovert in the room. Improving your active listening skills and post-meeting communication strategies also play a part in capturing the attention of peers or direct reports regularly. This is key to building stronger team relationships.  By leaning into what makes them a little different from their outspoken counterparts, introverts are likely to have a positive impact in their place of business. If you're an introvert in the workplace and unsure about how to leverage your "superpower" as a reserved business professional who wants to get ahead, below, 18 experts from Fast Company Executive Board offer their tips on how to build your comfort level in engaging with others and being an effective communicator.

16 low-cost ways to recognize and reward your startup team

expert panel

Even if you're self-funded, you can still find meaningful and cost-effective ways to recognize and reward your team's hard work. Every leader wants to recognize their team members for their excellent work. But for a startup—especially one that’s bootstrapped—financial rewards may not be possible (for now). Still, when your startup team is putting in long hours and hard work to help you get your dream off the ground, you want to ensure they know that you see their efforts and just how much you appreciate them. Fortunately, showing your team your thanks doesn’t have to be expensive—you just have to be creative and thoughtful. Below, 16 Fast Company Executive Board members offer their advice for entrepreneurs who want to recognize outstanding work from their team even when the budget’s tight.

15 ways leaders can set a bad example for their teams

expert panel

Most organizations have specific rules and protocols workers are expected to follow, as well as carefully developed missions and visions that are intended to guide the entire team's actions. However, employees won't just blindly follow these rules if the leaders who established them aren't modeling that behavior themselves. And it's not just about hard-and-fast policies and procedures either—teams are influenced by everything from a leader's speech patterns to their attitudes. Consciously or unconsciously, employees often pick up habits, mannerisms, and mindsets from their managers and other higher-ups—an instinct that often trumps paying close attention to "the rules." That's why leaders must stop and think about the messages they may be unconsciously sending to their teams. It can be difficult to know how you may be setting a bad example if you aren't aware of some of the more common missteps leaders make. To help, a panel of Fast Company Executive Board members shared 15 ways leaders might be unknowingly setting a bad example for their teams and how they can turn things around.

15 leaders share secrets to creating an authentic brand that inspires connections

expert panel

Success in the modern business world depends on developing an authentic, genuine brand that makes customers feel understood and appreciated. Today there are so many established and new businesses—together offering a staggering array of products and services and easy to access online—that a company can no longer simply lean on their service offerings as their main point of attraction. Consumers want to support brands that they see as authentic and that share and practice their values. That’s why business leaders need to focus on creating a brand that encourages genuine connections and loyalty. Developing a brand is both a creative venture and a journey of discovery. Below, 15 members of Fast Company Executive Board share their top secrets to help you build an authentic brand that truly connects with your customers and audience.

Company details

CLEVER

Company bio

"Influencer Marketing at its absolute best." CLKS Digital is an elite end-to-end influencer marketing agency. We help great brands reach new audiences and leave a lasting impact all over the world. Our experience is unparalleled and our results are guaranteed.

Industry

Marketing & advertising

Area of focus

Social Media
Blogger Outreach
Digital Influencers

Company size

11 - 50