GRETCHEN MUELLER
Plant With Clarity. Watch Transformation Thrive.
ABOUT ME
Nurturing Growth and Resilience During Moments of Significant Change
Brand strategy was my first superpower. Change management is my next. I've always made the complex feel simple.
I built a career championing brands. I uncovered insights, developed a strategic architecture, coached teams to embrace their new identity, and stood up metrics that demonstrated success.
But focusing on the "what" and not the "how" ignored the crucial human element. When I took a 30,000 foot view, I encountered broken systems, unclear roles, people feeling blindsided. This puts any rebrand at tremendous risk.
So I pivoted. From strategic branding to change management.
Now, I guide people through transformation with clarity and confidence. I bring unflappable patience, elegant structure (I live for LEAN), and motivating language (because words matter). I listen like a detective, translate like a poet. I untangle chaos and rebuild with clean lines. I stay calm when others scramble.
I’m a systems thinker with a storyteller’s brain. I believe change is empowering when we design it right.
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Let's make it happen.
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MY STRENGHTS
Where I Shine
TRANSFORMATION
Advanced
Strategic, empathetic change leader who orchestrates enterprise transformations, aligning stakeholders, and embedding new processes that stick.
CHANGE MODALITIES
Advanced
Will apply the best approach for your company's culture and goals. Trained in Prosci / ADKAR with deep experience in Lean and Agile change methodologies, mitigating resistance and enhancing lasting adoption without wearout.
WORKSHOP FACILITATION
Advanced
Designs and leads high-impact sessions that translate strategy into shared understanding and next steps. Bridges C-suite with frontline employees to reach shared goals and successful implementation.
BEHAVIOR ANALYSIS
Advanced
Beyond L&D and upskillng, sets expectations for behavior changes, timelines, and success metrics. Nimble at adjusting the way forward to suit new behaviors or shifting obstacles.
PROFESSIONAL HISTORY
What I’ve Accomplished
2022 - present
Consulting Change Management Professional | CCMP
• Integrates change enablement strategies into project roadmaps, consistently achieving 80%+ alignment with organizational objectives and deployment milestones.
• Increases revenue by streamlining internal workflows, unifying messaging, and reducing operational inefficiencies, leading to an average 22% improvement in productivity.
• Leads cross-functional teams of 3-10, implementing communication initiatives that drive adoption above industry benchmarks during major transformations.
• Develops and executes a resistance management strategy for Washington University’s Olin School of Business collaboration with the Brookings Institution, increasing course enrollment by 12% despite federal austerity measures.
• Conducted a stakeholder and influencer readiness evaluation, identifying risks, and implementing a launch strategy. Surpassed goal for unique site visits and provided a 1,200% increase in social brand engagement for new skincare company, Esther & Mila.
• Used an Agile strategy to devise persuasive communications for A Place for Mom, engaging a 300K+ audience in the throes of significant change. Iterative adjustments resulted in a message suite adopted as business as usual by end of Q4 2023, contributing to $4MM in annual revenue.
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2021 - 2022
ASSOCIATE CREATIVE DIRECTOR
BRIGHTON AGENCY
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Introduced workshop-driven ideation to foster stakeholder alignment and increase creative output by 40+%, improving collaboration between leadership, teams, and clients.
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Using a Lean framework, identified redundancies and missed opportunities to engage Royal Canin ambassadors, streamlining communications to meet these respected influencers where they work and play.
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Used a Human-Centered Design approach to reach busy NICU nurses, crafting a strategic plan and content that demonstrated time savings features of Pampers Professional diapers.
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Led cross-functional transformation initiatives for MARS Petcare and NK Seeds, crafting brand voice, tone, and unique selling propositions to unify teams and enhance engagement across 5+ marketing channels.
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Partnered with designers and business leaders to ensure that brand storytelling supported change objectives and drove higher adoption rates.
2018 - 2019
BRAND STRATEGIST
FLEISHMANHILLARD
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Designed and implemented resistance management strategies for Southern Illinois Healthcare, aligning leadership and frontline staff during the merger, boosting employee buy-in by 34% and reducing turnover risk.
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• Developed strategic blueprints for YWCA, Orange County Visitor’s Bureau, and St. Louis College of Pharmacy, aligning change initiatives with business objectives to drive participation.
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Developed global storytelling frameworks and Employee Value Propositions (EVPs) for Calvin Klein and its parent company, PVH, unifying branding, talent retention and recruitment.
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Designed and facilitated high-impact client workshops, uncovering deep insights and change readiness that informed brand positioning and go-to-market strategy.
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Led change readiness assessments across multiple sectors, including healthcare, education, and travel & leisure, ensuring 80+% employee engagement and on-brand message deployment.
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Guided a diverse array of clients through rebranding and cultural transformation, fostering trust and enthusiasm for new organizational directions.
2011 - 2018
CONSULTING BRAND STRATEGIST
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Led strategic positioning for Bluedog Design’s go-to-market strategy for startup consumer package goods brands, shaping brand narratives that strengthened market differentiation.
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Has expertise at white space identification and brand inception, developing strategies to address emerging consumer desires for Philip Morris/ZYN nicotine and Wrigley caffeinated gum.
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Conducted adoption barrier analysis for Wrigley’s caffeinated gum, refining go-to-market strategies to establish trial and market acceptance.
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Developed transformational digital content for Mercy Hospital, St. Louis, including audio, digital, and written assets that enhanced patient engagement and brand trust.
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Led multiple branding initiatives and directed all supporting creative assets, resulting in increased engagement and client loyalty years over year.
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Nurtured exceptionally close ties to project management, research & development, marketing, sales, legal and regulatory teams to foster efficiency and ensure objectives were met.
2004 - 2011
GROUP CREATIVE DIRECTOR
NESTLÉ PURINA PETCARE
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Turned an underutilized 7-person team into a thriving retail asset, revitalizing partnerships with key accounts Target, Tractor Supply, and PetSmart.
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Created identity propositions to launch and grow billion-dollar brands like Beneful, Friskies and Purina Dog Chow.
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Developed expertise at white space identification and brand inception; repositioning flat brands to embrace changing consumer desires.
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Nurtured exceptionally close ties to product development, innovation, marketing, sales, legal and regulatory teams to foster efficiency and keep all projects on schedule.
CERTIFICATIONS
Staying Up to Date
December 2024
Prosci Certified Change Practitioner
Certificate 08853768-552f-4006-9e4e-22cf44f44b75
"Don't go through life. Grow through life."