Kelley Grow
Senior Director of Distribution at Forbes Books- Claim this Profile
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Bio
Renata Dolz
Kelley is without a doubt, one of the most talented and wise professionals I have encountered. I hired her to replace me as GM at KN Literary, and within a short week, her impact was evident - she improved systems, established trackable, measurable KPIs and weighed in on big literary/publishing decisions. She is an an adroit problem solver and thinks well on her feet. Her knowledge of publishing (former publisher at Shambhala Publications), is vast and proved immensely helpful to the business. Lastly, she is compassionate and a good, thoughtful listener which is so critical when managing a team. I'm glad I've had the pleasure of working with Kelley (KJ). Renata Dolz
Bailey Thomas
As I’ve worked with KJ in several roles over the last decade both internally at PRH and at her time with Shambhala Publications as a distribution client, her willingness and ability to approach any challenge with flexibility, patience, and out-of-the-box thinking has always led to significant growth for the publishers she’s worked with and for. Her commitment to thoughtfully pursuing a project from start to finish, as well as her good humor when things don’t go according to plan, make her stand out among the wide range of publishing professionals I’ve worked with. Through her own experience as a former sales rep and her trusting partnership with sales reps as a publisher, she has the cross-channel experience to deeply understand and passionately advocate for the customer for any author’s ideas and work. KJ has both the micro and macro experience to drive a successful publishing program, and equally, is an excellent colleague and collaborator who exudes positivity and welcome energy in a room, whether in-person or virtually.
Renata Dolz
Kelley is without a doubt, one of the most talented and wise professionals I have encountered. I hired her to replace me as GM at KN Literary, and within a short week, her impact was evident - she improved systems, established trackable, measurable KPIs and weighed in on big literary/publishing decisions. She is an an adroit problem solver and thinks well on her feet. Her knowledge of publishing (former publisher at Shambhala Publications), is vast and proved immensely helpful to the business. Lastly, she is compassionate and a good, thoughtful listener which is so critical when managing a team. I'm glad I've had the pleasure of working with Kelley (KJ). Renata Dolz
Bailey Thomas
As I’ve worked with KJ in several roles over the last decade both internally at PRH and at her time with Shambhala Publications as a distribution client, her willingness and ability to approach any challenge with flexibility, patience, and out-of-the-box thinking has always led to significant growth for the publishers she’s worked with and for. Her commitment to thoughtfully pursuing a project from start to finish, as well as her good humor when things don’t go according to plan, make her stand out among the wide range of publishing professionals I’ve worked with. Through her own experience as a former sales rep and her trusting partnership with sales reps as a publisher, she has the cross-channel experience to deeply understand and passionately advocate for the customer for any author’s ideas and work. KJ has both the micro and macro experience to drive a successful publishing program, and equally, is an excellent colleague and collaborator who exudes positivity and welcome energy in a room, whether in-person or virtually.
Renata Dolz
Kelley is without a doubt, one of the most talented and wise professionals I have encountered. I hired her to replace me as GM at KN Literary, and within a short week, her impact was evident - she improved systems, established trackable, measurable KPIs and weighed in on big literary/publishing decisions. She is an an adroit problem solver and thinks well on her feet. Her knowledge of publishing (former publisher at Shambhala Publications), is vast and proved immensely helpful to the business. Lastly, she is compassionate and a good, thoughtful listener which is so critical when managing a team. I'm glad I've had the pleasure of working with Kelley (KJ). Renata Dolz
Bailey Thomas
As I’ve worked with KJ in several roles over the last decade both internally at PRH and at her time with Shambhala Publications as a distribution client, her willingness and ability to approach any challenge with flexibility, patience, and out-of-the-box thinking has always led to significant growth for the publishers she’s worked with and for. Her commitment to thoughtfully pursuing a project from start to finish, as well as her good humor when things don’t go according to plan, make her stand out among the wide range of publishing professionals I’ve worked with. Through her own experience as a former sales rep and her trusting partnership with sales reps as a publisher, she has the cross-channel experience to deeply understand and passionately advocate for the customer for any author’s ideas and work. KJ has both the micro and macro experience to drive a successful publishing program, and equally, is an excellent colleague and collaborator who exudes positivity and welcome energy in a room, whether in-person or virtually.
Renata Dolz
Kelley is without a doubt, one of the most talented and wise professionals I have encountered. I hired her to replace me as GM at KN Literary, and within a short week, her impact was evident - she improved systems, established trackable, measurable KPIs and weighed in on big literary/publishing decisions. She is an an adroit problem solver and thinks well on her feet. Her knowledge of publishing (former publisher at Shambhala Publications), is vast and proved immensely helpful to the business. Lastly, she is compassionate and a good, thoughtful listener which is so critical when managing a team. I'm glad I've had the pleasure of working with Kelley (KJ). Renata Dolz
Bailey Thomas
As I’ve worked with KJ in several roles over the last decade both internally at PRH and at her time with Shambhala Publications as a distribution client, her willingness and ability to approach any challenge with flexibility, patience, and out-of-the-box thinking has always led to significant growth for the publishers she’s worked with and for. Her commitment to thoughtfully pursuing a project from start to finish, as well as her good humor when things don’t go according to plan, make her stand out among the wide range of publishing professionals I’ve worked with. Through her own experience as a former sales rep and her trusting partnership with sales reps as a publisher, she has the cross-channel experience to deeply understand and passionately advocate for the customer for any author’s ideas and work. KJ has both the micro and macro experience to drive a successful publishing program, and equally, is an excellent colleague and collaborator who exudes positivity and welcome energy in a room, whether in-person or virtually.
Credentials
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Analyze Data to Answer Questions
CourseraSep, 2023- Nov, 2024 -
Prepare Data for Exploration
CourseraJul, 2023- Nov, 2024 -
Process Data from Dirty to Clean
CourseraJul, 2023- Nov, 2024 -
Ask Questions to Make Data-Driven Decisions
CourseraJun, 2023- Nov, 2024 -
Foundations: Data, Data, Everywhere
CourseraJun, 2023- Nov, 2024 -
Everyday Excel, Part 2
CourseraApr, 2023- Nov, 2024 -
Everyday Excel, Part 3 (Projects)
CourseraApr, 2023- Nov, 2024 -
Everyday Excel, Part 1
CourseraMar, 2023- Nov, 2024
Experience
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Forbes Books
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United States
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Book and Periodical Publishing
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1 - 100 Employee
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Senior Director of Distribution
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Aug 2023 - Present
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KN Literary Arts
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United States
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Writing and Editing
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1 - 100 Employee
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General Manager
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Sep 2021 - Apr 2023
- Oversaw 350+ projects annually and lead all aspects of running and growing a small business, including finance & operations, hiring, recruiting & team management, sales optimization, customer generation and retention, marketing strategy, and business development. Reported directly to company Founder. - Supervised a team of five commission-based Publishing Consultants, plus Office Manager, Marketing staff, and approximately 80 independent editorial contractors. - Created a monthly sales reporting process to track revenue, sales conversion rates, product trends, inbound and outbound sales call volume, and more. Developed a KPI dashboard for Executive team, and real-time sales dashboards for individual consultants. - Initiated a monthly community webinar series that also served as a lead generation and nurturing tool. - Optimized financial, operational, and project management processes by integrating systems, developing SOPs and training users. - Lead the company's new Self Publishing Division in partnership with IngramSpark. - Initiated B2B business development efforts, including outreach to prospective agents, publishers, and other strategic partners. Show less
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Shambhala Publications
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United States
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Book and Periodical Publishing
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1 - 100 Employee
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Publisher
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Jul 2019 - Jul 2021
- Executive role overseeing team of 7 direct reports, with additional 20 indirect reports, including Acquiring Editorial, Managing Editorial, Sales, Publicity & Marketing, Production & Design teams. Reported directly to company President and indirectly to company Owners.- Hired, trained, and lead senior level staff across multiple departments. Ensured cross-departmental collaboration and communication.- Curated an annual catalog of 100+ titles and provided overall direction and strategy, from acquisition negotiation and P&L analysis to editorial direction, author collaboration, and market positioning.- Lead overall company strategy and culture. Initiated annual staff survey process. Created internal Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) committee.- Collaborated with company distributor, Penguin Random House, on all sales strategy functions, including marketing, metadata, retailer partnerships, pricing promotions, supply chain, setting sales goals and print runs, and backlist repackaging opportunities.- Represented the company at industry trade shows and academic conferences including Frankfurt Book Fair. Show less
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VP Sales and Marketing
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Jan 2018 - Jul 2019
- Executive role overseeing a team of six direct reports, including Sales, Marketing, Publicity, and Online Course divisions. Reported directly to company President and indirectly to company Owners.- Oversaw direct to consumer marketing efforts including website redesign, email marketing, social media, and affiliate parternships.- Collaborated with company distributor, Penguin Random House, to strategize and optimize for each title's success. Guided the team on best practices for sales & marketing copy, marketing campaign budgeting and development, sales forecasting, identifying target audience and comp titles.- Partnered with acquiring editors to develop accurate P&L forecasts, produce marketing campaigns for prospective authors. Provided author education and support.- Worked with company Controller to ensure stable cash flow and inventory management, including reprint timing, print on demand services, scraps & remainders, and author advance write-downs. Show less
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Sales & Marketing Director
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Sep 2015 - Jan 2018
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Penguin Random House
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United States
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Book Publishing
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700 & Above Employee
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Online Sales Manager
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Oct 2012 - Apr 2014
- Recipient of 2014 "Rep of the Year" award - Managed multi-million dollar national accounts including Amazon, Apple, Audible, and Kobo.- Responsible for inventory management, online merchandising, and maximizing sales growth.- Advised internal publishing imprints on best practices for search optimized metadata and copy, and provided regular research and reporting on consumer behavior and sales trends.
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National Account Manager
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Feb 2009 - Oct 2012
- Managed the multi-million dollar Barnes & Noble national account for the Penguin Random House Publisher Services division (PRHPS). Publisher clients included DC Comics, National Geographic, Other Press, New York Review Books, Quirk Books, Melville House, Beacon Press, Shambhala Publications, and more.
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Simon & Schuster
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United States
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Book and Periodical Publishing
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700 & Above Employee
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Freelance writer
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Jan 2005 - Jan 2009
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National Account Manager
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Mar 2004 - Jun 2008
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Penguin Publishing Group
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Book and Periodical Publishing
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500 - 600 Employee
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Publishing Assistant
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Aug 2003 - Mar 2004
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Editorial and Marketing Intern
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Feb 2003 - May 2003
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Education
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2016 - 2016
Yale School of Management
Yale Publishing Course, Book Publishing Leadership -
2003 - 2003
Columbia University - Graduate School of Journalism
Columbia Publishing Course, Book Publishing -
2001 - 2003
St. Olaf College
B.A., English -
1998 - 2000
Princeton University
Community
