Experience

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  Storibook Designs

  • Owner

    • Oct 2004 - Present

    I am the owner of Storibook Designs, Inc., a custom home furnishings and design business providing design and advice for both residential and commercial clients. Incoporated in 2004, I launched the company in the niche children's market but expanded the focus to encompass whole-house design within the first six-months. With 20+ years of leadership experience, including sales training and upper-management positions for both Calico Corners and the former Fabric Place company, I had built a solid network of suppliers positioning me well for the fully-integrated design work I do: design for windows to walls and everything in between! From start to finish, we source, design, render, illustrate, fabricate and install. I share my love of textiles, color, pattern and design to create custom home design plans and furnishings that reflect my client's taste, comfort and personality. Every project is unique, every design is individual.Drawing upon my background in adult education, training and development, I developed an Apprenticeship for junior associates looking to develop their design, sales and leadership skills for progressive roles in the design industry. Additionally, I established a Decorators Affiliate Program in 2005, which provided business support, design assistance and buying opportunities for independent design and decorating professionals.

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  Total Learning Concepts

  • Instructional Editor

    • Apr 2004 - Aug 2004

    As instructional editor, worked with clients and project teams (subject matter experts, writers, illustrators, copyeditors and graphic designers) ensuring adult learning methodologies effectively applied in design and development of sales training curriculum/eLearning products for the pharmaceutical industry.

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  Sarah Devaney-O'Neil, Training & Development Consultant

  • Independent Consultant

    • Jan 2003 - Mar 2004

    ABBOTT LABORATORIES, FACILITIES SERVICES, [DECEMBER, 2003 – MARCH, 2004]Contracted to conduct satisfaction study for Facilities Services. Project involved skilled application in question development, instrument design, general statistics and communication strategies. Final deliverable included summation with statistical results, recommendations and action strategies.CUSTOM LEARNING DESIGN, ELEARNING INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGNER. (OCTOBER, 2003 – FEBRUARY, 2004)Participated in overall design and learning hierarchy of CD-Rom tutorial for major pharmaceutical company. PROGRESS SOFTWARE INC., WORLDWIDE SALES GROUP (OCTOBER, 2003 – JANUARY, 2004)Completed competency assessment for the Worldwide Sales group to identify competency-based training needs, revised curriculum model with instructional and evaluative strategies and suggestions for incorporation of knowledge management system.PROGRESS SOFTWARE INC., NORTH AMERICAN FIELD SALES (APRIL, 2003 – JUNE, 2003]Worked as performance consultant; conducting needs assessment via interviewing, internal documentation review, and gap analysis as method to identify key business drivers affecting performance, critical competencies, and curriculum plan.AUTHORIA, INC., CLIMATE SURVEY: STUDY OF RETENTION & EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION [JAN.-APRIL, 2003] Working with consulting partners, implemented a satisfaction study, as part of strategic focus on talent management and retention providing recommendations for the development of a systemic plan to maintain current retention levels, satisfaction and human capital assets.

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  UMass Medical School

  • Community Faculty Development Center

    • Jan 1998 - Jul 2003

    Working as a board member and Administrative Director of the Community Faculty Development Center at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, I was presented with the opportunity to create and design the systems for the “start-up” and growth of a nationally-recognized faculty development training center. I was directly responsible for the planning, scheduling and logistical implementation of all training conferences, workshops and contract negotiations. I managed the inter-institutional contracts with academic institutions, affiliates and vendors. I participated in curriculum planning for both regional and national programs, monitored enrollment, financials, evaluation data and co-authored research investigations and publications.

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  The Fabric Place

  • Manager, Woburn

    • Nov 1995 - Jan 1998

    Serving as general manager, I led the team to achieve $7 million annually, skillfully managing financials, budget development, inventory management, recruitment and retention. I recruited, hired, coached and evaluated 85+ store personnel. I also developed corporate training manual for new hires (management and staff) that was used in all stores and led to training responsibilities for new store orientation & training. My training initiatives strengthened cross-functionality and included learning style assessments as a method to reassign staff, performance appraisals and self-directed learning requirements.

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  Calico Corners

  • Sales Training Manager

    • 1993 - 1995

    Tracked sales, set group and individual goals and developed incentive programs to drive sales.