Crystal Vilkaitis, Founder and Retail Social Media Expert
Most retailers are pros at running a business, but they struggle with social media. Most social media experts can quiz you on Facebook, but they’re lost when it comes to retail.
Crystal Vilkaitis is the best of both worlds.
Crystal is the go-to source for social media marketing in the retail industry, having spoken to thousands of retailers on making the most of their social presence, email marketing, and mobile marketing tactics. Crystal has been in the social media industry for over a decade and has taken her educational seminars across the globe, speaking to retailers in Canada, New Zealand and Australia.
In 2010, Crystal attended her first retail industry conference through the Gift and Home Trade Association. While traveling the country as the Director of Social Media for SaaS email marketing company SnapRetail, Crystal saw how much retailers were struggling to manage their online presence while managing their stores. She knew she had some hard but rewarding work ahead of her.
In 2012, Crystal created Crystal Media, a consulting company, and launched an educational retailer membership site called Social Edge. She wanted to alleviate indie retailers’ frustrations and confusion of online marketing through an enjoyable and fun experience, giving them practical and proven strategies that work. Strategies that increase exposure, traffic and sales. She has created a community of passionate, smart and hard-working retailers who invest in themselves and in their business, who understand they need to adapt to stay competitive.
CRYSTAL HAS BEEN FEATURED IN:
- Fast Company
- Where Women Create Business
- Independent We Stand
- Retailer Now
- Specialty Retail Report
- Gift Shop Magazine
- Giftbeat
- Southern Jewelry News
- Smart Retailer
- Residential Lighting
- Several boutique industry blogs!
Crystal’s from northern Colorado but has lived in sunny Southern California for over 7 years, and says she’ll never leave unless it’s to go to New York City 🙂 Crystal loves karaoke, dancing, game nights and spending time with her dog Bruiser and boyfriend Dustin.
Pauline Blasetti, Facebook Ads Director
Pauline Blasetti started a career in retail management in 1999, quickly finding ways to streamline procedures while increasing sales through consistent management, employee development, and customer service. Working for a family owned contemporary boutique from 2002-2009, she increased sales by 75% within the first year. From there, Pauline participated in strategy meetings with the founders and worked closely with the executive team responsible for doubling the store base while introducing a new concept in a national market. Using her previous experience to grow small businesses, Pauline combines her knowledge for social media marketing to manage retailers’ online presences.
In her role at Social Edge, Pauline manages team members in order to help them best serve retailers and their needs. She’s a Facebook Ads expert who plays a crucial part in company development.
Pauline likes to fish, drink margaritas, host dinner parties, travel, and root for the underdog. She is a problem solver who loves to help others and believes that funny trumps all. She lives in Oceanside, California with her boyfriend and pet dinosaur.
Jessica Mey, Communications, and Member Services
Jessica Mey has been a part of the Crystal Media team since day one, and has loved seeing the company, and team, grow. She attended Indiana University of Pennsylvania for journalism and public relations and first met Crystal when she worked for her at a Pittsburgh-based email marketing company.
After working on the social media team and being promoted to copywriter, Jessica left the company for a boutique web development company. For more than five years, Jessica has been serving clients in a variety of industries, including a stint in higher education and full-time freelance work.
In her role at Social Edge, Jessica had the dual role of creating content to help retailers learn, as well as interacting with retailers to help answer their social media questions and concerns.
The only remote employee of Social Edge, Jessica lives in Pittsburgh, Pa., with her husband, Mike; their son, Maxon; and their corgi, Bowie. In her spare time, she blogs at caffeineandcreativity.com, and gets the majority of her exercise from excessive shopping. At small businesses, of course. In 2016, Jessica’s first children’s book, “Marcella Umbrella and the What Ifs,” was published by One Idea Press.
Erika Castorena, Client Coordinator
Erika Castorena brings to the Social Edge team an extensive experience in retail, along with a passion for social media. Erika worked in the retail industry for six years before joining the Social Edge team as Client Coordinator.
At Social Edge, Erika assists any retailers with customer service needs, manages email coordination and manages all technical details of membership.
Erika was born and raised in sunny San Diego and has a degree in business from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. In her free time, Erika loves being active and getting outside, going to concerts and music festivals and traveling the world. Along with her travel around the U.S., she has been to Italy, Spain, France, Switzerland, and Canada.
