About Me
Hi, I'm Ian Johnson and I'm currently a Marketing Senior at the Wisconsin School of Business with certificates in Digital Studies and Graphic Design. I have proven expertise in creative visual, audio, and written content creation completed by a strong foundation in traditional and digital marketing methods. My passion lies in the intersection of arts and business, creating innovative solutions based on proven results.
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My college journey began as a Finance student living on the artist floor of the Ogg Dorm. By day I would attend lectures on Excel and by night, I would jam with my future band Commonwealth and hang out with other creatives. During one of these nighttime jams, a friend asked me "I never pictured you as a Finance major, why do you do it?". I did not have a good answer for them, and this question would continue to bug me. Everything I did outside of school did not seem to line up with what I was doing in it.
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As my life evolved, I found that the roles I excelled in were the ones I had been doing all my life: taking photos, designing, and writing. Using music as my foundation, I jumped headfirst into my passions. Through WSUM 91.7 I learned how to make engaging audio content. At EMMIE Music Magazine, I learned how to write for blogs and create entertaining and effective copy. Finally, through the local music scene and my studies, I learned how to promote events and create engaging graphic design.
By staying true to myself, I realized that my passions could also be my career. This return to basics attitude inspired me to name this site after the avenue where I grew up in Whitefish Bay.
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As a Senior at UW-Madison, I am eager to bring my skills into the real world. I am open to all opportunities and keen to hear more about how I can help you realize your creative ideas. ​​​
Experiences
Oct 2023 - May 2024
Local Interest Editor
- Editing all articles related to local bands written by staff, as well as publishing them to the website.
- Guide writers on technique, focus, article flow, and avoiding a summary.
- Keep track of new and upcoming local shows and artists that staff could potentially cover.
- Conduct and coordinate interviews with local bands.
July 2023 - May 2024
Music Promotion and Outreach Manager
- Reach out and book local artists for concerts. Additionally, communicating with artists on logistics.
- Create show flyers using Adobe Creative Cloud
- Promote shows on social media
- Create monthly newsletters using MailChimp
EMMIE Music Magazine
Communication Madison
Summer 2022
PWM Intern
​- Co-organized the annual Intern Stock Pitch Competition. I also presented in this competition.
- Created a resource on financial certifications which I gave a presentation on at the monthly CS meeting. This resource will be used continuously by the branch to advise associates on what certification to pursue.
- Collaborated with a team of 7 others to create a presentation on how to improve the company which we gave to a panel of judges and a large audience of Baird associates.
- Filled in as a Client Specialist or Branch Operations Assistant when associate absences made it necessary.
Baird
Oct 2024 - Present
Promotions Director
- In charge of all EMMIE physical promotional materials including zines and flyers.
- Founded and led the Zine Team, a committee responsible for the art, writing, and playlists featured in the monthly EMMIE music zine.
- Conduct and coordinate interviews with local and large market bands for print and web publications.
EMMIE Music Magazine