Creative Photography, Writing and Social Media Marketing
Steven Stiefel
My name is Steven Stiefel. I am a product of Fort Payne, Alabama. I presently telecommute from there while raising a daughter named Miranda.
Professionally, I have 20 years of experience in print, online and broadcast media. I’ve joked that I am “a three-headed monster” because of my demonstrated excellence at photography, writing content and marketing that content globally. My focus for the last seven years has been the men’s lifestyle genre, developing brands for men ages 18-35 such as Savvy and MAVTV.
Savvy involved transforming a small web start-up into the #3 men’s lifestyle website, attracting 8 million unique visitors and 30 million monthly page views worldwide. Savvy targeted trend-conscious, fashion-forward men and women. I wore many hats at Savvy, but my major responsibilities included art direction on photo shoots, identifying models and expediting shoots (location, photographers, stylists, etc.), interviewing models and celebrities, ensuring deadlines were adhered to, negotiating deals with photographers and picture agencies, photographic retouching, content upload, and liaising with other staffers (advertising salespeople, PR, and tech personnel) with a focus on monetization.
MAVTV is an independent men’s video brand that has both a US-based footprint on cable and satellite and on mobile phones in Australia, New Zealand, and India. The company also produces over 150 hours of HD original programming content. My job involves maintaining a presence on social media and writing a daily blog for the purpose of raising brand awareness. I work directly with the VP of programming to liaise with channel talent and show producers. Additionally, I determine which advertising spots and image promos air on the daily schedule.
My background also includes working for the Southern Newspaper organization on two of its Alabama-based publications and as a freelance photographer. Operating my own portrait business for seven years gave me an understanding of business principles and the dynamics of entrepreneurship.
Prior to that, I received my Bachelor’s degree from Auburn University, where I studied with a focus on mass communications, art and English. I believe education does not stop when you receive a diploma, so I constantly pursue training in new areas to broaden my marketable skills and to evolve into a well-rounded person. I am always looking for the next level of who I am and what I know.
I’ve never been afraid of hard work on projects I feel invested in seeing succeed. My efforts are fueled by a passion for media that matters by educating and entertaining niche audiences and readerships.
My personal interests include photography, screenwriting, video editing, reading, biking, hiking, Auburn football (War Eagle!), exploring new gadgets, and listening to music.
To learn more specific things about me and my professional skills, see my full résumé by clicking here.
