Ten Thousand athlete wearing performance training apparel
Jason R. NickelBrand + Growth Leader

I lead positioning, creative, commerce, and customer experience as one system, turning distinctive products into lasting preference and repeat demand

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Ten Thousand

Campaigns in focus

Sign of Strength and Do Hard Things brought Ten Thousand’s point of view to life through two distinct campaigns, one redefining strength and the other turning a brand mantra into a citywide challenge.

Sign of Strength

Ten Thousand Sign of Strength athlete preparing to train
Strength, reframed as something deeply human.

The opportunity

Strength is bigger than the workout

Sign of Strength moved Ten Thousand beyond physical performance alone, telling the stories of athletes whose discipline showed up in how they served, led, and endured.

The campaign followed four athletes across different disciplines and life experiences, united by the relentless pursuit of becoming better than yesterday. The brand’s X became a sign of dedication and a symbol of belonging.

My leadership remit

Executive campaign lead

Brand positioning

Integrated go-to-market

Production oversight

Channel orchestration

Media accountability

I aligned the internal brand, growth, e-commerce, social, PR, and creative teams with external collaborators from brief through launch, ensuring the work held together across every customer touchpoint.

Sign of Strength athlete training indoors
Sign of Strength athlete portrait
Sign of Strength athlete in motion

Performance snapshot

Creative that broadened reach and earned attention

Paid reach
Efficient audience expansion beyond the core training customer
Engagement
Campaign storytelling outpaced baseline product-led creative
Brand momentum
Strong cross-channel resonance across paid, owned, and earned media

Do Hard Things

Do Hard Things campaign creative across four panels
A brand mantra, made physical on the streets of Manhattan

The platform

A brand mantra became a citywide challenge

Do Hard Things turned Ten Thousand’s defining belief into a community challenge, connecting film, outdoor, social, and events across New York.

At its center, Sam Ayide and Austin Smith carried a 100-pound kettlebell across Manhattan in just over an hour. Limited-edition contracts invited customers to make a personal pledge and shipped with every order.

My leadership remit

Executive campaign lead

Brand platform activation

Integrated go-to-market

Production oversight

Experiential strategy

Media accountability

I led the campaign from brief through launch, aligning creative, growth, e-commerce, social, PR, media, and experiential teams around one system that moved from film to the streets of New York.

Athletes carrying a kettlebell through Manhattan
Do Hard Things athlete carrying a kettlebell
Do Hard Things athletes completing the challenge

Performance snapshot

A campaign system that traveled from film to the street

Video
Strong completion and engagement across hero and episodic cuts
Media efficiency
Campaign creative delivered efficient reach relative to business-as-usual
Organic momentum
Community participation extended the idea beyond the paid flight

Kjaer Weis

Red Edition reintroduced Kjaer Weis online

I led the global launch as the first full expression of a redesigned Shopify storefront, customer journey, performance engine, and lifecycle program built to turn discovery into lasting refill behavior.

Red Edition

Kjaer Weis Red Edition paper compact beside the Iconic metal compact
A lighter, more accessible way into the Kjaer Weis refill system

The opportunity

Make refillable luxury easier to discover, buy, and carry

Kjaer Weis pioneered refillable luxury with its sculptural metal compacts. Red Edition translated that iconic system into glossy, lightweight paper packaging that remained refillable while also being recyclable and compostable. It created a more accessible entry point without compromising the brand’s design authority.

The proposition worked for both sides of the customer base. New customers could enter the refill system at a lower price, while loyal customers gained an everyday-carry companion that let them keep the permanent metal compact at home.

My leadership remit

Executive launch lead

Global omnichannel strategy

Shopify replatform

Customer journey redesign

Performance marketing reset

Lifecycle and retention

I aligned the brand, creative, e-commerce, retention, and retail teams with new performance and Shopify partners, carrying one launch system across direct-to-consumer, Meta, Google, email, and global retail partners.

Kjaer Weis Midsummer collection featuring vivid color in Red Edition packaging
A close composition of Kjaer Weis Red Edition cream blush packaging
The redesigned Kjaer Weis storefront featuring the Nude, Naturally campaign

Performance snapshot

A product launch that moved the entire commercial engine

Conversion
A redesigned Shopify journey reduced friction from education to cart
Acquisition efficiency
A more accessible entry point improved the economics of reaching new customers
Refill adoption
New and returning customers found more ways into the refill system
Retention
Existing customers adopted Red Edition as a lightweight companion to the Iconic metal compact

Experience

From heritage retail to founder-led startups, I’ve operated as a full-stack marketing leader: setting the positioning, building the team and operating model, guiding creative, and staying accountable to the commercial result

01

2021–2025

Ten Thousand

SVP, Marketing & E-Commerce

Led marketing, creative, e-commerce, customer experience, PR, and brand strategy for the premium performance apparel company

Built integrated operating systems from creative intake through media execution, created a business intelligence function, and secured a multi-year Life Time partnership

02

2019–2021

Kjaer Weis

SVP, Marketing & E-Commerce

Orchestrated brand marketing, creative, e-commerce, web development, PR, and customer experience for the luxury beauty brand

Delivered profitable 100% e-commerce growth, accelerated a Shopify Plus replatform, and reduced acquisition costs by more than 30% year over year

03

2017–2019

GREATS

VP, Marketing & E-Commerce

Led marketing, creative, e-commerce, retail expansion, PR, and brand strategy for the Brooklyn-born footwear company

Connected brand storytelling with acquisition and commerce during a period of growth that culminated in the company’s acquisition by Steve Madden

04

2016–2017

Outdoor Voices

Head of Growth Marketing

Oversaw acquisition, retention, brand, partnerships, and experiential marketing during a defining chapter of the activewear brand

Balanced rapid customer growth with the cultural power of Doing Things and a community-led approach to movement

05

2014–2016

Amazon Fashion

Head of Online Advertising, Social Media & Email

Managed marketing at Amazon Fashion's MyHabit and Men's categories

Led online advertising, social media, lifecycle marketing, measurement, and campaign optimization at global scale

06

2005–2014

Brooks Brothers

Director, Social Media & Content

Built paid digital marketing, social media, media, and online editorial programs for America’s oldest apparel brand

Helped translate nearly two centuries of brand equity into emerging digital channels, and learned how to tie a bow tie along the way

Beyond the title

Advisory board member bringing an operator’s perspective to the retail and e-commerce community

Soho House mentor supporting emerging creative talent with practical brand and career guidance

AI Oversight certification from the National Association of Corporate Directors and Carnegie Mellon University

Professional certifications in Artificial Intelligence, Project Management, and Data Analytics

Arts + culture consulting and community work with The Public Theater and select Mindich Productions

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