Interview with Holly Smith (Episode 071 - The Marketing Gateway Podcast)

I'm sure you've heard plenty of people argue against AI, but what about an argument for it?Today we are talking to Holly Smith!About Holly:Holly L. Smith, MBA Holly L. Smith is a freelance marketing and communications consultant with more than 25 years of experience leading strategy, storytelling, and brand growth across higher education and healthcare. Her career reflects a rare blend of creative vision, analytical rigor, and a deep commitment to mission-driven work. Holly began her academic journey in athletic training at Indiana University before earning a bachelor’s degree in marketing from the University of Southern Indiana and an MBA from the University of Evansville. Her professional experience spans both in-house leadership and agency environments, giving her a well-rounded perspective on marketing strategy, operations, and execution. Throughout her career, Holly has held senior marketing roles at respected organizations including Cincinnati Children’s, St. Elizabeth Healthcare, Ascension St. Vincent, Heritage Federal Credit Union, and the University of Evansville. She also spent several years at Ten Adams, a boutique agency specializing in healthcare marketing and strategy, before serving as Director of Marketing, Strategic Planning, and Printing Services at St. Mary’s Health System. Most recently, she served as Senior Director of Marketing and Communications at the University of Evansville, where she led institutional branding, communications, and enrollment support initiatives. Currently, Holly owns and operates Hollylocks Marketing, where she provides strategic marketing and communications consulting to mission-driven organizations. In addition to her professional roles, Holly has been an adjunct professor of marketing at the University of Evansville since 2016, sharing her real-world expertise with emerging professionals. Holly is equally known for her deep community involvement and nonprofit leadership. She has served on numerous boards, including as Marketing Chair and Board Member for A Network of Evansville Women (ANEW); in advisory, grants, and leadership roles with the Women’s Fund of Vanderburgh County. Across every role, Holly is known for her strategic insight, collaborative leadership style, and passion for using marketing as a force for connection, growth, and community impact.Contact Holly: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hollylocks/[email protected] invite someone on the show contact us on LinkedIn!https://www.linkedin.com/in/seanjjordan/The Marketing Gateway is a weekly podcast hosted by Sean in St. Louis (Sean J. Jordan, President of https://www.researchplan.com/) and featuring guests from the St. Louis area and beyond.Every week, Sean shares insights about the world of marketing and speaks to people who are working in various marketing roles – creative agencies, brand managers, MarCom professionals, PR pros, business owners, academics, entrepreneurs, researchers and more!The goal of The Marketing Gateway is simple – we want to build a connection between all of our marketing mentors in the Midwest and learn from one another! And the best way to learn is to listen.And the next best way is to share!For more episodes: http://themarketinggateway.com/Copyright 2025, The Research & Planning Group, Inc.