ABOUT DEENA
I have spent twenty years at the intersection of lifestyle and storytelling — helping brands figure out who they are and how to tell the world about it.
My marketing and brand strategy consultancy is based in New York City, where I serve as Fractional CMO for a major NYC food brand and take on select engagements with companies ready to think bigger, tell better stories, and build brands that last.
I founded my consultancy in 2017 after years of in-house and agency work with lifestyle and food brands. I led marketing in-house at Murray's Cheese through one of the most ambitious retail partnerships in specialty food history — opening shops nationwide in Kroger stores. I've been agency-side at MLC, where my clients included il Buco, Eli Zabar, Counter Culture Coffee, Chef JJ Johnson, Mouth.com and Fleishers Craft Butchery. Since founding my own practice, I've seen what works, what doesn't, and what most consultants miss when they're not accountable for actual outcomes.
I also led communications at Slow Food USA, working with sustainable food advocates around the world. That experience shaped everything — and my belief that strong brand values and strong business results are the same thing.
I work with lifestyle businesses, specialty food companies, restaurants, chefs, retailers, e-commerce brands, and mission-driven organizations. I'm equally comfortable advising a founder on their first marketing strategy and serving as a senior thought partner to an executive team navigating a pivotal growth moment.
Outside of work, I sit on the board of North Shore Holiday House, which provides free summer camp experiences for underserved girls, and love hiking and beach time with my family.
TESTIMONIALS
“Deena and I worked as colleagues at Murray’s for 5 years during a period of rapid growth and transformation for our national business. I was always impressed with her ability to stay grounded, focused, and strategic while working tirelessly to build new structures and processes during rapid growth. Six years ago, I was thrilled to bring her back to Murray’s in a consultant capacity. Deena’s years of experience both in-house, agency-side, and now as head of her own company, translate into a strategic, dynamic, and entrepreneurial approach. In her current work with Murray’s, she leads us to think big picture strategy, while simultaneously partnering with our teams for creative press-event brainstorms, and on-the-ground execution. Throughout the challenges of 2020, Deena was a trusted collaborator not only for our PR needs, but also as a strategic sounding board for brand decisions, and internal communications. She is measured, thoughtful, and invested in the growth of our business. She integrates seamlessly with our teams, partners with me to strategize in times of crisis, and is always willing to offer a smart, third-party perspective. Deena is a joy to work with, a voice of steady reason, and dynamic in her ability to work strategically across companies of all sizes. I recommend her highly!”
“An advisor you want in challenging moments, Deena is an absolute pleasure to work with. Incredibly reliable, she consistently delivers measurable results while approaching all projects with grace and tact.”
“Deena has done a tremendous job by helping me get my name out there and gain national exposure in the hospitality world. She helped us hone and deliver a consistent message about our restaurant experience and I am still seeing the rewards of this effort today.”
“If I were to think of one word when I think of Deena, it would be “integrity.” She is an innately positive and kind person, who truly cares about doing the right thing and doing things well. She is a skilled, thoughtful and intelligent publicist who always has her clients best interests at heart and is a joy to work with.”
“We adored working with Deena – she’s always gone above and beyond, and has brought intelligence, instinct and great taste to the job. Deena has been like an extension of our company – it always felt like she was just in the next room.”
“Deena is tenacious, extremely hard working and uniquely positioned — unlike many consultants who are merely advisory, Deena brings the experience of real work in the trenches in PR, marketing and communications strategy.
I had the great fortune to work with Deena for several years at Murray’s Cheese. She joined Murray’s at a time of explosive growth, both in the depth and complexity of our New York businesses, and in our national licensing partnership with Kroger supermarkets. The challenge of being an established brand is keeping people interested - we saw that press and consumers thought they know who we were and what we could do for them. Deena was extremely creative and nimble in her ability to continually reposition Murray’s relevance and innovation, resulting in excellent and frequent story placement.
Simultaneously, Deena guided the marketing and communication of the Murray’s brand and mission in dozens of remote national markets, many of which had never heard of us, and didn’t think of cheese or New York as relevant. From supermarkets in Dayton, Ohio to Marietta, Georgia, Deena kept the soul of our brand alive, so that we could improve the lives of thousands of new consumers.”