Professional Experience
I have 20+ years of experience working on digital marketing programs and websites for companies of all sizes, ranging from Fortune 50 consumer brands and healthcare organizations to government agencies and small/medium businesses. I have experienced the work from the corporate side, agency side, and as an independent consultant.
Since 2012, I have held marketing leadership roles at three health systems and have been responsible for strategy, social media, website development and management, online reputation management, and paid campaigns. I also spent three and half years at Humana leading consumer-facing web properties and initiatives.
Before healthcare, I spent 9+ years at advertising agencies working on large digital projects for clients such as GE Appliances, Lennox International, GE Aviation, Commonwealth of Kentucky, regional/local companies, and non-profits.
You can see a full rundown of my career on LinkedIn.
How I Got Started
I graduated from Western Kentucky University in May 1999 with an Advertising degree and planned to work in a traditional advertising agency. I joined a small three-person marketing shop that was starting to build websites as the Internet was becoming mainstream.
I quickly became interested in building websites and taught myself web development. That led to my second job where I was hired as a full-time web developer for a software development company. I eventually realized that I wasn’t cut out to be a developer and in 2004, I transitioned into the digital strategy, project management, and leadership side of things.
Throughout my career, I have managed dozens of my own websites and blogs as a “copy-and-paste coder.” This experience along with my early experience as a full-time developer has been invaluable for me because it’s helped me better understand the website development process and I can guide others through it.
Teaching & Training
I have a curious mind and enjoy learning new things and sharing what I’ve learned with others. I have taught 100+ digital marketing-related classes at local universities and online. These classes/seminars were geared toward executives, small business owners, and professionals. I have also done quite a bit of individual training and coaching.
Woodworking
I’ve loved creating and figuring out how to do things for as long as I can remember. My favorite pastime is woodworking. I got started in 2005 when I wanted to build my own poker table. I found plans online, borrowed my uncle’s tools/garage, and created my first poker table. Since then, I have completed dozens of projects including poker tables, bookshelves, tables, and more.
In 2018, I was introduced to scroll saw art and I started a hobby business, Made By Jay Lane, where I make custom 3D wood art, Bourbon barrel heads, signs, and more.
Other Fun
In addition to my woodworking projects, I’ve found other fun things to work on including a book I wrote for new dads, my Video Gaming Dad blog, and several video gaming-related ventures.