About Kelly A. Olexa
Kelly’s extensive professional experience is a mixed blend of Sales, Marketing, Business Development and now Social Media Strategy. She has worked for tech startups, several small to medium-sized businesses, as well as Fortune 500 organizations. Her skilled tenacity has produced strategic partnerships with companies such as: ConAgra, Orbitz, Travelocity, Marriott Hotels, Doubletree Hotels, Choice Hotels, Best Western, Microsoft, N.A.R., 7-ELEVEN, Valero Energy, SBC, Exxon/Mobil, Safety-Kleen, Sally Beauty, Halliburton, H&R Block, Sprint/Nextel, Brinker International, Carlson Restaurants, A.C.S, Lennox International, and Dean Foods among others. In March of 2011, Kelly founded FitFluential, a nationwide network of influential bloggers, vloggers and influencers in the health and wellness space.
Change CAN be a good thing. When the company where Kelly was employed declared bankruptcy in October of 2008, that unexpected "time off" provided the ideal timing for a lesson in Social Media 101. Her blog, primarily focused on her passion for fitness and health, garnered a captive audience and rather serendipitously, produced myriad opportunities to provide vlogging (video blogging/interviewing) services for other brands. Kelly’s natural on-camera presence and charisma landed her a spot as one of 100 Ford Fiesta Agents for the “Ford Fiesta Movement” in April 2009. In addition, Kelly’s engagement on Twitter has resulted in over 37,000 followers, regular placement among the “Twitter Elite” Top 100 (via Hubspot, TwitterGrader) nationally and in the Top 25 for Chicago. In August 2010, Kelly became a member of the Sears(R) FitStudio team (FitStudio.com), creating weekly content and motivating others to get FIT! In 2011, Kelly joined Polar as an ambassador for their superior Heart Rate Monitors and other fitness measurement devices.
Every day, well over 100,000 subscribers are listening to what Kelly Olexa has to say. Brands are paying attention. Even Kelly's Starbucks habit got her noticed when Brian Solis penned this piece:
The Interest Graph on Twitter is Alive: Studying Starbucks Top Followers
Kelly was also featured as one of the “Top Young Female Entrepreneurs in Technology by Business Week”, 2009.
In April of 2011, Kelly founded FitFluential- a nationwide network of fitness enthusiasts sharing their journey both online and offline via multiple social media platforms. The growth of FitFluential in less than six months is incredible and it is predicted to surpass the numbers of most of the existing popular digital networks within the next year.
In the lingering moments when Kelly finds “free time”, she..wait, she doesn't have free time. Kelly finished a book about Social Media for business professionals. This book will address how big brands and individuals can effectively utilize social media platforms to generate buzz and more importantly, produce measurable ROI. Contributors to the book include: Gary Vaynerchuk (@GaryVee, Wine Library TV), David Armano (@armano) Edelman, Sarah Evans (@prsarahevans), Olivier Blanchard (@TheBrandBuilder), Mack Collier (@MackCollier, The Viral Garden), Aronado Placencia (@Aronado, Lucky Startups), Scott Monty (@ScottMonty) (Ford), Chris Barger (GM), Thomas Knoll (Zappos), Kris Colvin (@KrisColvin), Sara Miller (Sprint), Liz Strauss (@LizStrauss) (SOBCon), Doubletree Hotels, Chris Pendleton from Microsoft Bing Maps, Brian Simpson, The Roger Smith Hotel, YELP, Katrina Campins (Campins Company Real Estate, The Apprentice TV Show) and others.
Passionate about social media- but more passionate about creating real RELATIONSHIPS, Kelly is a Social Butterfly- both online and off. For inquiries, please email Kelly directly at KellyOlexa at Gmail dot com.