meet the team
Amy Somerville
Dream Career: I am living my dream career!
Amy is a mission-driven leader with demonstrated success in developing highly effective teams, delivering dynamic learning strategies, and building engaged communities. Prior to joining SUCCESS, she was vice president of professional development and industry engagement at Buffini & Company and the founder of Moment of Clarity, LLC. In her previous role as an executive with RE/MAX, LLC, she led professional development, technology engagement, multi-media production, and education.
Kerrie Lee Brown
Dream Career: Doing what I’m doing
Kerrie Lee Brown is an award-winning writer, editor and speaker who has worked in media and communications for three decades. She is published in 150 magazines worldwide, has interviewed some of the biggest names in Hollywood and business, and is the author of the book “My Heart, My Self: A Heartfelt Guide for Women Who Do Too Much” (Amazon), which has received various recognitions in the self-help category.
Cecilia Meis
Dream Career: Writer
Cecilia has more than 12 years of content strategy and editing experience, first in editorial roles before transitioning to SEO and digital marketing. At SUCCESS, she oversees marketing, sales and business development, supporting all divisions across the organization.
Anna Allee
Kelley Bahata
Dream Career: Librarian in a coastal town
Kelley, as the Digital Marketing Manager at SUCCESS Enterprises, operates in a cross-functional capacity, collaborating with the leadership, sales, and product teams to craft effective marketing strategies and foster partnership opportunities. Her daily focus revolves around spearheading innovative campaigns, optimizing user experiences, and building the SUCCESS community. With a background in strategy development for leading global and Fortune 500 brands, she thrives in dynamic environments that challenge her skills and creativity.
Tyler Clayton
Dream Career: Screenwriter / director
Tyler has over 10 years of marketing experience, ranging in roles from copywriter and video producer to photographer and content strategist. As a copywriter at SUCCESS®, he takes pride in crafting fresh and compelling messaging that drives results and articulates the brand’s bold and forward-thinking persona.
Crysten Cornish
Dream Career: French cafe owner
With over eight years of experience, Crysten is a brand strategist and marketing expert who has led nationwide workshops to help businesses refine their messaging. As the social media community coordinator for SUCCESS®, she leverages her expertise in brand consulting to craft high-impact content and drive audience engagement.
Shawana Crayton
Dream Career: News Anchor
Shawana has been with Success Enterprises for three years. With over 20 years of customer service experience, she finds joy in assisting others.
Brianna Diaz
Dream Career: A director, bringing stories to life through compelling visuals and storytelling
Brianna is a creative professional with experience in production assistance, script reading, video editing, and social media management. She brings strong organizational and creative skills to support projects across preproduction, production, and postproduction.
Katana Dumont
Dream Career: Screenwriter of horror films
Katana is a content strategist with a background in SEO and digital marketing. Her focus is on keyword research, content planning, and optimization to improve search visibility and engagement. With experience across various industries, she enjoys contributing to content that informs and connects with audiences.
Kathryn Giuffrida
Dream Career: Homesteading mom of many
As associate marketing editor at SUCCESS®, Kathryn oversees and assists with all SEO and partner content initiatives. She collaborates closely with our talented team of writers, editors, fact-checkers, uploaders, and SEO strategists to produce high-quality content that resonates with our audience. She has over six years of experience in SEO content production and has achieved multiple first-page rankings on Google, demonstrating her ability to create content that is both engaging and highly discoverable.
Elisa Henry
Dream Career: FBI Agent
Elisa Henry is a seasoned System Architect and CRM Specialist with extensive experience in API development and SaaS solutions. With a proven track record in web design and UX/UI creation, Elisa excels in leveraging her expertise across multiple platforms to drive innovation and efficiency in every project she undertakes.
Emily Holombek
Dream Career: Therapy dog handler
Emily has a diverse background in startups, teaching, coaching, and curriculum development, with a strong focus on course design and implementation. Passionate about innovation, she thrives on creating engaging learning experiences and enhancing educational content that drives success and makes a meaningful impact.
Alma Hortelano
Dream Career: Professional nap-taker and ocasional designer
Alma is an experienced UX/UI designer with a passion for innovative interfaces, oversized typography, and compelling visual storytelling. Versed in digital design and highly adaptive, she has a keen ability to blend aesthetics and functionality seamlessly. She focuses on improving conversion rates and enhancing user experience while creating best-in-class websites and immersive experiences.
Michelle Janikian
Dream Career: Novelist
Michelle is a content strategist with over 10 years of experience in journalism, SEO, and digital marketing. She is a seasoned writer and author of a popular nonfiction book, and she loves to apply that attention to detail in all areas of her work for media companies and D2C businesses alike. She is the co-founder of her own digital marketing agency, CrazeMakers, where she helps small businesses gain visibility and brand authority through engaging copywriting and SEO strategy.
Elly Kang
Dream Career: Kindergarten teacher
Driven by a passion for visual communication, Elly, who grew up in Korea, studied studio art at the University of Texas at Austin. With a strong interest in design and storytelling, she joined SUCCESS® as a marketing operations assistant, where she contributes to creative projects and brand engagement.
Lauren Kerrigan
Dream Career: Touring master sommelier
Lauren is the wrangler and creator of branding and graphic assets for all business divisions across SUCCESS® Enterprises. She is driven to make SUCCESS beautiful!
Maya Korogodsky
Dream Career: Fashion Designer
Maya, a driven professional with a BBA in Marketing from the University of Michigan, has gained experience at SoulCycle, HBO, and Meta. Thriving in diverse global environments, Maya excels in collaboration and growth, possessing proficiency in English, Russian, and Hebrew. She is eager to contribute her skills and passion for driving results to dynamic teams.
Safiya Lawrence
Dream Career: FBI agent
Safiya is a strategic audience growth leader with over a decade of experience in audience development, performance analytics, and digital media. She specializes in leveraging data-driven strategies to drive organic audience expansion, optimize content for engagement, and enhance brand visibility. With expertise in SEO, content strategy, and cross-functional collaboration, she excels in guiding editorial and product teams to create impactful, audience-first experiences.
Virginia Le
Dream Career: Chocolate consultant who travels the world
Virginia is a detail-oriented individual responsible for overseeing numerous aspects, both significant and minor, in her role. Joining SUCCESS magazine’s print production team in 2018, she ensures the Editorial Team stays on track, coordinates with printers, bulk customers, advertisers, vendors, and consultants to ensure timely magazine production.
Ava Leach
Dream Career: Formula 1 Driver
Ava is a seasoned social media manager with over six years of industry experience. She specializes in driving engagement and brand visibility across diverse platforms, leveraging her expertise to create impactful digital strategies.
Denise Long
Dream Career: Book reviewer
With over 20 years of professional experience in copy editing, writing, and fact-checking, Denise has worked with a variety of industries from news media and tech startups to academic institutions and nonprofits. At SUCCESS®, she is a vigilant extra set of eyes for style and accuracy.
Jamie Lyons
Dream Career: Operate my own bed and breakfast
Jamie has a wealth of experience in executive support, operations, and project management with a strong background in startup environments, where she’s worn many hats beyond the traditional executive assistant role.
Tess Lopez
Dream Career: Exactly what I’m doing now—editing for a magazine!
Tess has more than five years of experience as a writer and editor for both print and digital publications, with a special interest in lifestyle and personal development content. In her role at SUCCESS, she assigns and oversees the production of digital editorial content for the website and the brand’s exclusive digital magazine, SUCCESS+.
Rena Machani
Dream Career: Author
Rena grew up in Colorado, graduated from The University of Colorado Boulder in English, and pursed media and journalism. She recently joined SUCCESS magazine as their editorial assistant.
Saša Mrdalj
Dream Career: Scaling businesses with paid media
With over 10 years of experience driving revenue growth and brand visibility for high-performing companies, Saša has managed over $50M in ad spend and generated $100M+ in traffic. As an expert in paid media, performance marketing, and growth strategies, he has a proven track record in optimizing campaigns and executing data-driven strategies for scalable success.
Hugh Murphy
Dream Career: Leftfielder for the Texas Rangers
Hugh is a marketing professional with extensive career experience in the publishing and advertising industries.
Shannon Nigut
Dream Career: Artist
Shannon has nearly a decade of experience in social media, having worked both in agencies and in-house for clients. She specializes in content ideation, strategy, production, and reporting. As a freelancer and consultant, she partners with brands to elevate their digital presence and achieve measurable results.
Emily O'Brien
Dream Career: THIS.
Emily is the associate editor of SUCCESS magazine. She has contributed to more than 30 print and digital publications, focusing on architecture, wellness, travel, and lifestyle topics. She resides in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Jeff Pizzo
Dream Career: Being the GM for a professional sports team or Athletic Director at LSU
With over 20 years of experience in advertising sales, Jeff leverages his proven track record of exceeding client expectations to drive business growth. He is passionate about developing creative and outside-the-box solutions that achieve client goals and foster long-term partnerships.
Alexis Sentinella
Dream Career: Professional Hobbyist: The art of trying new things but not committing to them lifelong.
Alexis brings eight years of experience to the table, specializing in intertwining data and systems to create seamless user experiences. Despite holding a bachelor’s degree in accounting, which she rarely applies, she loves to nerd out on numbers on a daily basis.
Beth Shea
Dream Career: To be a wildlife warrior for the Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve
Beth has over 20 years of experience as a writer and editor of digital content and has worked with online publications including Hearst Newspapers, Forbes, Business Insider and American Express. She is the digital associate editor at SUCCESS®, where she sources the most engaging and inspiring stories to keep readers informed about current events.
Kristen Tribe
Dream Career: Novelist with an antique/vintage store side hustle
Kristen is a multitalented journalist with more than 20 years of experience writing and editing for award-winning newspapers and magazines. She’s happiest when chasing a good story.
Katelin Walling
Dream Career: National Park Ranger
Katelin has more than 13 years of editorial experience, starting in print before transitioning to digital content and SEO strategy. At SUCCESS, she oversees marketing and SEO content, ensuring those content strategies best support all divisions across the organization.
