The “Who” Behind the Work

Sonny Sultani

Founder + CEO

Sonny is an award-winning ‘marketer and the Founder + CEO of Behind the Work. After growing up in Chicago, he attended Harvard and Columbia University, and graduated with a Bachelor’s and Master’s in communication from Northwestern University. With two+ decades of industry experience and having successfully run a startup from the ground floor to acquisition, Sonny is a savvy entrepreneur who understands your business and can help connect the dots when it comes to your marketing strategy. He enjoys supporting local artists and is an active volunteer in the inner city.

Annalee Johnson

VP of Operations + Planning

Annalee was raised in Illinois, and graduated with a degree in Scenic Design from UIUC. After a storied career of set design work in Chicago theater, she took her outstanding organizational talents to the corporate level. With over a decade of experience in marketing operations and B2B marketing, Annalee uses her diverse talents to provide efficiencies and orchestrates all of our back-end functions to ensure you are getting optimal results from your marketing efforts.

Alex Meade

VP of Marketing Strategy

Alex Meade learned the importance of building meaningful relations from his dad, the Spam salesman. No, he didn’t eat much Spam as a kid, but he did watch his dad take time to talk and understand everyone in his life. Alex has spent his career building relationships and marketing strategies to help B2B businesses find growth.

Today, Alex is the Vice President of Marketing Strategy, a leader of HubSpot User Groups, the host of the B2B Growth Marketer Podcast, and a collector of Kurt Vonnegut books and San Diego craft beer.

Brian Serocke

Director of Platform Operations

Brian is the Director of Platform Operations for Behind the Work. He loves diving into complex data or technology challenges to develop efficient solutions that better serve our clients. Brian started his digital marketing career more than 16 years ago, first working in Lifestyle Marketing for Sony Music. He then transitioned to Columbia Records, where he ran the company’s grassroots digital marketing outreach.

After his tenure at Columbia, Brian moved to Strategic Artist Management where he ran all digital responsibilities for their roster of artists, including Dixie Chicks, Pamela Anderson, Miranda Lambert, and many more. When not neck deep into HubSpot, you’ll find Brian hacking his way through a local golf course and spending time with his wife and two kids.

Laura Jo Sharpe

Director of Digital

Laura Jo grew up in Cookeville, TN, and graduated from the Tennessee Technological University with a degree in Information Technology. With over eight years of digital marketing experience, Laura Jo’s experience spans across industries, and she has expertise in paid search, paid social, search engine optimization, and campaign strategy. She currently lives in Mexico City.

Ashley Lawson

Marketing Strategist

Ashley is a Marketing Strategist at Behind the Work. She is passionate about helping her clients develop brand awareness, drive leads, and close deals. Since graduating from San Diego State University (go Aztecs!), she has spent her career evolving in marketing, with experience in public relations, advertising, event marketing, and digital content marketing. More often than not, you can find Ashley’s paw-sonal assistant, Zoey, by her side.

Next time you’re on a Zoom call with her, try to spot her in the background! In her free time, she enjoys going to the San Diego Zoo or meeting up with friends for happy hour.

Cailey Kidman

Marketing Strategist

Cailey grew up in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, and graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration for Marketing. She is a highly organized and detail-oriented Marketing Strategist at Behind the Work with many years of experience in various industries. When Cailey is not chasing after her two little girls, you can likely find her curled up on the couch watching reality TV or at a Mexican food restaurant.

Caroline Elsey

Marketing Strategist

Caroline is a Colorado resident and Mizzou graduate, who studied both Communications and Video Production, with an emphasis in Content Creation & Digital Marketing. She is our Denver girl with a thirst for cultivating client success!

After 5 years in the video production world, Caroline has joined Behind the Work as a Marketing Strategist to marry the idea of strategy and creativity, aiming to drive impressive results for each and every brand and client she has the pleasure of working with.

In her free time, she enjoys hiking, hitting the slopes, and trying out the funkiest new beer flavors at breweries around the area.

Karen Martinez

Sr. Platform Operations Specialist

Karen is the Platform Operator at Behind the Work. As a Web Designer turned Platform Operator, she has developed a unique perspective on Automation and UI/UX Design Integration. She has spent the last two years creating custom modules, improving unique HubSpot themes, and is currently most passionate about her work at the front-end development stage of the content building process.

Karen has an Engineer’s Degree in Digital Graphic Design from CETYS University in Tijuana, Mexico. When she’s not deep into a task, you can assume she’s either playing Rocket League, taking a beauty nap, or taking a walk with her two chihuahuas, Frankie (James) & Capone (that’s right, two outlaw names for the irony of it).

Komal Edwards

Senior Paid Media Specialist

Komal was raised in Concord, NC, and graduated from NC State with a Masters of Science in Environmental Engineering. After completing her research on cellulose hydrolysis and methane emissions in landfills, she joined Behind the Work as our paid media specialist. Komal helps optimize your pay-per-click efforts, ensuring that your campaign generates the highest number of conversions for each dollar spent.

Mobin Maalirad

Video Producer

Mobin began his career as a photographer for an Iranian magazine, gaining unparalleled experience in the creative space, while also establishing himself as a respected visual artist.

Currently working as a video producer for Behind the Work in the United States, Mobin is widely known for his creativity, perseverance, and entrepreneur expertise. Although he has traveled around the world as a refugee, Mobin is proud to call San Diego home.

Nikki Anderson

Content Strategist

Nikki grew up in Springville, UT, and graduated from Utah Valley University with a degree in writing studies. She has a decade in the digital marketing space and a passion for helping businesses tell compelling stories, find their audience, and hone their brands. As the content strategist at Behind The Work, Nikki spends her days crafting content, fueling ideas, and living her best creative life. She is also a multi-tasking Mom to four amazing kids. When she has a moment to breathe, you’ll find Nikki whipping up something delicious in the kitchen or getting lost in a good book. 📚

Somer Myers

Video Producer

Somer is an experienced videographer, editor, and colorist who graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Television, Film, and New Media Production from San Diego State University. Driven by her passion for visual arts, Somer takes pride in delivering the best videos possible.

As a Senior Video Production Specialist at Behind the Work, she films and edits engaging video and audio content for clients across several industries. When she’s not editing, you’ll find Somer surfing in the ocean or hanging out at the beach with her friends. #FullSend

Stori Pemberton

Content Strategist

Stori is one of the content strategists for Behind The Work; she is passionate about delivering results, design, social media, and brilliant copy. Since graduating college from The University of South Carolina, Stori has worked in social media for breweries and Real Estate. Her experience in these different industries has helped her evolve her career in marketing.

Stori, her partner, and their two dogs, Walle and Nelle, live in Bluffton, South Carolina. When she’s not creating strategies for clients, they love hiking, craft beer, and really any excuse to get outside!

Sushmita Tandon

Digital Paid Media Specialist

Sushmita graduated from the St. Francis College for Women in Hyderabad, India with degrees in Psychology and Human Resources. A passionate digital marketer, she has over five years of experience working in Google Ads, is focused on the tactical execution of digital campaigns, and also works to drive our search engine optimization efforts.

Seth Trimble

Platform Operations Strategist

Seth was raised in Pennsylvania, and graduated from DePaul University with a degree in Cello Performance. As a Platform Operations Strategist, Seth coordinates the scope and details of your program, implementing customized HubSpot instances and training your team to effectively utilize the CRM. By analyzing data around your existing strategy, he will help develop your strategy and ensure every aspect of your marketing campaign is working to meet expectations. Aside from his accomplishments as a director, he is also an award-winning musician.