Our Freelance Team
Carrie Souza
Founder/ Strategist
In 2009, Carrie opened the doors of Freelance Media Buying. A media agency that helps government agencies drive health behavior change campaigns. Since then, Carrie has focused exclusively on positive social and environmental change marketing working on outreach initiatives that she can feel good about. Carrie surrounds herself with an arsenal of change-makers, problem solvers, innovators, go-getters & movers, and shakers. Carrie is a respected and experienced Media Strategist, bringing over 20 years of purpose-driven work in media planning, negotiations, and execution experience to the team. Located in the San Francisco Bay Area and a California native, she knows all markets and pockets of demographics that make up California like the back of her hand.
Known in the media and by her clients for her collaboration skills and resourcefulness, Carrie is well connected and has the ability to deliver strong media campaigns for her clients that produce results. She has strong ownership and values when it comes to her business, treating each campaign like it’s her money, and spending it at a high level of integrity and value for the client. Within the media industry, Carrie has great relationships that span a couple of decades. Over the course of her career, Carrie has implemented hundreds of successful integrated marketing campaigns in multiple markets and for a wide array of clients with a particular niche and focus on reaching minority and underserved populations.
Nicole Walsh
Finance Manager
In 2009, Nicole joined Freelance Media Buying as the Finance Manager. Over the past 13 years, she has overseen the financial operations within the organization. Armed with an analytical mind, Nicole has a pulse on all aspects of the business including managing budgets, producing financial reports related to budgets, account payables, account receivables, and expenses. Good communication skills – both written and verbal, Nicole has been a crucial member of the FMB team, her skill set includes, but not be limited to collecting, interpreting, and reviewing financial information; predicting future financial trends, reporting to management, and providing advice how the company and future business decisions might be impacted; producing financial reports related to budgets, account payables, account receivables, expenses, etc. Reviewing, monitoring, and managing media budgets, a keen eye for detail and desire to probe further into data, and the ability to stick to time constraints. On all of our campaigns, Nicole is responsible for helping our team meet deadlines for invoicing to clients, payments to subcontractors, vendors, and the media.
Kristen de Paschalis
Media Director & Buyer
With over 30 years of media buying background, Kristen has in-depth knowledge of multiplatform media planning and buying. Through the years, she has negotiated and managed over a billion dollars in media spend across the West Coast and Pacific Northwest markets with savings of up to 25% below industry standards. She understands, recognizes, and reacts to clients’ needs while keeping a smile. She has the ability to mobilize unique skills to thrive in complex and challenging times. She stays calm and focused during stressful situations. She has strong vendor relationships as well as her expertise in motivating, mentoring, and training employees. Kristen specializes in campaign strategy, targeting hard-to-reach and vulnerable populations and general market audiences, paid media negotiation, promotions, campaign invoicing, media strategy and execution, media partnerships, and bonus media management. She also tracks Key Performance Indicators, provides campaign reporting, and creates final report development and execution.
Brian Perry
Media Planner/Buyer
With almost 30 years of experience in media buying and television sales, Brian has in-depth and unique knowledge of Multiplatform media plans and buys. Through the years, he has been responsible for the success of local broadcast operations with over $1B of activity emanating from San Francisco, New York, and Chicago offices. He has effectively supervised staff on the strategic development and execution of advertising programs for local and national brands. A gifted problem solver, Brian is skilled at producing the best results through a high-level understanding of marketplace dynamics, innovation, relationship building, and the development of strategic partnerships. His in-depth knowledge allows for a hands-on approach to the efficient and effective use of media to build and cultivate world-class brands.
Stacey Larson
Project Manager
With 25+ years of media campaign development and execution experience, Stacey is a strategy, media utilization, and consumer engagement specialist. Expertise includes campaign development and management of regional and national media budgets ranging from $40,000 to $50 million. Stacey’s areas of expertise are in education, awareness, behavior modification, and consumer activation with campaign tactics that lead to measured outcomes. She has worked on over 500+ consumer engagement campaigns in her career. Since 2011, the development and execution of government communication and outreach campaign experience include state level and national campaigns including health education campaigns that also required barrier reduction and diverse population tactics to include public health (Opioid, HIV & Healthcare), transportation (road safety and other road comms) and energy (Clean, Water, Utilities), Census 2020, Secretary of State Voter Education, CDPH – COVID Mask Education and equity health campaigns for the California Endowment around schools, not prisons, Medical, Covered California (ACA), mixed-status families, and voter engagement.
AJ Leighton
Messaging Lead
AJ is a Multi-dimensional digital artist with a BS in journalism, based out of Oakland, California with 10+ years of print and digital design experience working with Fortune 500 companies, in-house agencies, and boutique agencies. Possessing a wealth of knowledge and a work ethic of steel, his clients look to him for his keen eye for detail and creative expertise. His copywriting and editing skills help him to develop meaningful and poignant outreach messaging for multiple big-name companies and campaigns. He knows how to run a campaign from the inside out. As a thoughtful communicator and an adept collaborator, he takes his past marketing and communications experience and crafts clients’ stories to help with brand uplift and cultural relevance. He has worked with the top innovative marketers over the course of his career and is passionate about creating a client’s story and unique positioning helping our clients have breakthrough campaigns that garner results. AJ is highly functional, well organized in a rapidly changing environment, and able to manage multiple roles and workstreams in parallel all with a smile on his face.
Amanda Denny
Deputy Project Manager
With 25 years of health experience, Amanda Denny is a strategic, creative problem-solver with a keen eye for exceptional design and a rich understanding of human motivators. Able to quickly grasp complex ideas and translate them into clear, accessible language across myriad audience segments. Adept at driving strategy, managing creative development, and collaborating with cross-functional teams to co-create programs and campaigns that drive results. Amanda has a reputation for excellence in marketing based on proven success with agencies and corporations. Amanda’s areas of expertise include Strategic Planning & Execution, Marketing & Communications, Branding, Cross-functional Team Leadership, Project Management, Content & Digital Marketing, Community Outreach, Relationship Building, ROI Data Analysis, Public Relations & Key Performance Indicators.