Black-and-white portrait of a smiling woman with long dark hair wearing a leather jacket

Hi, I'm Joann.

I help ambitious brands make YouTube work harder for them.

I'm an award-winning audience strategist and creative partner specializing in YouTube growth. I've helped brands launch channels from scratch, breathe new life into underperforming ones, and turn promising channels into powerful audience growth engines.

I partner with creative leaders to turn big ideas into clear, actionable strategies. Whether it's shaping an editorial vision, creating a programming strategy, or building a roadmap for growth, I help bridge the gap between creative ambition and business goals.

Over the past decade, I've worked at the intersection of creativity, data, and audience behavior. I've also stayed at the forefront of emerging technology, bringing that perspective into the classroom as an adjunct professor at USC Annenberg, where I teach problem-solving with AI.

I'm also Head of Strategy & Growth at Studio Koa, an independent creative studio where I collaborate with filmmakers to bring culturally meaningful stories to life. It's a natural extension of my work, combining audience strategy with cinematic storytelling and production.

My sweet spot? Connecting the dots, finding opportunities hiding in your data, and helping creative teams turn their vision into something that scales.

If you're a creative leader looking for a strategic thought partner to take your content further, let’s chat!

Brands I’ve worked with:

My Philosophy

  • Scrabble-style tiles spelling “EMPOWER” on a framed corkboard, surrounded by autumn leaves and scattered letter tiles.

    Empower

    I thrive in empowering my stakeholders with the data they need to make key decisions. I create systems to track and measure changes so we can continually learn from our failures and replicate our successes.

  • Inspirational quote on black background: “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”

    Execute (with empathy!)

    Insights are only “actionable” if we have a clear picture of the pain points of current workflows and the bandwidth of those with boots on the ground. I always seek to operationalize learnings in a way that is sustainable and realistic for teams. This means identifying the lowest hanging fruits or developing a 30/60/90 plan.

  • Five smiling people pose together in front of a Great Big Story promotional backdrop.

    Connect

    I am passionate about helping content creators understand their target audience and figure out the best way to activate them. Whether it’s analyzing data or conducting intimate user interviews, I tailor the research project to fit your team’s needs.

  • “She has the mind of a data scientist and the heart of a creative.”

    Group Director, AI Content & Creative Technology · R/GA

  • "Joann has the ability to gather and communicate clear insights in a way that allows the collective to move forward with confidence.

    Director of Creative Practices · Formerly Headspace

  • “She is one of very few people I've worked with who has been able to efficiently bridge the gap between research and actionable insights.”

    Analytics, AI & Content Strategy Leader · Formerly CNN & Paramoun