The Work

Every company has a story.
Click a logo to jump straight to the magic behind that brand. Or keep scrolling if you’re the “read every plaque in the museum” type. I respect that.

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The Bartolotta Restaurants

Building one of Wisconsin’s most recognized hospitality brands through 20 years of creative leadership.

For more than two decades, I helped shape the Bartolotta Restaurants brand by leading creative strategy, brand development, marketing campaigns, digital experiences, and customer engagement across a growing portfolio of award-winning restaurants.

  • Role
    Creative Director / Marketing Director

    Timeline
    1999 to 2019

    Services

    • Creative Direction
    • Brand Strategy
    • Marketing Leadership
    • Logo Design
    • Website Design
    • Advertising Campaigns
    • Email Marketing
    • Social Media
    • Loyalty Marketing
    • Photography Direction
    • Copywriting
    • Vendor Management
    • Budget Management
    • Team Leadership
ww dinner

The Challenge

As Bartolotta Restaurants expanded, every new restaurant needed its own identity while reinforcing the reputation and quality customers expected from the Bartolotta name. Marketing had to support multiple concepts, changing menus, seasonal promotions, special events, and restaurant openings while maintaining a consistent level of excellence across every guest touchpoint.

The Opportunity

The growth of the Bartolotta Restaurants portfolio called for more than great creative. It required a marketing organization that could support multiple brands while maintaining consistency, quality, and efficiency. By developing repeatable systems and integrating digital and traditional marketing, we delivered cohesive guest experiences across every touchpoint.

My Strategy

Hospitality isn’t just about serving great food. It’s about creating memorable experiences from the very first interaction. I learned that every detail, from a logo and menu to an email or website, shapes how people feel about a brand. Those lessons continue to influence every strategy I develop and every brand I help build today.

The Work

Helping transform a family of restaurants into one of Wisconsin’s most recognized hospitality brands.

Over more than two decades, I played a key role in transforming The Bartolotta Restaurants into one of Wisconsin’s premier hospitality brands. I led the creative and marketing strategy behind 17 restaurant concepts, created hundreds of integrated marketing campaigns, built and managed websites, advertising, and brand standards across the organization, expanded the guest rewards program from 1,200 to more than 35,000 active members, and managed an $850,000 annual marketing budget while supporting the company’s continued growth.

 

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Event Menu
Bacchus – A Bartolotta Restaurant | Wonder Women Dinner Menu Design

Brand Identity
The Bartolotta Restaurants

Brand Identity
The Bartolotta Restaurants Dicken’s Dinners

Brand Identity
The Bartolotta Restaurants | Care-a-Lotta

Brand Identity
Ristorante Bartolotta

Brand Identity
Bacchus – A Bartolotta Restaurant, 2003 & 2019

Brand Identity
Harbor House

Brand Identity
Rumpus Room – A Bartolotta Gastropub

Brand Identity
Northpoint Custard

Brand Identity
Bartolotta Catering Company & Entities

Brand Identity
Cafe Grace

Brand Identity
ABV Social

Brand Identity
Miss Beverly’s BBQ

Brand Identity Concept
Captain Joe’s Beer Garden

Brand Identity
Lake Park Farmer’s Market

heartsoul

Ad
Ristorante Bartolotta 25th Anniversary

musicpoaters

Special Event Posters
Rumpus Room | Rock n’ Roll Dinners

downtownkitchenwallmural

Wall Mural
Downtown Kitchen

rewards_2015

Reward Program
The Bartolotta Restaurants

LP_anniversary

10th Anniversary Collateral
Bartolotta’s Lake Park Bistro

northpoint_ads

Ad
Northpoint Custard

caterringads

Ad
Bartolotta Catering and Events

joeygerards_men_plates

Brand Identity | Menus| Plates
Joey Gerard’s Supper Club

bacchusmenus

Menu Design
Bacchus – A Bartolotta Restaurant

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Bastille Days T-Shirt
Lake Park Bistro

Bongirnale

Quarterly Newsletter
The Bartolotta Restaurants

mushroomdinner

Ad
Bartolotta’s Lake Park Bistro | Mushroom Dinner Series

lobsterpaloza

Ad
Harbor House | Lobsterpalozza

ABVcarshow

Ad
ABV Social| Car/Bike Night Event

The Results

  • Helped establish Bartolotta Restaurants as one of Wisconsin’s premier hospitality brands
  • Supported the successful launch and marketing of multiple restaurant concepts
  • Grew the rewards program from 1,200 to more than 35,000 active members
  • Managed an $850,000 annual marketing budget, consistently delivering projects on time and on budget
  • Created integrated marketing campaigns that supported 20 years of business growth
  • Built creative systems that efficiently supported 17 restaurant properties
  • Developed long-term vendor relationships that enabled rapid production and exceptional quality

What I Learned

Hospitality is about creating memorable experiences, and marketing should feel like an extension of that experience. I learned that the strongest brands are built through consistency, attention to detail, and a deep understanding of what customers value. Those lessons continue to shape every strategy, campaign, and brand I create today.

Verlo Mattress

Role: Director of Marketing / Creative Director

Timeline: 2025 to Present

Services:

  • Marketing Strategy
  • Brand Management
  • Website Design
  • Creative Direction
  • Email Marketing
  • Social Media
  • Franchise Marketing
  • Copywriting

The Challenge

Verlo had recently launched a new website and needed a unified marketing system that would support independently owned franchisees while maintaining a consistent national brand. The challenge was to simplify marketing execution, improve brand consistency, and create scalable tools that local stores could easily customize.

The Opportunity

This was more than a website redesign. It was an opportunity to build an entire marketing ecosystem that would strengthen the brand, improve efficiency, and help franchisees market their businesses more effectively.

My Strategy

Rather than creating individual campaigns, I developed a modular marketing framework. Every promotion, email, social post, landing page, and in-store asset was designed to work together, giving franchisees flexibility while protecting the integrity of the brand.

The Work

The company needed to modernize a legacy brand while supporting dozens of independent franchisees. I created a scalable marketing system that unified the customer experience across digital, print, retail, and local advertising.

The Marketing Playbook

Landing Page Rework

Verlo Ads

Price Cards

Landing Page Ads

Promo and Sales Ad Calendar

This is a working ad calendar that allows Franchisee’s to keep control over their own Marketing while staying within brand standards.

The Results

  • Built a scalable national franchise marketing system.
  • Managed more than 25 websites.
  • Created a complete marketing playbook.
  • Standardized marketing across dozens of franchise locations.
  • Launched a new enterprise website.
  • Increased brand consistency through repeatable marketing systems.

What I Learned

Great marketing systems empower people. By creating tools that were easy to use and flexible enough for local markets, I learned that consistency doesn’t come from rigid rules. It comes from giving people a framework they can confidently build from.

The Wisconsin Center District

Role
Graphic Design Manager

Timeline
2021 to 2025

Services

  • Creative Direction
  • Graphic Design
  • Website Design
  • Environmental Graphics
  • Brand Management
  • Digital Marketing
  • Wayfinding
  • HTML/CSS
  • SEO
  • Project Management

The Challenge

The Wisconsin Center District manages multiple public venues, each serving different audiences, events, and stakeholders. The challenge was creating a consistent visual experience while supporting hundreds of events each year, producing marketing materials on tight deadlines, and maintaining websites that were both informative and easy to navigate.

The Opportunity

Supporting hundreds of events each year required more than great design. I developed scalable creative systems and brand standards that streamlined production, improved consistency, and ensured every visitor experienced a cohesive brand across all three venues.

My Strategy

My approach focused on creating consistency across every customer touchpoint. Whether someone encountered a social media post, visited a website, walked through a venue, or attended a convention, every interaction needed to feel connected to the Wisconsin Center District brand while meeting the unique needs of each venue and event.

The Work

Brand Identity
Wisconsin Center District

Brand Identity
Wisconsin Center District Internal Employee/HR

Brand Identity
Wisconsin Center District Employee Cafe

Brand Identity
UWM Panther Arena – Food Service

Postcard
UWM Panther Arena – Bag Policy

Wall Mural
UWM Panther Arena

Employee Training
Wisconsin Center District

Brand Identity
Wisconsin Center District Market

Brand Identity
Wisconsin Center District Gala Giveaway

Logo Art Direction
Baird Center

WCD
Doughnut Toss Game

The Results

  • Maintained creative consistency across 3 public venues
  • Managed simultaneous marketing support for hundreds of events
  • Improved website usability through thoughtful design and SEO
  • Delivered large-scale environmental graphics and signage projects
  • Developed efficient creative workflows for internal stakeholders
  • Supported one of Milwaukee’s premier convention and entertainment organizations through strategic visual communication

What I Learned

Designing for public venues taught me that great design must do more than look good. It must communicate clearly, guide people effortlessly, and support operational goals. Every sign, webpage, advertisement, and graphic became part of a larger guest experience, reinforcing my belief that the best creative work solves problems before people even realize they exist.

F Street Hospitality

Client
F Street Hospitality

Role
Creative & Marketing Director

Timeline
2020 to 2021

Services

  • Creative Direction
  • Marketing Strategy
  • Brand Development
  • Website Design
  • Social Media Strategy
  • Digital Marketing
  • Budget Management
  • Team Leadership
  • Concept Development
  • Copywriting
  • Public Relations

The Challenge

F Street Hospitality was growing quickly and needed a marketing department that could keep pace. Multiple restaurant concepts required distinct brand identities, stronger digital marketing, and streamlined creative processes that would support continued growth without sacrificing quality or consistency.

The Opportunity

Growth required more than great creative. I developed a scalable marketing foundation that unified branding, websites, social media, and internal workflows, making the team more efficient while helping each concept stand out in a competitive market.

My Strategy

Hospitality brands thrive on personality and storytelling. My strategy was to give each concept a distinctive voice while creating marketing systems that allowed campaigns to move faster, teams to collaborate more effectively, and guests to experience a consistent brand across every touchpoint.

Creating bold brands and modern marketing systems for a growing hospitality group.

  • Led marketing for multiple hospitality concepts
  • Increased social media engagement by 100% in 9 months
  • Designed and launched new restaurant brands
  • Built websites from concept to launch
  • Created streamlined marketing workflows and sprint processes
  • Managed marketing strategy, budgets, and creative execution

The Work

Glass and Griddle
Social Media for Rescue Event

Social Media for Half-off Wine Nights
Pizza Man

Menu
Pizza Man

Brand identity
Bottle House 42

Brand identity
Curio Event Space

Events
Plant and Pour

The Results

  • Maintained creative consistency across 3 public venues
  • Managed simultaneous marketing support for hundreds of events
  • Improved website usability through thoughtful design and SEO
  • Delivered large-scale environmental graphics and signage projects
  • Developed efficient creative workflows for internal stakeholders
  • Supported one of Milwaukee’s premier convention and entertainment organizations through strategic visual communication

What I Learned

Fast-growing organizations need more than creative ideas. They need systems that allow creativity to thrive without slowing the business down. This experience reinforced my belief that great leadership is about building processes that empower teams, strengthen brands, and create space for innovation.

Jana Michaelis Creative

Studio
Jana Michaelis Creative

Role


Owner | Creative Director

  • Focus
  • Brand Identity
  • Logo Design
  • Website Design
  • WordPress
  • Marketing Materials
  • Creative Consulting

The Challenge

Many small businesses have a great product or service but struggle to communicate who they are. Without a clear brand identity or professional website, they often miss opportunities to build trust and connect with customers.

The Opportunity

I enjoy working closely with business owners to uncover what makes them unique and transform that into a brand that feels authentic. By combining thoughtful strategy with clean design, I help clients create identities that grow with their businesses.

My Strategy

Every project begins with a conversation. I take time to understand the client’s goals, personality, audience, and vision before designing anything. Whether creating a logo or building a website, my goal is to deliver a brand that not only looks professional but tells a meaningful story.

The Work

I manage every stage of the creative process.

Brand Discovery | Logo Design | Brand Identity Development | Website Design | WordPress Development | Copywriting | Creative Direction | Client Consulting

Brand Identity and Web Design
91st & Macaron

Brand Identity
Jake’s Carpentry

Brand Identity
Lavender Leash

Brand Identity
Automap APP

Brand Identity and Website
Firefly PR LLC

Brand Identity
Lane Sharp Mortgage Advisor

Brand Identity
Olive Oil Label for Wedding Gift

Brand Identity
Pickle Ball Girl’s Trip to Arizona

Brand Identity

Advanced Surgical Stocking and Mastectomy LLC

Brand Identity

Bartolotta & Associates

Brand Identity
Christ King Parish and School Auction

Web Design
Caterina’s Ristorante

Brand Identity
Political Non-Sense

T-Shirt Design
GE Healthcare

Logo and Scorecard
Wing Bros

The Results

  • Helped entrepreneurs launch professional brands with confidence
  • Created custom visual identities tailored to each business
  • Designed websites that combine strategy, usability, and strong visual storytelling
  • Built long-term relationships through collaborative, personalized service

What I Learned

Working directly with entrepreneurs reminds me that every business starts with someone’s dream. The best creative work isn’t about following trends, it’s about listening carefully, asking thoughtful questions, and creating solutions that reflect the people behind the business.

Doddles & Such

Unfinished drawings from a wandering mind.