Welcome to my website. This was once home to my personal blog,  “The Wayniac Nation,” but has now transformed into my portfolio. It has been quite the whirlwind in the five years since I started this blog. I’m sure you are asking yourself how we got here.

Per my resume, I am an “expert at creating content over a wide array of platforms with a focus on journalism and digital marketing. Team leader and effective communicator that achieves long-term goals and increases viewership and revenue. Deadline-oriented professional with the ability to adapt quickly to breaking or changing situations. Editing expertise in AP style with a focus on current search engine optimization practices and trends. Social-media savvy, proficient with Excel, Photoshop, YouTube and has a working knowledge of HTML. Avid user of Chartbeat and Google Analytics to make real-time decisions on content and layout.”

I became an expert on a well-traveled career path, spanning many different industries but always with the same focus: Using my writing skills to further a brand and maximize traffic to whatever platform I am working for. That career path you ask?

• I went to the University of Delaware
• I became a copywriter and wrote in the editorial department of a small-time cable magazine near Hoboken, NJ
• I worked in the Creative Department of an NYC advertising firm
• I became an English teacher
• I became a bar manager in Atlanta
• I worked as a freelance content writer and account manager for different marketing agencies
• I started my own blog in hopes of becoming a journalist and have accomplished my goal, working with Turner Sports and SB Nation since 2014

This site started on January 1st, 2014 as The Wayniac: Inside the Mind of an Angry Sports Fan. I quickly grew and brought on some guest writers and it evolved into The Wayniac Nation. It was an incredible run, but at one point I was writing for Minor League Ball, FanRag Sports, NCAA.com and PGA.com, as well as continuing to moonlight as a freelance content writer for anyone that asked for my help. The Wayniac Nation came to an end on March 2, 2017, with this highly emotional (for me at least) final post.

And now, after years of making a living stringing together multiple freelance/contract positions at once, I am looking for a permanent home. 

If you are considering me for employment, you can find links to my articles, marketing samples, YouTube videos, podcast shows and various other work on the tabs on my homepage (and visit my LinkedIn page for even more information).

Cheers,

Wayne Cavadi

WORK HISTORY:

Turner Sports | NCAA Division II Sports Content Lead

NOVEMBER 2014 – PRESENT, Atlanta, GA

• Manage all Division II coverage on NCAA.com, including article writing and research-based content for 24 sports and coordinating with other writers and content manager to develop web content across multiple channels (digital, social media and newsletters).
• Assisted in the product launch of the “NCAA DII hub” — a microsite for DII sports. Designed the layout and digital content, which led to a 64% increase in viewership of DII articles and videos since the 2018 launch.
• Work with a live-blogging team and video-content creators for the Emmy Award-winning March Madness Live app and website that has seen viewership increase in each of the past four seasons.
• Achieved more than 50% YOY growth in DII article and video traffic in 2020 despite a prolonged absence of sports by creating engaging content, promoting on social media and making informed decisions based on real-time metrics from Google Analytics and longer-term trends.
• Leverage industry best practices to NCAA partners to plan and execute content that meet the needs of the league and the Turner Sports business goals.

Vox Media | Managing Editor for “Minor League Ball (to 2019);” Staff Writer for “Talking Chop” (2019-present)

MAY 2015 – PRESENT, Atlanta, GA

• Made use of SEO strategies to develop engaging content and maximizing the traffic on the website, increased “Minor League Ball” viewership by more than 30% YOY growth in Nov. 2018 with 36,000 new unique visitors.
• Managed a team of 10 writers by budgeting monthly content for each writer, editing seven articles per week and providing coaching and insight on how to create strong SEO-driven, digital content.
• Currently write two weekly minor-league pieces for “Talking Chop” either recapping a live performance or profiling and interviewing a prospect in the Atlanta Braves’ organization.

Local Marketing, Inc. | Web Content Specialist

APRIL 2018 – PRESENT, Atlanta, GA

• Develop content based on assignment, including article writing, social media copy, blogs and e-newsletters for 14 clients in the automotive and legal industries.
• Deliver completed content within stipulated timeframes, meeting weekly deadlines with six to nine new articles or blogs.
• Article writing for four new clients after increasing conversion rates in 2019 by implementing successful SEO strategies.

RELATED EXPERIENCE

Elavon | Customer Communications Manager

MARCH 2020 – JULY 2021, Atlanta, GA

• Wrote four weekly articles for three partner newsletters that were distributed to 3,000 readers that generated a 46% open rate, which is nearly double the industry average.
• Developed integrated communications plans to analyze and document corporate objectives and identified target audiences, strategy and positioning, key messages and specific tactical recommendations in the successful 2020 launch of Elavon’s talech software that saw a 15-basis-point lift in the first month of 2021.
• Fostered, nurtured and maintained collaborative relationships with marketing and business executives within Elavon and U.S. Bank.

The Nook on Piedmont Park | Digital Marketing Manager

JUNE 2012 – DECEMBER 2014, Atlanta, GA

• Developed and delivered a revitalized brand style, updating The Nook’s website with a weekly blog and more user-friendly ordering and event experience leading to $1 million in revenue for 2014.
• Created engaging social media posts across Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and two-weekly newsletters via Constant Contact to persuasively promote product launches, specials and events. The Nook’s Facebook page alone saw a 200% increase in followers while the newsletter gained 432 more subscribers.