Geoff Caldwell is a writer, researcher, and marketing adviser. He was a key figure in the rapid growth of Chicago-based independent record label Thrill Jockey, where he was responsible for distribution and retail throughout the United States and abroad, directed marketing campaigns, and enhanced the label’s online presence. He also promoted artists via product placement and in-store appearances based on retail trends and marketing demographics. He has experience in corporate sports marketing, corporate relations, and research and grant proposals, working with clients such as Tropicana, MasterCard, VISA, and NASCAR. Geoff most recently worked in academia, where he spent over five years as an assistant to the President of Duke University. He was responsible for customer relations, alumni communications, website content, and presidential correspondence. Many years ago, Geoff succumbed to the allure of The Beautiful Game. In the late 1990s, he began a soccer news email service that eventually developed into the acclaimed blog, Sanford’s Soccer Net. He holds a BA from Oberlin College. Geoff@yardarmmedia.com
R. Brett Valley is an editor, writer, a carpenter’s apprentice, and an aspiring Great American novelist. A veteran book editor with former posts at Simon and Schuster, Penguin, and Random House, Brett worked with a number of best-selling and notable authors in a wide variety of categories. He edited several New York Times best-selling titles, including All The President’s Spin by Ben Fritz, Bryan Keefer and Brendan Nyhan and Always By My Side by Jim Nantz. Other notable titles include Bowie by Marc Spitz, Man of Constant Sorrow by Dr. Ralph Stanley with Eddie Dean, The New Rolling Stone Album Guide by the editors of Rolling Stone, Sean Manning’s The Things That Need Doing, Pitch Perfect by Mickey Rapkin, Seven Seconds or Less by Jack McCallum, Inside the Helmet by Michael Strahan, This Boy’s Faith by Hamilton Cain, and If Trouble Don’t Kill Me by Ralph Berrier, Jr. Before entering the publishing world, Brett was the assistant to the director of Gamma Arts, a performing arts agency based in London, England. Brett received his BA in English Literature from the University of Georgia. Brett@yardarmmedia.com
