Diana Gee Calingo

My career in affiliate marketing began 21 years ago at Sharper Image, where I started doing website work, creating product images, and eventually volunteered to create banners for affiliate programs. When the affiliate marketing manager left, my boss asked if I wanted to step into that role, and I said yes - it was probably the best decision of my life because it got me on the path of where I am today. I also learned email marketing and search while there, benefiting from the experience as people were leaving during the company's bankruptcy. After Sharper Image, I went to The North Face where I started their email program and affiliate program, running it by myself with a marketing team. I won the Best New Advertiser Award through LinkShare around 2010. Then I moved to AccountNow, a prepaid card company, where I learned the lead generation side of affiliate marketing. I returned to retail with Foreo, starting affiliate programs for Foreo, Laylo, and Intimina, where I tripled sales numbers within two to three years while managing a team of four. I then went to Taylor Brands during the pandemic, managing Men's Warehouse and Joseph A. Bank - probably the hardest time running an affiliate program, especially for men's clothing. After that, I was recruited to Third Love where I grew their affiliate program from scratch, but they had layoffs a year and three months later. I ended up at an agency called Audible where I now manage about 7 or 8 accounts, growing programs and helping businesses start their programs from scratch. My main expertise is in affiliate marketing - I love growing relationships, finding new relationships, and using them to help grow each program. I play matchmaker with affiliates and brands, and I'm grateful for all the relationships I've developed over the years, remaining friends with many of them for the past 20 years.