Stephanie Aurora Morton
Stephanie Aurora is a seasoned media strategist and marketing leader with more than a decade of experience driving brand growth through innovative, data-informed media planning. Currently serving as Senior Manager of Media Planning & Communications at Chewy in the Greater Boston area, she leads strategic initiatives on the brand side, focusing on paid media and integrated campaigns within the pet and pharmacy space. Known for her ability to blend analytical rigor with creative insight, Stephanie specializes in building full-funnel media strategies that effectively connect brands with their target audiences.
Prior to joining Chewy, Stephanie held senior leadership roles across both agency and in-house environments, including Senior Manager of Brand Media at ezCater and Associate Media Director positions at Digitas North America and AT&T. Throughout her career, she has led high-impact campaigns across digital, social, and traditional channels, working with major brands such as Victoria’s Secret and AT&T. Her expertise spans media planning, budget optimization, audience targeting, and performance measurement, with a proven track record of increasing brand awareness and driving customer acquisition through integrated marketing efforts.
Stephanie began her career in 2010 after earning her degree in Sociology and Communications from the University of Colorado Boulder, entering the advertising world at a time of rapid digital transformation. Over the years, she has witnessed and adapted to the evolution of media, growing from traditional platforms into a leader in modern digital strategy. Passionate about meaningful brand work, she is especially motivated to support initiatives that resonate with families, mothers, and communities, bringing both professional excellence and personal purpose to her work in the ever-changing media landscape.
• University of Colorado Boulder- B.A.
What do you attribute your success to?
I would definitely say it's my own perseverance. When I started off my career, there was one person early on, in my first six months, who was my peer and had a couple months on me. She was rough, very competitive, very cutthroat. I went in just being myself - super happy and bubbly, that's just my personality - and she tore me down. She really broke me down. But I realized, okay, I'm not gonna be like that, but this is how I have to be. She had a lot of great qualities, and through watching her and watching others, I was like, okay, this is how I have to be, let me try to rebuild myself for this next phase. It was really just my own passion to do better and personal perseverance and wanting to get to that next level, and doing what it took to get to that next level. Unfortunately, I've had to be beat down a little bit to get to where I am, but I didn't let that harden me. I still have that bubbly personality and that energy, and I'm still my genuine, authentic self.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best advice I've ever received came from my boss Dave, about 10 years ago when I was at Mindshare. I had moved to Atlanta from New York for personal reasons, and when I came in to this big agency, I didn't know anyone. Dave took me in under his wing and really mentored me and guided me, and it wasn't even just with work. He would say to me all the time, 'You're better than you think, Steph.' I was so grateful to hear that, because you go in and sometimes have self-doubt or whatever, and it's nice to hear someone who works so closely with you give you that credit and see a different side of you. When he said 'you're better than you think,' it really clicked with me, and that's a line I always think of when I'm doubting myself or doing something challenging. Before he went out on medical leave for a couple weeks, he left sticky notes on my desk, on my notebook where only I would see it, and the line was 'you're better than you think you are.' I still have that sticky note. He has been such an inspiration and a mentor to me. The way he led with such confidence and how he saw everyone's individual qualities and would call them out and embrace them, and the way he provided feedback was so constructive and helpful rather than just critical - it was such a great example of leadership for me. He was so positive and encouraging, and that's something that has stuck with me to this day.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I think, and this isn't just for my space but in general, just be open. This field sometimes can get a little bit cutthroat - when I started, it felt very competitive and everyone was out to get you in a way. I still see that, but it's not as bad. It's very cutthroat because you're constantly pitching things to clients, and they either like it or they don't, and if they don't like it, you have to go back to the drawing board and restart, which kind of sucks. But I think it's more about always just believing in yourself and going in with the best ideas and not taking things too personally. If I had that advice in the beginning, it would have saved me a lot of stress and anxiety. You go in, you get all these RFPs together and all of these great ideas, and a lot of the time they're shot down, whether it's because they don't like it or they don't have enough budget - there's always reasons. But I think it's just going in with your best ideas and believing in what you're offering and just not taking it personally if that does happen. Even if my ideas were shot down, I would save them and be like, I'm gonna try again, I'm gonna try again. Keep that perseverance and don't let the competitive nature of the industry change who you are at your core.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
One of the biggest challenges in media and marketing today is keeping pace with rapid digital transformation while thoughtfully repositioning brands to align with evolving cultural expectations. At the same time, there’s a powerful opportunity to create authentic brand stories and paid media strategies that genuinely support and resonate with mothers and families.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Family is at the core of what my life is centered around, and I enjoy nothing more than quality time with my children. I am a single mom with three little kids, five and a half and younger, so they take up 95% of my personal life. I'm the type of mom that loves being with my kids and doing activities with them. We love going to the beach, and I'm teaching them all how to snowboard, which brings me a lot of joy. My hobbies have really integrated with my children, and that brings me a ton of joy. I also value taking care of myself - I go to the gym and just signed up for High Rocks, which is a fitness competition. I love writing in my journal, which is so peaceful to me, and I love gardening. But really, watching my kids grow and thrive and bringing them into new activities and things that bring me joy is what matters most. In my work, I'm all about female empowerment and body positivity and really embracing all different types of women. I'm more about supporting others, especially other women and working mothers, rather than just personal recognition. I want to be supportive to other women and share my story, whether it's career-focused or as a working mom.