who we are.

Story Marketing. With a Purpose.

Established in 2009 to work with clients who want higher-level thinking and execution, without the budgets and drama of working with bigger agencies, Tell Your Story helps a variety of clients tell their stories strategically, creatively and effectively. And we have fun doing it, too.

George Rafeedie

President & Founder

Amanda Pollard

Director, Content & Social Strategy

Raquel Roman

Content Marketing Manager

Angi Day

Office/Project Manager

George started Tell Your Story after several years on the agency and client side. He started the Chicago office of what is now gyro after a few years in corporate PR and marketing at Baxter Healthcare Corporation and Arthur Andersen. Before that he cut his teeth at a PR firm and B2B marketing firm in Ohio. In between, he received his masters in Integrated Marketing Communications from Northwestern University’s Medill School. His undergrad degree in journalism and PR is from THE Ohio University in Athens, Ohio. Besides telling stories, George loves mentoring, networking, speaking and teaching. He is very active with the Business Marketing Association and teaches a strategic communications class at Northwestern, when they let him. His wife, Karen, is in the ad biz on the creative side and keeps him honest. His two young boys keep him hopping and active. In his spare time, we runs an office sharing and networking space in the ‘burbs of Chicago called CoWorkers.

Amanda has spent her career working for B2B agencies developing and executing award winning Public Relations, Social Media and Content Marketing programs. Prior to joining Tell Your Story in 2011, she worked as a public relations consultant for global business-to-business firm, gyro. Amanda takes a metrics-driven approach to social media and PR and is passionate about integrating social and digital media with traditional public relations. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Speech Communication and Political Science from Augustana College and is an active member of the Chicago Business Marketing Association. Amanda hails from Rockford, Illinois, spent her early to mid-twenties in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood, and now lives on 5-acres in the Chicago suburbs with her “Kiwi” husband, adorable daughter, and their dog, cat and 12 chickens. They keep her busy. Amanda also loves to travel, drink wine, and renovate her house (while blogging about it).

As a Tell Your Story Content Marketing Manager, Raquel’s goal is to develop great stories that get shared on all kinds of channels, especially the social kind. Raquel has worked both on the agency and client side during her career and has a track record of increasing engagement and other measureable results through social media. She loves creating engaging content and a positive experience — it’s what really makes her tick. In 2006 Raquel moved from Chicago to Glasgow, Scotland to study at Glasgow Caledonian University where she graduated with a 1st Class Honours degree in Marketing with a minor in Entertainment and Events Management. When she’s not checking her Twitter feed or picking an Instagram filter, Raquel loves exploring her local food scene, meeting new people and traveling. She also loves new projects; whether it’s starting a podcast with her close friend, advocating for a cause or writing about healthy eating.

Angi joined Tell Your Story in 2013. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English/Creative Writing from Ohio University where she fell in love with language and literature. Angi first met George at OU and is proud to say she accompanied him and Karen (now his wife of many years) on their unofficial first date. After college, Angi got her first taste of public relations and marketing while working at a Cincinnati PR firm and more recently worked in the healthcare industry. When not creating content or doing behind-the-scenes financial work for Tell Your Story, Angi can most often be found taxiing her two middle schoolers around, in the kitchen up to her elbows in flour and sugar or with her nose in a book.

Our Network & Affiliations

One thing that makes us special is our network and affiliations with great people, organizations and other agencies. If can’t get the word done ourselves, we easily and effectively reach out to our network and integrate their talents seamlessly into what we need to accomplish for our clients. Read more about our network of partners here.