Laura Smith

Founder & Lead Automation Strategist

Upwork • Selbstständig

Sep 2023 - Present • 3 yrs

Founded a boutique automation consultancy exclusively on Upwork, serving agency owners, coaches, and SaaS founders who need GoHighLevel systems that actually book appointments and generate ROI rather than just looking impressive in the backend. Delivered 300+ projects across four core service lines: AI agent builds, automation leak repair, email deliverability recovery, and SEO-optimized funnel architecture. Maintained a 4.9-star average rating with 95% of clients returning for additional work or monthly retainer upgrades. Built a proprietary library of 50+ GoHighLevel workflow templates, AI agent conversation frameworks, and deliverability checklists that reduce project delivery time by 40% while maintaining custom quality for each client. Specialized in fixing "broken" AI implementations workflows that were technically active but failing to tag leads, route prospects, or trigger follow-ups correctly recovering an estimated $1.8M in lost pipeline value for clients in 2024 alone. Developed strategic partnerships with three marketing agencies who white-label my automation builds for their own client portfolios. Recognized as a Fiverr's Choice seller in the GoHighLevel category for consistent delivery excellence and buyer satisfaction. Currently focused on AI agent development that moves beyond conversational chatbots to conversion-focused appointment setters, helping clients replace expensive sales development representatives with intelligent automation that qualifies, nurtures, and books meetings 24/7 without human intervention.

Marketing Automation Manager

HubSpot • Vollzeit

Aug 2023 - Aug 2025 • 2 yrs

Joined HubSpot's Solutions Partner team to build and optimize marketing automation workflows for mid-market SaaS and agency clients across EMEA. Responsible for designing email nurture sequences, lead scoring models, and CRM pipeline automations that increased qualified lead velocity by 34% across a portfolio of 40+ accounts. Spearheaded the migration of three enterprise clients from legacy email platforms to HubSpot's automation engine, reducing manual data entry by 60 hours per week and improving sales-marketing alignment. Developed a proprietary lead qualification framework that was adopted by the broader partner network, resulting in a 28% improvement in conversion rates from MQL to SQL. Collaborated with the product team to beta-test new automation features before public release, providing feedback that shaped HubSpot's workflow builder updates in 2019. Trained and mentored a team of four junior automation specialists, building internal documentation and best-practice playbooks still in use today. Recognized as Top Performer in Q3 2019 for exceeding client retention targets by 22% through proactive workflow optimization and deliverability consulting. Managed end-to-end integration projects connecting HubSpot with Salesforce, Zapier, and custom APIs, ensuring zero data loss during migration. This role cemented my expertise in inbound methodology, behavioral triggers, and the psychology of automated lead nurturing at scale.

AI Workflow Automation Engineer

Upwork • Selbstständig

Oct 2022 - Jun 2025 • 2 yrs 8 mos

Operated as a top-rated freelance automation engineer on Upwork, specializing in AI-powered CRM workflows, chatbot development, and marketing automation for coaches, agencies, and SaaS founders. Completed 180+ projects with a 100% job success score, building conversational AI agents, email nurture sequences, and sales pipeline automations across GoHighLevel, HubSpot, ActiveCampaign, and Make.com. Pioneered the integration of OpenAI's GPT models into existing CRM workflows, creating dynamic lead qualification chatbots that reduced response time from hours to seconds while maintaining human-like conversation quality. Designed and implemented end-to-end automation ecosystems for seven marketing agencies, enabling them to scale from 20 to 100+ clients without proportional staff increases. Developed a signature "Leak Audit" methodology to identify broken triggers, tagging errors, and pipeline routing failures that were silently causing revenue loss in client automation stacks. Generated over $320K in freelance revenue within 18 months, with 65% of business coming from repeat clients and referral partnerships. Published automation templates and workflow frameworks that were downloaded by 4,000+ marketers and agency owners. This self-employed period was the proving ground where I combined enterprise CRM discipline with cutting-edge AI capabilities, discovering that most businesses don't need more tools — they need someone who can make their existing tools actually convert leads into revenue.