Sara Cruz

Sara joined Smarty Pants as an Insights Whiz in June of 2021. Fascinated by consumers’ thoughts and behaviors, and chock full of market research experience, Sara now plays a key role in supporting qualitative, quantitative and hybrid research initiatives for the company’s retail, toy & game and food & beverage clients. Her daily contributions are broad and impressive – from screener and instrument development, fieldwork and data analysis, to crafting impactful data-driven stories that drive client business growth. She has a great eye for detail and is passionate about ensuring projects are executed with precision and excellence.

Sara began her fascinating journey to Smarty Pants as a project manager for a boutique firm where her responsibilities ranged from budgeting to conducting interviews to copy writing. She went on to become an education coordinator for a non-profit dedicated to helping victims of domestic violence and cyberbullying. Empowered and filled with a desire to positively impact others, Sara became a high-performance coach offering training and coaching on productivity, energy, leadership, communication, relationships and more.

Sara began her specialization in market research when she joined Research & Marketing Strategies, Inc. in 2019 as a research associate. She was promoted twice during her two-year tenure in recognition of her excellence at designing and conducting primary research across healthcare, manufacturing, insurance and arts industries.

In true Smarty Pants form, Sara is an over-achiever – professionally and personally. She graduated summa cum laude from Capella University with a Master of Science in Psychology and a specialization in Leadership Psychology. She also holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Saint Leo University as well as certifications in Project Management and High Performance Coaching™. Truth be told, her passion, versatility, work ethic, research know-how, drive for excellence and love of learning made Sara a must for the Smarty Pants team.