Lia Brakel

Lia brings extensive experience in franchise marketing, franchise sales, communications, copywriting, and international business to TopFire Media. Her background in franchising spans more than 30 years, in the U.S. and abroad.

As the Director of Marketing for iFranchise Group, Lia has overseen the content, design and production of hundreds of print and digital franchise marketing tools, including brochures and websites, and also developed comprehensive franchise marketing plans. Lia has also created market research reports, sales/marketing reporting tools, and has coordinated marketing and advertising campaigns (direct mail, print, and Internet), conducted consultative sales meetings, and created, edited and translated franchise operations and training manuals and other business documents. Her role on the TopFire Media team includes oversight of the organization’s ongoing operations.

In the U.S., Lia consulted with franchise companies including Ace Hardware, Bridgestone/Firestone, Texaco, Payless ShoeSource, Potbelly Sandwich Works, Sears Auto Centers, and many others. Outside of the U.S., she has consulted with franchisors primarily in Latin America and the Middle East. Lia is fluent in Spanish and holds B.A. degrees in English and Spanish from the University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign), and an MBA with a focus on Latin America and marketing from the Thunderbird School of Global Management.