this is how I do it.
Whether you're scaling with a multi-million-dollar budget or building smart on much less, it’s not the spend that fuels sustainable brand growth. It’s the strategy.
From lean, hustling startups to ten-figure brands on a mission, here’s how I’ve delivered real results with lasting impact through strategic, human-first storytelling.
brand one | soluna
Client
A publicly funded startup on a mission to make mental health free and accessible to Gen Z through an inclusive and culturally relevant mobile app.
Challenge
- Research showed the brand identity wasn’t resonating with Gen Z users
- Messaging leaned too heavily on slang rather than authentic, values-based storytelling
- Brand expression was inconsistent across teams and platforms
Approach
- Designed and led three user research studies to explore Gen Z perceptions of digital mental health brands and Soluna’s creative direction
- Conducted stakeholder interviews, trend analysis, and a competitive audit to identify whitespace and opportunity
- Facilitated a weeklong Brand Summit to align cross-functional teams, define brand archetypes, and build the strategic foundation for new verbal and visual identity systems
- Authored insightful, diverse, and resonant narratives and brand messaging strategies to resonate with 12 unique audiences
- Developed a comprehensive brand identity, captured in a detailed verbal and visual brand guide and brought to life through branded templates
- Rolled out the refreshed brand across social, digital, out-of-home (OOH), and connected TV (CTV) campaigns
Results
- 200%+ increase in app downloads within weeks of rebrand launch
- Significant growth in impressions (10x increase), engagement (11x increase and 50% higher than industry average), and reach (2x) across four social media platforms, including several viral posts
- Outranking of three well-established mental health app competitors in a Gen Z user study measuring relatability, authenticity, and likelihood of downloading
- A bold new mascot that 87% of users reported as their favorite aspect of the brand
- Robust, data-driven, and sustainable content and social media strategies and annual calendars
- Internal alignment and brand consistency, fostered by a comprehensive style guide and streamlined review process
brand two | etiQit
Client
An emerging edtech company built to equip students with tools to strengthen mental health, resilience, and school connectedness.
Challenges
- Schools across the country were facing rising concerns around bullying, school violence, and youth suicide — but lacked modern prevention tools that truly resonated with students
- Existing SEL programs often felt outdated, overly clinical, or disconnected from the habits and interests of digital-native learners
- Using primarily organic strategies, the brand needed to drive awareness, conversion, and long-term loyalty from distinct audiences and demos: B2C (teachers, school counselors, health educators) and B2B (school districts and community youth groups)
Strategy + Approach
- Conducted in-depth research on clinically proven prevention strategies to inform product development, brand positioning, and go-to-market strategy
- Developed a bold, relevant, and youth-attuned brand voice featuring trend-driven language, pop culture references, and a cast of original brand characters designed to connect with tween audiences
- Led end-to-end creative development — including verbal and visual identity — and applied it across all core marketing assets (website, storefront, and product copy)
- Scaled primarily through organic channels: educator outreach, private social groups, SEO-driven content, customer review programs, and word-of-mouth advocacy — without relying on paid advertising, an intentional choice that prioritized trust and educator word-of-mouth
Results
- Four consecutive years of revenue gains of 100%+, fueled almost exclusively by organic brand, content, and creative strategy
- 46% increase in organic traffic following implementation of a new SEO strategy
- International brand growth with product usage in tens of thousands of classrooms by hundreds of thousands of students across dozens of countries
- Widespread, system-wide endorsement by classroom teachers, school psychologists, mental health educators, and entire districts for over a decade
- Qualitative feedback pointing to reductions in school bullying and more accurate, timely mental health referrals to school counselors and psychologists
- 1,000+ five-star reviews — all earned organically, without paid ads or giveaways
brand three | connexus
Client
A mission-driven nationwide credit union with $4B in assets and nearly 500K members nationwide, known for its deep commitment to community giveback
Challenges
- Despite national recognition from Forbes, NerdWallet, and CNN, the brand lacked a unique voice and story with members seeking big-bank benefits delivered with hometown heart
- Campaigns skewed transactional, with little storytelling or cohesion across channels
- The brand voice needed to feel more human, helpful, and emotionally resonant — without sacrificing clarity or compliance
- During the COVID-19 pandemic, the brand needed to maintain trust and relevance while navigating product shortages and operational uncertainty
Strategy + Approach
- Translated brand strategy into cohesive messaging across 30+ campaigns — including email, print, direct mail, social, web, video, and PR
- Built trust and alignment by applying the new voice to sensitive communications around COVID protocols, branch closures, and a major merger
- Invested in authentic storytelling by featuring members' real faces and stories in lieu of stock imagery
- Reimagined the Annual Report as a member-centered narrative focused on community impact and growth alike to resonate with both members and stakeholders
- Strengthened brand storytelling through media and press partnerships that amplified Connexus’ impact and values
Results
- Significant organic social growth, including a 150% increase in engagement, 150% in comments, 49% in clicks, and 26% in shares
- Two national CUNA Diamond Awards — the brand's first — for Email and Non-Commercial Video
- 41% open rate and 22% increase in click-through for a COVID-era email campaign that drove conversion despite product shortages and market volatility
- Tripled volume of press releases spotlighting Connexus’ impact and commitment to community giveback
- Improved member confidence and loyalty with authentic, resonant campaigns featuring real member stories
- Consistent, human-centered brand voice across platforms, strengthening member trust as an emotionally intelligent and community-aware brand
your turn.
Want results like these for your brand? It doesn’t have to be complicated — or budget-breaking.
With three streamlined, sprint-style packages — called Flight Plans — I’ve distilled two decades of experience into a process that’s simple, strategic, and refreshingly fast.
Big-agency impact. Fraction-of-the-cost price tag.