Behind the studio
Short, outcome-focused intro (who you are, who you help, what changes when they work with you)
20-minute call. No pitch
Designer turned-brand strategist, based in Toronto
Why founders hire me
Most of the founders I work with aren’t starting from zero. They have a product, some traction, and a head full of ideas, but the story is fuzzy. I help them cut through the noise, choose a sharp position, and codify it into words and visuals the whole team can repeat.
How I got here
From security documents to brand clarity
I didn’t start in marketing. I started in high-stakes design, building secure documents for national-level institutions: passports, visas, diplomas, and credentials that had to be both beautiful and impossible to fake.
- tiny details that most people never notice
- systems that have to work in the real world, not just on a screen
- design that carries meaning, not decoration
Over time I moved from purely visual design into branding and strategy: helping organizations clarify what they stand for, how they talk, and how they show up.
I’ve also taught graphic design and run my own studio, which means I’m used to explaining complex ideas simply and turning them into real assets on real deadlines.
Now I use that same precision to help founders cut away the fuzzy parts of their brand and keep only what actually moves buyers.
How I think about brands
If we work together, you’ll hear these themes a lot:
Simple beats clever
If your buyers can’t file you in the right drawer in a few seconds, the clever line doesn’t matter.
Create three near-term signals buyers will notice
Positioning is a decision
The sentence we write is just the surface. Underneath it are real choices about who you serve, what you ignore, and what you’re willing to lose.
Create three near-term signals buyers will notice
Codes you own
Great brands teach the market a few repeatable “codes”, colors, shapes, phrases, and formats. We’ll decide which ones you’ll commit to and actually use.
Create three near-term signals buyers will notice
Plain English over buzzwords
If a smart 12-year-old can’t repeat your story after hearing it once, it’s too complicated.
Create three near-term signals buyers will notice
Near-term signals matter
Strategy isn’t finished until you know what will look different in the next 30–90 days, on your site, in your deck, in your outreach.
These aren’t theories. They’re filters we use together while we make real decisions.
How it's like to work with me
I don’t disappear for six weeks and come back with a “big reveal.” We work in short, focused cycles, talk, decide, and document, so you can see progress quickly and pressure-test it with your team or customers.
We map where buyers get confused or hesitate: website, deck, emails, intros, positioning, offers.
We choose a clear edge: who you’re for, what you solve, and why you’re the sharpest option in that space.
We turn the decisions into a positioning line, narrative spine, and messaging building blocks your team can actually use.
We decide what will change in the next 30–90 days copy, visuals, and moments where your new story will show up
A bit of context and proof
A few data points so you know who you’re talking to:
13+ years working in design and visual communication.
Experience spanning government credentials, education, and commercial brands.
Studio owner and educator, so I understand both doing the work and leading it.
Comfortable working with founders, CEOs, and creative leads in different stages of growth.
If you want case studies or work samples, I’m happy to share specific examples that are relevant to your situation on a call.
A quick personal note
I take brands seriously, but I don’t do drama. My style is calm, direct, and practical. I’ll ask a lot of questions, push where things are vague, and give you my honest take, even when it’s uncomfortable, because that’s the only way the work pays off.
If you’re a founder who wants fewer fuzzy ideas and more clear decisions, we’ll probably get along.
20-minute call. No pitch. We’ll see if there’s a real problem to solve and whether we’re a fit to solve it together.