A FEW Examples of The work
Creekside Executive Search
THE IDEA
After 25+ years in sustainability, energy, and industrial biotech executive search, Doug was ready to launch his own firm: Creekside Executive Search. He had the industry expertise, relationships, and vision. He needed the infrastructure and brand to make it real.
THE OUTCOME
I helped take Creekside from idea to operating business — securing the domain, setting up Microsoft 365 and email, establishing the website platform, and creating the logo and visual identity. Since launch, I’ve remained a go-to resource for the things that come next, from LinkedIn content and graphics to technology troubleshooting and other needs as they arise.
“After more than 25 years in executive search, I knew how to build client relationships and deliver results—but building a business around that expertise was a different challenge. Brandy helped me clarify my brand, challenge my thinking, and create an identity that reflected both who I am and the clients I wanted to serve.
Beyond the brand, she put the right systems in place so I could focus on serving clients from day one. Since then, she’s continued to be a trusted resource, stepping in with marketing, AI, technology, and the countless projects that come with running a business. Instead of figuring out every new tool myself, I know I can call Brandy, and she’ll help me move it forward.”
The Earth Tender
THE IDEA
Jarod was ready to turn the landscaping work he’d been getting through word of mouth into a real business. We started with the name, landing on The Earth Tender, which reflected the work he was doing today while leaving room to expand into services like firewood and garden starters in the future.
THE OUTCOME
From there, I developed the brand and logo, defined his ideal customer, and helped determine where his marketing dollars would actually matter. Rather than building a website just because it felt like the next obvious step, I recommended focusing on Facebook, where his customers were more likely to find and engage with him. That saved him the cost of a website that was unlikely to deliver much return. Since then, we’ve continued finding practical ways to build the business and strengthen customer relationships, including client gifts and branded merchandise that have become a hit with his customers.
“When I started, I didn’t really have a formal business. I had people calling because they knew my work. Brandy helped me turn that into a real brand by guiding me through choosing a name, creating a logo, and thinking about my business from my customers’ perspective.
What I appreciated most was that she didn’t try to sell me things I didn’t need. Instead of an expensive website, she pointed me to Facebook because that’s where my local customers were already. It was the right advice for my business, not some repeat solution. She’s been a trusted sounding board ever since, helping me grow with practical ideas that fit where my business is today.”
KO Creations
THE IDEA
KO Creations already had the art. What it didn’t have was a brand that felt as distinctive as the work itself. The goal wasn’t simply to create a logo — it was to understand the personality behind the art and translate it into an identity that felt authentic.
THE OUTCOME
Through a lot of questions and exploration, I helped define what the brand should look and feel like, then created a visual identity that was quirky, creative, approachable, and unmistakably hers. The result gave KO Creations a consistent way to show up at shows, online, and in marketing materials, and gave the artist a brand she felt confident putting her name behind.
FROM MY PRE-KNOX, ETc. CAREER
THE IDEA
A CEO had an idea: bring senior leaders together for a different kind of conversation about teamwork, leadership, culture, and the future of work. And make it something more than just another conference. There was no playbook, existing event, or infrastructure behind it — just the idea and a date on the calendar.
THE OUTCOME
I helped turn that idea into a two-day executive summit, driving the work across programming, speakers, sponsors, marketing, registration and payment systems, attendee communications, collateral, signage, vendors, and on-site execution. The first event established the foundation for what became an annual company initiative.
THE IDEA
A growing leadership advisory firm needed to build a recognizable brand and a marketing engine that could keep pace with the business. That meant more than posting consistently. It meant creating the strategy, voice, content, systems, and infrastructure behind it.
THE OUTCOME
I built and led a more structured approach to brand and marketing, connecting thought leadership, content, social, website, CRM, and sales support. Along the way, the company’s LinkedIn audience grew from nearly zero to more than 16,000 followers in roughly 2.5 years, with engagement consistently above typical B2B benchmarks. More importantly, marketing became a repeatable business function rather than a series of one-off activities.
THE IDEA
An acquisition looks straightforward on an org chart. Behind it are thousands of details — systems, data, processes, communications, contracts, technology, and people — that still need to work while two businesses become one.
THE OUTCOME
I’ve helped manage that complexity from both sides of the deal: first as part of an acquired company and later from the acquiring side. My work crossed CRM and ATS migrations, data mapping, systems and process integration, communications, vendor coordination, and the countless decisions required to keep work moving through the transition. Across multiple acquisitions, the goal was the same: bring the pieces together without disrupting the business.
THE IDEA
Years of executive search work had created a valuable asset: compensation data from thousands of executive placements. The information existed, but it wasn’t being used in a way that could help clients.
THE OUTCOME
I turned that data into a client-facing compensation study by organizing and analyzing the information (pre-AI) to surface meaningful benchmarks, then transformed it into something the team could use in conversations with clients and prospects. What started as internal data became a differentiated business development tool — and a new way to create value from information the company already had.
