Big brand thinking.
Small business focus.
One expert. All in.
From big brands to bold independents
After 15 years running and growing a leading creative agency, I’d ticked all the traditional boxes — big clients, big team, big pressure.
It was brilliant. I was privileged to lead a brilliantly talented team. And I loved the strategy, the storytelling through design, and the chance to help transform brands like M&S, Holland & Barrett and Currys,
But like many people who’ve run an agency or a business, I eventually hit burnout.
It was hard. But I took a breath and shifted my focus — from leading a large agency to working one-to-one with smaller businesses who need big-brand clarity on a smaller scale.
Discovering what small businesses really need
Over the next few years, I worked with the founders and partners of small businesses, helping them navigate brand and messaging challenges.
I began to notice a common pattern everywhere: clever businesses with websites that didn’t perform well. The messaging wasn’t clear, and their marketing efforts weren’t effective.
That was the moment of realisation.
As more clients asked me to clarify their brand strategy and messaging specifically for their websites, I realised just how central a site is to the whole business.
It’s not just a shop window, it’s where every part of the brand lives and works together, communicating what you do, who you’re for and where you’re different. It’s more permanent than tactical marketing, yet the heartbeat behind it, - shaping your content, your tone and your impact.
And it’s why all businesses (large or small) find designing their website so painful.
Business owners are experts in what they do, but often struggle to explain it clearly or show why they’re a better choice than the competitor across the street.
Add in the hours writing and rewriting, stock image searches, juggling the right balance of developer and designer or managing agency quotes, and it’s enough to stall any project.
That’s when it clicked.
What small businesses need isn’t another agency passing projects between teams or a developer who can’t write copy…
They need one expert who can bridge it all.
The
Missing
Link.
How I work with clients now:
Whether it’s:
▷ a full brand-and-website sprint
▷ a focused rewrite of what you already have.
▷ or a clean template build to get something live quickly.
I use my big-brand experience to help expert-led small businesses go from “not sure what to say” to a brand and website that feel aligned, confident and ready to convert
Play.
When I’m not working, you’ll find me in the mountains. I’ve climbed Kilimanjaro, trekked to Everest Base Camp, and I’m slowly ticking off the Scottish Munros.
At home, I share the office with Ernie the Whippet — my loyal associate, occasional Zoom guest, and official reminder that life is always better with a wagging tail.
