What I actually do as a brand strategist

How I work, in 3 clients

Hi [FIRST NAME GOES HERE],

How’s your March been?

Mines been pretty full on navigating yet more illnesses now my little one is at nursery along with; first birthday parties, hockey games, lecturing, and Mothers Day and of course my wonderful clients. But I’m not complaining, its all part of the rich tapestry that is life!

People often ask me what my work as a brand strategist looks like in real life.

It’s a fair question. “Brand strategy” can sound abstract, or like something that only happens in glass walled boardrooms covered in Post‑its.

So, I want to take you inside three recent projects and show you what I actually do – and what ties them together.

1. A fertility and psychotherapy practice

This client supports high‑achieving Black and dual‑heritage women navigating fertility journeys.

On the surface, they had a “3‑month support program”.

Underneath, they were holding women through some of the most emotionally intense questions of their lives: time, loss, identity, family, culture.

My work and role:

• Listen for the real emotional drivers (fear of time running out, silent isolation, desire for grounded clinical and cultural support).
• Reframe the offer from “3 months” into a clear, three‑phase methodology.
• Clarify who the programme is really for – and who it isn’t.

The outcome: a premium, selective offer that finally matched the depth of the work and made the pricing make sense.

2. A female‑owned B2B design studio

This studio operates in a very male‑dominated, B2B environment – think energy, infrastructure and the kinds of clients who are used to seeing design as “nice visuals at the end”.

They are thoughtful, values‑driven and very good at what they do.

But their brand didn’t fully communicate that. And they were still attracting clients who didn’t really value design.

My work and role:

• Run a workshop that surfaced their real values: trust, creativity, empathy, high standards.
• Translate those values into practical filters: which clients are a fit, how they handle projects, what they promise and what they don’t.
• Begin shifting their positioning to reflect their reality: a female‑owned studio that is a strategic partner, not a supplier.

The outcome: a clearer sense of “this is who we are, this is who we’re for, and this is who we’re no longer saying yes to.”

3. A small arts and mental health organisation

This organisation transforms clinical spaces into welcoming environments that support mental well-being and recovery through murals and art workshops. They’ve been mostly self‑funded, quietly doing work that is far bigger than their current capacity.

There is passion, credibility and a powerful story – but almost no structure around it.

No clear case for support, no consistent messaging, and a small team already stretched to the limit.

My work and role:

• Design a phased brand strategy:
  • Discovery and interviews
  • Strategic foundation (vision, mission, values)
  • Positioning
  • Tone of voice
  • A practical brand strategy report and case for support.
• Be honest about capacity: who would implement this, and what support they would realistically need.
• Find pragmatic solutions, like bringing in additional hands to test and execute the new brand direction.

The outcome: not just a “deck”, but a roadmap they can grow into, with a clear sense of what to do next and what to park for later.

So what’s the common thread?

These three projects are very different. But the thread that runs through my work is this:

I help people whose work is deep, nuanced and emotionally complex build brands that are just as clear, honest and grounded as the work itself.

That usually looks like:

• Translating emotional realities into clear offers and positioning.
• Turning values into day‑to‑day decisions and client filters.
• Designing strategy that respects actual capacity, not fantasy time and budgets.

If you recognise yourself in any of this…

You might be:

• Holding complex emotional or identity‑based work that your current brand suppresses.
• Running a values‑driven studio but saying yes to the wrong clients.
• Doing meaningful impact work that lives in word‑of‑mouth and Google Docs rather than in a clear narrative.

If that’s you, and you’re curious about what brand strategy could look like for your context, you can hit reply and tell me:

• What you do
• Where you feel the gap is between your work and your current brand

I’ll let you know honestly if it feels like the right moment for us to explore working together.

Danielle

P.s I want to say thank you and hello to my newest subscriber Melody.