Who do you work with?

I work with a pretty balanced mix of product-based businesses, service-based businesses, online businesses, and brick-and-mortar. My clients are in all sorts of industries, the most common being the creative/art/design realm, product manufacturing (furniture & beauty), healing professions (naturopaths, therapists), financial professionals, and organizational consultants.

I work with people who are just starting out as well as folks who are decades into entrepreneurship. I work with solo founders/practitioners, small groups of co-founders, and couples who are co-founders. I have clients in their 20s and clients in their 60s.

What unites my clients are their values, sensibilities, and approach to growth.

My clients care about making a contribution to their community/industry and are in it for the long haul. They’re thoughtful, full of integrity, and interested in building a rich life they don’t have to escape from.

I tend to work with “front edge of the curve” types. People who are the first to do something in their industry or community, or who are bridging industries, crafts, and modalities to bring us something new altogether.

The first in clean beauty, the first small-batch furniture makers, the first to teach a specific consciousness framework to organizations… that sort of thing.

My clients are curious, engaged, self-aware, and self-responsible. They value play and feeling alive in their work. They tend to have deep expertise in their craft (or multiple crafts) in addition to being a business owner. I’d describe most people I work with as “craft first”. They embody this remarkable combination of reverence for tradition with a hunger for what’s next.

These are the people I love being around.

This is the sandbox I like playing in.

What’s your professional background?

I have 12 years of experience in marketing and 8 years of experience in finance. I’ve worked with funded and bootstrapped startups, non-profits, and several independent businesses of various scale (from a few thousand to a few million in revenue). I’ve been self-employed for most of my career.

My early career was focused on content marketing, strategic communications, community building, and online education. I worked with international craft brands and financial technology startups.

I got to work on the first multi-craft social network, the first robo-advisor in Canada, the first no-fee banking account for small business owners in North America, the first debit card for kids in Canada….

So many rich, engaging experiences where I worked directly with the founders and saw what it takes to build, scale, and navigate a business.

I’ve always loved being in at the ground floor, working with people and companies who endeavour to be the first in their space to do a thing. Who look around and say, “There’s got to be a better way”, and have the courage to build that conviction.

What I’ve moved away from is working with business models that require short cycles and growth at the expense of sustainability (common in venture-funded startups). My skills and sensibilities are set up for those interested and equipped to take the long view of time (h/t Krista Tippett).

I’m in it for slow, steady, sustainable.

How does your finance background factor into all of this?

I’m a Qualified Associate Financial Planner (QAFP). That means I’m certified to offer fee-only financial planning advice. I completed a year-long graduate certificate in financial planning, worked briefly as a paraplanner, and I continue to complete CE credits each year to retain my licence and meet the ethics standard.

I’m also a certified Trauma of Money facilitator. This, in addition to the years I’ve spent personally in trauma therapy, allows me to bring a compassionate, trauma-aware approach to my client work.

I don’t offer financial planning services (but I can recommend some fantastic people, if that’s what you need!). I do fold this awareness into my work, especially with creatives and solo small business owners. I’m often not interested in a conversation about marketing or offer/product design without a broader awareness of your business model, cash flow, and pricing. The money needs to make sense. Too much marketing advice is divorced from financial awareness. This cuts us off from such a powerful source of information, such a vital way of knowing.

My financial education and experience is another tool in my toolbox. It’s a lens I offer to hold fuller, grounded conversations about your business.

I’ve worked with coaches and consultants, how does your approach compare or differ?

Most people come to me when they’re looking for something in the realm of a business coach, business strategist, or marketing consultant. They know they need more support at this stage of their business but they’re not exactly sure what kind.

I’m often that first step—or that long-term, on-retainer, foundational support.

Being a founder is isolating. There’s no one “above” you cheering you on, celebrating you, or keeping you accountable. There’s no one you can talk to openly, in confidence, about everything you’re navigating as an entrepreneur. Your partner can only hear so much and your therapist can’t get in the weeds with you on your business strategy.

I bridge that gap.

I am that person.

How do I know it’s time to work with you?

A good indicator is you’re having the same conversations over and over. Your mind, or your team, is on loop. You might feel energetically gridlocked or simply worn out from doing it all on your own. You’re coming up against the same problems, the same questions, the same sticking points… I can help you get out of the weeds, untangle your thoughts, and make clear decisions.

Most people come to me when they’re navigating big directional decisions. Those complex, weedy decisions where there is no One Right Answer. They’re balancing conflicting motivations and they want someone who’s in their corner. Someone they can trust, who can strategically and thoughtfully point out gaps and help them navigate the tension.