When the Story Is True

I’ve been calling myself a fractional COO for years because it’s the easiest shorthand for what I do. People hear “COO” and think: systems, processes, execution — and yes, I do all of that. 

But here’s the part I’ve only recently owned: in every single engagement I’ve taken on for the past nine years, I’ve also led brand and marketing. Not reluctantly. Not because it got dumped in my lap. But because I wanted it.

So why do I keep ending up in brand work? Not in a begrudging, ugh, fine, I’ll deal with this way — but in a hand it to me right now, I can’t wait to dive in way.

I’ve figured it out: when brand work helps me tell the truth about a business — about what it really is and what it actually wants to bring into the world — I’m all in. I will move heaven and earth to make that alignment happen. Because that’s when brand stops being just “design and copy” and becomes something deeper: a mirror that reflects the reality you’re building inside the business.

When I say “brand,” I don’t just mean your logo, color palette, or typography. I mean the sum total of how people experience your business — what it looks like, what it sounds like, and how it behaves in the world. It’s your visual identity, your tone of voice, your values in action. It’s the promise you make to customers, employees, and partners — and whether or not you keep it.