Bragging rights

After nearly six years of dedication to the practice of Brand Strategy, I rolled a hefty personal and professional milestone last month: completing my 100th Brand Strategy. To commemorate the moment, the magnificent @Lauren Jones concepted, styled, and photographed a shoot in which I donned a bold and fashion-forward power suit and symbolically conquered pages of content/research/analysis. It mirrors reality. Because every brand strategy is different than the one before. There are no laurels to rest on, countless best practices but no "phoning it in."

My first foray into brand strategy was alongside my favorite clever friend designer @Matt Yow, where we painstakingly analyzed the needs of a designer and crafted revelatory methodology to inform the subsequent brand design process. From there, I learned how to strategically manage and creatively inform projects through their duration, and brands throughout their evolution. My process continued to evolve with each subsequent project and attendant client need, each book or podcast about the subject, each collaboration with different and amazingly talented designers. It continued to evolve beyond Brand Strategy, into Communications Strategy, Visual Language Strategy, Brand Launch Strategy.

I am endlessly grateful for this milestone in my career and the myriad lessons and experiences it represents. I am likewise endlessly grateful that, in a male-dominated industry, I have been able to make my mark. I had a helluva a good time with this shoot. Thanks for celebrating with me.