You are here to stand out, not to fit in.

What makes you different makes you valuable. And your story needs to make the case for it. Otherwise, it will only hold you back.

If the time has come for you to step up, and out, I'm here to help. 

We are more than the sum of our parts. Your story shows the world how.

It’s true for people and organizations.

We are not our resumes, job descriptions, titles, expertise, skills, or seniority. Your company is not an inventory of its niche, products, services, or values.  

Those may be the facts of us, but they aren’t the truth of us. And while they may help us fit in, they are just as likely to hold us back.

We are what matters to us. We are how we show up for others. That is what makes us exceptional and uniquely valuable. 

It’s nothing we invent. It’s already there. You’re doing it already.

This is the heart of your identity, and your story. It binds everything together, and forms the argument for you and your value: what you can do, the impact you stand to make.

“Jean changed the course of my life in the most interesting way. She's magic, with the extraordinary superpower that gives people back themselves.”

— Cat Lindsay, Founder, Cat Lindsay Designs

 Purpose-driven brand and story

  • My clients include forward-thinking architects, designers, non-profits, consultants, educators. They all share “something” in common: something is new, different, has changed, or needs to. 

    I lead the way when the positioning, narrative, messaging, and culture need to catch up with the world as it is — or as you want it to be, once your work is done. I bring executive teams and key stakeholders together to talk about their work, and why it matters. Because there’s nothing for us to brand or communicate if we don’t know what’s important. 

    This is the path to breakthrough differentiation, and it is the hallmark of my work, whether we are realigning a brand, or overhauling it from zero.

  • New ideas and fresh insights don't bring themselves to life: they need time, space, and encouragement. They need to be both explored and challenged. I get in the trenches, engaging leaders, innovators, and marketers in the lively — and sometimes difficult — conversations that help them decide how to do the most with what they’ve got.

  • Whether as part of the team, or leading it; building the brief, or executing against it, I have a track record of helping people break open the tough nuts; for finding a new way through when the old paths no longer serve.

  • Stepping into the arena, and putting yourself “out there” requires a story that argues for all that you are, and have to offer. I guide career-changers, job-hunters, promotion-seekers, entrepreneurs, emerging leaders, and folks navigating major life passages through an intensive process of rediscovering themselves, and reclaiming their power.

  • COMING SOON. You asked. I listened. They’re coming. Get on the mailing list now to stay on top of the schedule and offerings.

Together, we will crack the code of your unique DNA, dial in to what sets you apart, and align your identity with the impact you seek to make.

Just to be clear.

Purpose is your connection to something greater than yourself.

It’s not a banner hung over the door; it’s a truth written on your heart. Purpose is your personal sonar. You know when you’ve hit something juicy, because you can feel it deep in your bones. And getting to know it gives you the power to live into it.

  • Jean recognized that for us the task was not so much about reinvention as it was refocusing: taking the raw materials and putting a knife-sharp edge on them...she gained the trust of our whole team by listening before talking, respecting everyone’s input and eventually guiding us expertly to an outcome that was rational, honest and self-evident.

    Gerry Jue, Founder/Managing Principal, BAMO

  • For six years at J.M. Smucker, I relied on Jean to lead brainstorms and facilitate complicated discussions. She consistently guided our teams to new ideas or more thoughtful, productive outcomes. Even when I thought the assignment was akin to squeezing blood from a turnip, Jean found a way to elicit new ideas.

    Sarah Miller, Consumer Strategy, San Francisco

  • Jean is a genius strategist who helped me clarify my story and how I go about telling it. It nails the essence of what I do. Working with Jean was pure pleasure. I felt the time was sacred. She’s brilliant and insightful and will help you see what you can’t see in yourself.

    Cat Lindsay, Founder, Cat Lindsay Designs

  • It was amazing how quickly I went from being totally stuck to knowing exactly what to do...it was as if Jean flipped me upside-down and shook me. The decision fell out of my pocket like an old penny.

    Joy Ray, Los Angeles, CA

  • Jean is one of the most critical and poetic thinkers I have met. It was really amazing to see her at work. I am better for it; we all are. I am so grateful to her for pushing KSP on really thinking about, and finding the right words for, who we are and what we want to be.

    Sara Lundgren, Partner, Krueck Sexton Partners

  • Jean has supported teams throughout the organization, giving time and space for different perspectives, bringing leadership together ...We are stronger, more focused, and more alive in our purpose because of Jean’s talents and hard work.

    Amy Stanfield, Chief Operating Officer, Vitamin Angels

  • The branding and messaging framework Jean helped us to develop is holding up beautifully. I use the work we did literally every day, and I especially appreciate the process that she went through more as time goes by.

    Jennifer Reik, Director of Marketing, Cal Performances

  • Jean guided us through a deep introspection that uncovered our core philosophy. The value proposition and brand story she created are central to our outreach.

    Trevor Abramson, Founder, Abramson Architects

Most of us know a great deal about our industries, markets, and competition. We should. But that’s not where the story lives.

What sets you apart comes from the inside. Not from some competitive set. Knowing just who you are, differentiating yourself purposefully, frees you to go from merely being part of a category — “one of the ones who…” — to the only one.

Together, we will crack the code of your unique DNA, and align your identity with the impact you seek to make. Anything is simply recycling and reconfiguring what we already know. And that particular hamster wheel is just another way of getting held back.

You don’t have to wait for the perfect moment. Now is a great time to get out in front. I’m ready to talk about it whenever you are.

Get Ready To

Take Back the Mic
Your fundamental value is not relative, nor open to interpretation. Declaring it for yourself, on your own terms, restores your voice — and your agency.

Stand Out 
The data of us — the facts that describe us — fits us into categories. But a story that captures the truth of who you are, and why that matters, sets you apart.  

Clarify Your Options
Not all opportunities are worth chasing down. When you know just who you are, you can tell the difference, and align your choices with what matters most to you.

Stay the Course
You are more than a set of optimized keywords, skills, and action verbs. And your story is a powerful ally during those moments when you’re in danger of forgetting that.

Feel Like Yourself Again
Labels only place us in categories. Knowing your story, and understanding deep-down why it is true, counters imposter syndrome, and brings you back home.


Navigate Change
Upheaval happens. But staying grounded in your identity and purpose frees you to respond to change, instead of simply reacting.

I am an explorer at heart. And since graduating from UC Berkeley with an English degree, I’ve gone on to live in three countries, and half a dozen American cities in four states. My career has been just as varied. My skills as a communicator, writer, and thinker have served me well in design, filmmaking, advertising, branding, and strategic consulting.

At this point, I know better than most that meaning isn’t something we invent. It’s something we discover. (It’s not for nothing that am I an explorer.)

Our world is in a state of upheaval on so many fronts. The greatest contribution I can make in the midst of all this is to support people who want to do all they can to make a meaningful difference in the world.  

We all have a part to play. And if you want to dig deep into yours, I invite you to get in touch.

“Jean has this uncanny ability to draw you out, and to find little nuggets of truth. Sure, she’s a great writer, but it’s about how she engages you. Jean helped us discover what is important to us, and appreciate what we're actually doing.”

-Nick Ericson, Ericson + Co. | Skåne, Sweden“