A brand for a multi-passionate entrepreneur on the rise.
Melanie Obitz-Bukartek is a writer, educator, speaker, and founder based in Bethany Beach, Delaware. While building her education technology startup, The Collegiate Writer, Melanie was interested in building her own brand as a business owner. Through coaching, courses, and events, Melanie has helped solopreneurs carve their paths and utilize writing to grow their businesses.
As Melanie set her eyes on writing her first book, she was looking for a way to position herself as a thought leader so she could broaden her audience. As a multi-hyphenate entrepreneur, Melanie was looking for a way to convey her offer in a sea of sameness without the use of social media.
In the past, Melanie’s key offer had been focused on writing. Through an extensive brand discovery process, Melanie was able to pinpoint that it wasn’t writing specifically that she was offering to solopreneurs, but a path to clarity through the tools solopreneurs were using every day. Jamie worked to build ideal customer personas and identified wants, needs, and pain points within the public speaking and business consulting industries.
With this information in hand, Jamie was able to pull apart Melanie’s offer and identify the core value of what she does. While writing is a key part of Melanie’s background and one of the tools her audiences use frequently, it was clear that many solopreneurs didn’t consider themselves writers. They did however, see themselves as innovators—finding new ways to grow and evolve every day.
Jamie helped Melanie clarify her position within the market and refine her pitch as she set out to speak at events and launch her own retreat. Rather than offering writing instruction and tools, Melanie catalyzes individuals to gain clarity and harness their existing tools so they can chart a business path that aligns with their values and aspirations.
Additionally, Jamie crafted Melanie’s key message that has guided her brand as she’s gone on to pitch articles and build resources for solopreneurs. She now hosts a bi-annual retreat for small business owners in Bethany Beach, Delaware. She’s been featured in HuffPost, Entrepreneur Magazine, and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Everyone has access to the tools they need to gain clarity.
As a business owner, your most valuable tool isn't the latest iPhone or the trendiest app. It's not a complex workflow or automated system. Your most valuable tool is something you already have.
For some, like me, the key to clarity is writing. It enables us to unravel intricate thoughts, address customer pain points, and tackle seemingly insurmountable challenges. However, for you, that tool might manifest as recording audio messages or creating instructional videos. It could be engaging in one-on-one conversations or diving into extensive research. By simply investing in the tools that resonate with you, you can tap into the clarity you need to forge ahead.
Find your key to clarity and unlock your potential.
To solidify Melanie’s message and bring it to life, Jamie helped her to develop her brand’s unique personality—The Torch. With a unique blend of the Sage, Magician, and Outlaw personas, The Torch uses their knowledge and expertise to light the way for their customers and spark passion. This knowledge may challenge a customer’s existing way of thinking or the status quo, but will eventually lead to a breakthrough. The breakthrough may seem like a miracle—giving customers the courage or power to overcome obstacles.
Following the brand strategy work, Melanie worked with the team at Strange Salt to create her brand identity and website.
From my initial consultation with Jamie, it was clear that she is a standout professional who delivers on her promises. Her attentive approach and thoughtful questions established the foundation for a personalized experience. We worked together virtually—through video calls, Google Docs, and Loom—as she skillfully unraveled the intricacies of my brand. I was impressed by her unwavering commitment to see the project through to completion. Jamie’s exceptional ability to translate the intangible essence of a brand into a tangible reality is truly remarkable and invaluable.
