I help founders and small teams clarify their brand so they can grow with purpose, consistency, and confidence.
Most organizations grow faster than their brand clarity. Messaging drifts, teams interpret the brand differently, and strategic decisions begin pulling in competing directions. The Brand Matrix was designed to solve this problem.
The Brand Matrix is a strategic operating system for your brand. It aligns leadership around nine core elements that produce four strategic drivers guiding decisions across marketing, operations, culture, and partnerships.
How I Work
Organizations typically engage Stella Creative Studio to: clarify their brand strategy, align leadership around positioning and differentiation, and translate brand strategy into communication and design systems.
Ready to build your Brand Matrix?
Not sure where to begin? Let’s talk.
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Ideas only matter if they can be clearly understood.
Strategic deck design can transform complex thinking into clear, compelling decks that help leaders communicate with confidence. Whether you’re presenting a new strategy, pitching investors, aligning your team, or sharing insights with stakeholders, the goal is the same: clarity.
I work with founders, leadership teams, and agencies to shape both the narrative and the visual structure of presentations so that your ideas land with precision and impact.
You walk away with a deck that not only looks strong, but communicates your thinking in a way others can quickly grasp and act on.
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I’ll ask the question: How’s your brand really doing? The BP Assessment offers an honest, insightful snapshot of your brand in real-time. Through external review and confidential stakeholder interviews, including leadership, select team members, and current or former clients, we help you see your brand as others experience it. You’ll walk away with a clear picture of what’s working, what’s missing, and what needs attention so you can lead with confidence and clarity.
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Stand out by knowing exactly where you stand. The Market Positioning Review dives deep into your competitive landscape, looking at both direct and indirect players. I’ll help you uncover your true differentiators, analyze emerging opportunities, and highlight your brand’s core competencies. You’ll come away with a strategic view of how to position your brand powerfully and intentionally in the market you want to lead.
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Find your people. Speak their language. Tribe Mapping is a guided, collaborative experience that uncovers who your audience truly is. Not just demographics, but real human behaviors, goals, and needs. Together, we’ll define distinct audience personas you can confidently use to shape your marketing, messaging, and product decisions. No fluff. No guessing. Just crystal-clear insight into who you serve and how to reach them.
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From insight to alignment. From scattered to strategic. This is the culmination of our work together. It’s a guided, in-depth workshop designed to help you build a Brand Matrix that brings everything we’ve uncovered into one place. Using nine foundational brand elements and four key business drivers, we clarify your brand’s identity, purpose, and promises in a way that empowers smart decisions across your business. It’s the clarity you’ve been craving, grounded in strategy and custom-built for you.
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I offer Creative Direction on a fractional basis, which means you get senior-level strategic and creative leadership without the commitment of a full-time hire. Whether you’re launching a brand, revamping your visual identity, or steering a campaign, I help turn big ideas into cohesive, compelling creative that connects. My blend of strategic insight and artistic vision ensures every project looks good and moves the needle.
I’ve been honored to work with:
Please reach out to me at hello@tomcatcolee.com for more details regarding my corporate experience.
Ready to bring clarity, strategy, and creativity to your brand? Whether you know exactly what you need or just know you need something, let’s talk it through. The first step is a simple, no-pressure call to get to know each other and explore how I can help.
I partnered with Apona Vineyards to develop a cohesive brand strategy and elevate their positioning as a high-end, quiet luxury destination. From the ground up, I crafted a brand identity that reflects the sophistication and warmth of their southern Willamette Valley roots. My work included logo design, brand guidelines, and messaging strategy to establish a consistent tone and visual language. Additionally, I provided strategic guidance on customer experience to align with their luxury positioning, ensuring that every touchpoint, from the tasting room experience to member communication, reflects the brand’s refined yet approachable character.
For the 10 year anniversary, this series focused on digital, print, merchandise, and video storytelling. I took on-location photographs that I was able to use throughout the entire series campaign for both print material, social media, and broadcast graphics.
A series focusing on the seven culture traits of our organization. For me, the color and shapes were inspired by classic 70’s public television. This project included print, digital content including social media, and YouTube video bumpers.
A music event series I organized with a colleague where I also ran point on the branding. We utilized cohesive print, digital screen graphics, stage designs and cross channel social media content.
A collaborative and intimate musical gathering designed to bring together the top talent and community from the four corners of Charlotte. Focused on music discovery and creating a safe, diverse audience space. This project utilized print production and cross channel digital content.
This was a series designed to capture the stories and honor the volunteer individuals within our organization. The final assets were used in live event experiences, social media, printed posters and interactive conversation guides.
A series on the idea of action, movement, and timing. Digital outputs included lower thirds, cross channel digital graphics, and live audience screen content.
Misc Photography
BTS photoshoot of a local artist’s video shoot interview.
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