Brand Alchemy
Two days. One honest position. One guiding message. A practical first step toward your goals.
Two days. One honest position. One guiding message. A practical first step toward your goals.
Two days. One honest position. One guiding message. A practical first step toward your goals.
It’s
Brand
Brand Alchemy Lab is a small, in-person workshop for founders who want clarity without the full agency dog and pony show.
Over two focused days, we’ll listen properly, make sense of what we hear, and work together to forge it into a brand position and north-star message that actually resonates with your audience—and supports your business goals.
Empathy first, evidence on hand, and just enough magic to make it memorable.
Does any of this sound familiar?
Your brand sounds “nice,” but vague.
Your audience can’t repeat what you stand for.
Internally, every deck says something slightly different.
You’re busy shipping, posting, reacting—without a shared statement that guides decisions.
The result? Mixed messages, muddled priorities, and marketing that never quite lands.
You need a north star. A guiding light. Brand alchemy.
Brand Alchemy gives you a calm, candid space, tools, and resources to:
Uncover your audience insight (psst what they need, not what we wish they needed).
Translate that into a clear, original, owned by you, brand position.
Craft a simple north-star message people can repeat.
Develop core brand pillars and messaging to build from.
Commit to one brand experiment to validate it.
Candid communication. Real time decisions. A plan of action.
You need Brand Alchemy if....
You don’t have one clear sentence you all use.
Your audience is broad on paper but blurry in practice.
You're launching (or relaunching) soon and need alignment.
Your content is fine, but not felt.
You want fewer opinions, more proof.
You can commit to candid, open exploration and are willing to try something new
You want your community to just *get* your brand.
You want language that customers repeat back to you.
You want a direction the team believes in.
Mostly, you want momentum: a practical path from “hmm, maybe?” to “right—
Led by, me—Kelsi Smith! I have 17 years in brand, social, and community strategy for start-ups, global brands, and scrappy teams who prefer progress over pomp.
My practice is empathy-led and audience-first: I listen, discover, and create.
I run tight rooms with soft edges—brave conversation, simple terms and outcomes you can actually use.
After two days you will have:
One shared brand position (audience + value + believable reason).
A north-star message your team can say out loud without wincing.
Three messaging starters (headline, 15-second pitch, two social hooks).
One priority experiment sized for a single week with a clear metric.
A one-page, editable recap within 48–72 hours so you can brief others quickly.
This is not a “look at our 80-slide deck” situation. No jargon bingo, no vague archetypes you’ll never use. Brand Alchemy Lab is:
People-first: we start with what your audience actually needs.
Candid + kind: honest conversation with professional care.
Doable: one decision, one test, immediate next steps.
Productized clarity: you know exactly what you’ll leave with—and nothing bloated.
The Nitty Gritty
Two days, in person (Portland, OR) | Cohort: 4-6 participants | Phones away, brains on—we’ll keep it focused and human.
Day 1 — Listen & Discover
Brand interview and discovery process.
Set intentions → audience insight scan → pattern spotting
Draft your position (guided template) → light feedback → optional overnight polish
Day 2 — Language & Action
Align on the draft → craft the north-star message + messaging starters
Choose one one-week experiment (what/where/how to measure)
Create an action plan
What’s Included
Facilitated workshop + materials
One-page Brand Alchemy Recap (position, north star, starters, experiment)
Two quick-win recommendations to implement in the first week
Space to be vulnerable and explore with a like-minded cohort or founders and small business owners
Breakfast, Lunch, Snacks and Drinks (because it’s hard to do good work hungry)
The
$755 per seat — limited introductory pricing while we get this first cohort up and running.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is two days really enough?
Enough to agree a position, write a north-star message, and choose one sensible experiment. Perfection comes later—after evidence.
Who should attend?
Brand owners— this is most frequently the founder, but for bigger teams this could be a CMO, Marketing Director, Brand Director. The person who owns the work, and is ultimately accountable for it’s implementation.
Can I bring an employee/colleague/partner?
Yes – if you need a wingman there is space to add one partner or colleague for an additional fee to cover meals and additional materials. You will work together on one single deliverable.
When is this?
We will work with our selected cohort to find a window that works best for the whole cohort. The aim is for mid-week in early November.
Where is this?
Central Portland, a private creative working space.
Will there be food?
Always. We’ll have a light breakfast, lunch, and snacks and drinks available all day.
Will I need my laptop?
We recommend bringing one to support research and review any of your existing brand materials and assets.
My business needs me, two days away is hard.
That’s ok, totally get it, your business can’t run itself. We’ll have regular breaks throughout the day to check email, and respond to calls.
Is this right for B2B or B2C?
Both. We’re solving for clarity and resonance with your audience; the practice works in either context. Depending on the interest, we might curate cohorts by similarities, such as industry or target customer.
What if I don’t have a brand “yet”?
It’s potentially ok, as long as you know what you’re offering, and who you’re offering it to, you don’t have to have launched yet. We will not have enough time to start from scratch and we are not developing a brand identity (happy to explore that with you elsewhere). You’ll leave with a starter position and a tiny test to validate it before you invest in big builds.
Do I need to prep anything?
Not a lot. We will have a short intake form once selected, and some suggested materials to bring to the workshop.
Can I attend remotely?
This cohort is in-person only. If you are interested in joining a virtual cohort, please email kelsi@kelsi.co
Are there private workshops available?
Yes, if you’re interested in running a private workshop for your team, please reach out to kelsi@kelsi.co
Refunds? Cancellations?
Once approved, and we have found a time that works for the cohort, we are locked in. Up to 14 days ahead of the workshop we will attempt to fill your spot, if we are able to fill your spot, we will refund you minus processing fees.
Is this like therapy for brands?
A little bit… but not really. As an empathy-first practitioner who insists on centering the customer, I do borrow from therapy land, and I believe in safe spaces and candid conversations— but this is not a personal exploration, the work is in support of your brand.
Do you offer payment plans?
Yes, happy to work out installment options to help manage costs.
Ready to get
Two days. One honest position. One guiding message. A first step that makes sense.
→ Reserve your seat for The Smithy — Brand Alchemy Lab
Apply Here
If you have any questions not answered above, please feel free to reach out directly to kelsi@kelsi.co