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Five years ago, Moxie Made was just me, my husband’s laptop, and a decision.
In 2019, after working in PR, marketing, and branding, and juggling grad school, multiple jobs, and planning a wedding, I decided it was time to build something of my own. I didn’t have a detailed five-year plan. I barely had a five-day plan. I just knew I loved helping people start and run businesses and making them look + sound good while doing so.
What started as marketing support quickly grew into something much more defined.
This isn’t just a “how it started” story. It’s a celebration of how it’s grown.
From Marketing Help to Brand Strategy
In the beginning, I was the self-declared “Yes Girl.” I did a little bit of everything. I managed social media accounts, created content calendars, designed collateral, wrote copy, pitched to the media, and built websites. I worked with a wide range of clients, from a professional speaker to a police dog training company (total badass guy who actually trained Stevie for us if you can believe it!), learning in real time what business owners truly needed.
While I was busy learning what business owners needed out of their marketing, I ended up realizing they didn’t just need marketing, they needed to establish the feeling they wanted to be known for. And the same went for me.
Over time, my work naturally shifted from just execution to more strategy. Instead of asking what to post next, I started asking bigger questions about positioning, differentiation, voice, and long-term growth. That shift changed everything.
Brand strategy became the foundation of Moxie Made. Design, messaging, and marketing became tools to support it, not the other way around.
A New City, A Growing Community
Moving from Kentucky to Charleston marked a new chapter personally, but it also quietly pushed my little freelance gig into something bigger.
When I arrived in Charleston, I had hope, a solid idea of what I wanted to build, and absolutely no clear roadmap for how it was going to happen. I was still very much in the messy middle of figuring it all out.
So I did what many business owners do in the early days. I paused, took time to rebrand my business, and started showing back up online. I relaunched on Instagram and decided to record a video talking about what I did and how I could help businesses grow their brands.
Back then we didn’t call them reels. It was just… a video.
That one video ended up bringing me my very first Charleston client. And if we’re being honest, I’m pretty sure the llama earrings I wore helped seal the deal.
Enter Erin of Lounge With Us.
I will never forget the moment she decided to hire me to help with her e-commerce business. And I will definitely never forget the feeling I had every time I drove home after one of our meetings.
It was that quiet but undeniable “I think I’ve actually made it” feeling.
If you’re a business owner, you probably know the exact moment I’m talking about. That drive home where everything suddenly feels possible. The moment when an idea that once lived only in your head starts becoming something real.
Charleston didn’t just give me a new city. It gave me a community of entrepreneurs, nonprofit leaders, hospitality teams, and creative founders who were serious about building brands with longevity.
And over the last five years, that little video, those llama earrings, and that first “yes” turned into something I could have never planned.
When I look back at the projects from the last five years, what stands out most isn’t just the range of industries.
It’s the trust.
Every brand creation, every website, every strategy session represents someone choosing to invest in their idea and inviting me to help shape how it shows up in the world.
That’s something I don’t take lightly.
When Moxie Made Became More Than Me
For a while, Moxie Made was technically a one-woman operation. But if I’m being honest, I never built it with the intention of staying solo.
I’ve always loved collaboration, stemming from my days working in the coworking industry. I believe better ideas happen in rooms (or Zoom calls) where multiple perspectives are welcomed. From the beginning, I imagined the work we do growing into something bigger than just me. Not just for capacity, but for creativity.
The first step toward that vision actually started on the sidelines of a rec soccer game.
Our husbands were playing, and Savannah and I struck up a casual conversation while watching from the lawn chairs. Somewhere between small talk and cheering for mediocre adult soccer skills, I learned she was a graphic designer with agency and corporate experience.
Naturally, I did what any business owner does when they meet someone talented. I asked for her number and quietly tucked it away for a rainy day.
And then we didn’t talk again for almost a year.
That rainy day eventually came while I was sitting on my futon for what felt like the millionth day in a row. I was overwhelmed, questioning everything, and deep in a spiral of imposter syndrome that had me convinced I was both underqualified and in way over my head.
Something had to change.
So I reached out to Savannah and asked if she wanted to grab coffee.
The rest is history.
Savannah brought a level of design expertise and creative perspective that immediately elevated our work. What had previously lived mostly in my head suddenly had another brain, another creative eye, and another person helping shape the vision.
And just like that, Moxie Made was no longer a party of one.
The next big shift came when our family started growing.
As exciting as that season was personally, it also forced me to think differently about the business. I knew if I ever wanted the ability to step away, take maternity leave, or truly work in the business instead of constantly working for it, I needed support.
Enter Nicole.
Nicole quickly became my right-hand woman and the steady force that helps keep the wheels turning. Her many, many talents have allowed Moxie to not only grow, but more importantly, maintain. Systems (which shoutout to Summer of Streamful for these!!), communication, client experience, all the pieces that make a business sustainable started falling into place.
What started as a solo freelance venture slowly became something more collaborative, more dynamic, and far more aligned with the studio I always hoped to build.
And honestly, it’s a lot more fun this way.
Building a Business That Could Grow With Me
One of the most meaningful chapters of the last five years has been becoming a mom.
When Grace was born, I knew I wanted to be fully present in that season without the business losing stability. That required intentional preparation. I focused on strengthening internal systems (thank you, Asana and Loom!), clarifying processes, and empowering my team to lead confidently.
When I stepped away for maternity leave, the business continued to operate smoothly. And when I returned, I stepped back into something stronger than what I had left.
That season reinforced something I now deeply believe: growth isn’t just measured in revenue or client count. It’s measured in sustainability. It’s measured in whether your business can support your life, not compete with it.
Five Years In
So much has evolved over the last five years. The services are more focused. The strategy is sharper. The team is stronger. The work is more intentional.
But at its core, Moxie Made is still built on the same belief it started with: your idea is not crazy, the world needs it.
I’ve worked with startups launching for the first time, established brands repositioning for growth, nonprofits expanding their reach, and entrepreneurs stepping into bigger visions. But no matter the industry or stage of business, it almost always starts the same way. Someone has an idea they believe in. And deep down, they just want it to be seen and heard.
Sometimes they’ve been carrying that vision around for years. Sometimes they’re sharing it out loud for the very first time.
And I get the honor of sitting with them in that moment. Listening closely, asking the right questions, and helping translate that idea into something the world can finally see too.
Five years ago, this was a leap of faith. Today, I have to remind myself it’s a body of work that I should be incredibly proud of. I have a small (but mighty) team I trust, a community of clients who continue to inspire me, and years of blood, sweat, and tears to show for it.
To every client, collaborator, referral partner, and team member who has been part of the journey — thank you. You’ve shaped Moxie Made into what it is today.
If you’re building something — launching, evolving, or ready for a strategic shift — I’d love to help you take the next step.
