Lessons for founders to make sense of their identity, brand, storytelling, and more

In November 2025, after much introspection, and with tremendous trepidation, I launched my solo communications consulting practice for founders building early-stage companies. The decision came after a few months of trying to figure out how to best lever two particular skillsets I had developed over 25 years of working across a variety of sectors: manufacturing, consulting, journalism, media, and technology.

Just a few months previously, in June, I had stepped down as COO of a B2B SaaS company based out of Berlin, Helsinki, and Bengaluru. That job was the most fun I had ever had in a workplace. It was hard, chaotic, infuriating, and nothing ever went to plan. But I enjoyed working with founders, engineers, and product managers who deeply cared. And few things match the thrill you get from building something that somebody actually wants to pay cash money for.