People-first marketing for
small and solo businesses
Marketing can feel overwhelming at times. So many possibilities. And so many things competing for your customer’s attention.
Growing a customer base can feel a lot like herding cats — until you really get to know them and what they love.
People-first marketing makes your customers your focus. Before strategy, tactics, or tools.
And it means finding the most brain-friendly way for you to put your strategy to work — the right tools, tactics, and a schedule that aligns with your energy levels.
Hit my Done in a Day Marketing Plan page to see how I can help you create a smart, sustainable strategy that works for you.
Stress-busting
operations consulting
If you have a marketing plan in place and you’re struggling to put it to work, you don’t have a marketing problem.
You have an operations problem.
It’s understandable. There are a lot of executive-level roles in even the smallest business: marketing, finance, tech, operations… and you might find yourself doing all of them.
That means working long hours tending to the day-to-day, putting out fires and just keeping things running — when what you really want to do is grow your business.
Here’s the thing — operations support marketing. The right systems, working for you (and your team, if you have one), create capacity.
I can help you get that sorted.
With me on board as a strategic partner, you’re freed up to do what you do best. I’m available for part-time and project work — your very own offsite, in-house operations consultant.
Learn more on my Operations consulting page.
Who is this marketing & ops person, anyway?
I’m Stacey Cornelius — seasoned business owner, marketing strategist, proud holder of a BFA from NSCAD University, and diplomas in information technology and graphic arts.
With years of experience in content marketing, consulting, business operations, and teaching, my professional background also includes retail consulting and management, technical theatre, web design, my own jewelry design business, and nonprofit management.
I’ve taught marketing, branding, and technology workshops since 2009, and I’ve worked as an online business coach since 2018.
“Stacey’s timely advice on having a common, approachable voice, and tweaking it for each platform has helped our non-profit organization and our membership engage with our community, stakeholders, and collectors effectively, even as the social media landscape changes by the minute.”
Julie Rosvall
Visual artist
Former Program Director, Craft Nova Scotia
People first — always
The Agency of Words is here to help creative and progressive small businesses and organizations claim their space in the marketplace, and to help them work with happy and loyal customers.
But it’s more than the commitment to craft. Woven into that is a deep desire to create positive change in the world.
I’m fully aware of the privilege that comes with being an educated white person. So I’m dedicated to lifelong learning to be a good ally, for people and the planet. These core principles are always front of mind:
- Every person is a person
- All workers deserve a living wage
- Loving the planet = saving the planet
- Doing the right thing is never the wrong thing
These are more than words. They’re unshakable values.
If that’s aligned with what you believe in, let’s talk about how we can work together.
RESOURCES
The Agency of Words gratefully acknowledges that we are in Mi’kma’ki, the territory of the Mi’kmaq, comprising present-day Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, parts of Quebec, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, and Maine. The Mi’kmaq have been connected to this land and these waters for thousands of years and continue to be so in the present. We also acknowledge colonialism continues to do harm and pledge to work continually to be good allies.