The Radical Within

Starting from Scratch

Stephanie Holcombe is an adventurer with a big heart and a business artist sensibility. A family nurse practitioner and certified nurse-midwife, she was serving a few clients via telemedicine channels in Washington, DC and Mississippi.

She had in hand the loose outline of elements for a possible brand called The Balance Within that would appeal to women in her specialty: hormonal balance. She came to us needing a container to shape a business model and to launch a cohesive online presence to match. She also wondered if The Balance Within was the right approach.

We started on an accelerated Research & Discovery process. Interviews, self-assessments, and deep dive jam sessions quickly pointed out a few things. One: The brand persona is distinctly attractive because of her passion, her innovation, a rebel with a smooth Southern accent. Two: Stephanie has studied medical anthropology, served as a nurse on ships, served as a midwife in other countries with women in danger. Three: She emerged from her mother’s cancer journey with a fresh perspective on medicine. Four: It became clear that her target market segments and Potential Hero Segments superseded women needing hormonal balance.

Balance is Bullshit

We proposed scratching The Balance Within. Everything about Stephanie and the new Story of Medicine she wanted to tell and live pointed to Radical, the roots of which are “root.” We defined the burning question that drives her and the brand.

We worked together to shape a more clear profile of her ideal Hero – this open-hearted woman’s daily tensions, her deep woes, and her deep wants and yearning.

We fleshed out a new Story about Balance vs Radical Healing and how Stephanie’s distinct heritage, training, point of view, and strengths inform that Story. Everything from the photos of the founder selected to the unconventional menu reflected the founder’s innovation appeal and the Radical theme. Our lead designer Holly even experimented with spray paint to capture the brand’s artfully rebellious persona.

With the Brand Story Foundation in place, we got to work in framing and naming the brand founder’s signature frameworks and approach to health – what she came to call in the process the Deeply Rooted Method.

We created a logo suggestive of roots and of the feminine. Its elegance and flexibility allow it to be used across many platforms and allows the founder to vary the shade within the brand palette we offered in the style guide.

Integrated Technology & Customer-Hero Experience

We created a simple system for scheduling, and we also introduced and integrated Acuity Scheduling technology to make for a seamless online customer-hero experience.

Every piece of the process – from copy to visual to welcome messages – has the brand’s signature on it.

Life After Launch: Keynote

The day after we launched The Radical Within, Stephanie received an invitation to deliver a keynote at a women’s conference. The site allows Stephanie to help more women discover radical solutions for health and healing – and that’s what we’re all about.