We're a better-for-you brand agency
Our strategic process empowers a curated creative team to craft a brand uniquely tailored to your business needs, positioning it for sustainability, growth, and influence.
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collaboration
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curiosity
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courage
collaboration
craft
curiosity
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our process
Bring perspective to your brand
Our proven strategic process puts collaboration and real-world perspective at the forefront of brand-building so businesses can challenge industry norms and redefine societal standards.
STEP 1
Brand Intensive
STEP 2
Brand Strategy
STEP 3
Brand Build
our founder
I’m building a better-for-you agency.
In 2020, at the height of a global pandemic, I was burned out and, like the rest of the world, absolutely losing it. I’d wake up and drink my coffee while I put on a fake happy face to report for my daily Zoom calls to show that yes, I really was working. I was the creative director at a marketing agency where I was overworked and underpaid.
But, it wasn’t just a global pandemic making me feel this way. You see, before 2018, I was on the other side of the table, hiring a marketing agency to build brand campaigns that were underworked and overpaid. My in-house team spent weeks and weeks with a large team at this agency, only to receive half-finished work that didn’t take us any further.
The traditional marketing agency model is broken—not just for the people within the agency—but for the people who hire them, too.
That’s why I built Strange Salt, a better-for-you-agency that promotes a collective model to help change-making companies connect with brand experts who help them go further. Using a network of top-tier talent with varying industry backgrounds, we curate a nimble team of professionals to help companies like yours tell the stories that matter. And, unlike other agencies, we don’t over-commit. We only say “yes” to the work that aligns with our ethos and values. And with Strange Salt, you won’t find any people-pleasing—we’re here to challenge you to think strategically and partner with you to help you solve your biggest brand problems.
I’d love to tell you more about Strange Salt, our team, and our experience. But even more, I’d love to hear your story. Feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn or send me an email.
our members
Team
Jamie is a brand strategist, serial hobbyist, and the founder of Strange Salt. From managing people and facilitating collaboration to building brands and developing marketing plans, Jamie's experience spans eleven years and multiple industries. She's also the host of Scope Creep (with fellow collective member Liz Talago), a podcast for solopreneurs.
Strange Salt isn’t Jamie’s first rodeo. Formerly, she owned The Ruby Cookie, a cult-favorite cookie company. Before carving her own path in business, Jamie honed her skills at Visit Franklin (Tennessee) and various marketing agencies. She and her husband live in Nashville with their two rescue pups, Georgia and Snoop.
When she’s not working, you can catch Jamie cycling Nashville's greenways, tinkering with her 1932 Chandler & Price printing press, or traveling the world in search of the ultimate sandwich. A former spin coach, Jamie brings that same energy and drive to everything she does, infusing her work with high energy and enthusiasm to encourage clients every step of the way.
Sara Strese is a seasoned brand and web designer based in Louisville, Kentucky, with a passion for crafting visual identities and digital experiences that resonate with audiences. With over eight years of experience, Sara has launched over 60 brands and two apps, working closely with business owners to bring their visions to life.
The founder of Good + Ready Co., Sara excels in brand mapping, using audience profiles and brand archetypes to create visual identities and websites that go beyond aesthetics. Sara's expertise lies in building meaningful connections between brands and their audiences through strategic design. She has collaborated with brands in hospitality, beauty, and more, always emphasizing the importance of intentional design in driving business success. She values authenticity and craftsmanship in her work and has a knack for helping business owners feel belonging in their brand.
Sara enjoys painting, hiking, and reading. She can often be found exploring new restaurants, hiking, and spending time with her wife and Jack Russell Terriers.
Janey Jones is an illustrator and designer near Nashville, Tennessee. Janey has a unique ability to simplify complex information and systems through icons and illustrations. Her work adds personality to brands while simplifying messaging into engaging visuals.
If Janey's work were an ingredient, it would be salt— it can stand on its own but its primary role is to bring out the best in all the other ingredients. She's an expert in building systems—be it an icon system for a brand or a process to help her explore her creativity.
Janey loves eggs—eating and drawing them—and likes to explore drawing anything and everything (except people, but she's working on it). When she's not drawing (for work or play), you can find Janey outside hiking, birding, gardening, or playing video games.
Liz Talago is a content strategist and storyteller based in the Detroit metro area. Liz partners with thought leaders and change-makers to translate bold ideas into inspiring digital experiences. Her background in mental health and instructional design informs her approach, allowing Liz to create meaningful connections between brands and their audiences through strategic storytelling.
Liz always leads with empathy and looks for opportunities to combine her passions—mental health advocacy, technology, and content strategy. Her recent projects include crafting content strategies for healthcare organizations supporting individuals with chronic conditions and initiatives for empowering queer youth.
Liz is also the host of Scope Creep, a podcast for solopreneurs, with fellow Strnage Salt member Jamie Cox. When she’s not working, you can find Liz hunting for antique oddities, enjoying live music, or hiking. She and her husband live in the Detroit area with their three German Shepherds.
Stephen Jones is an illustrator and designer based in Nashville, Tennessee. With over 13 years of experience in branding and visual storytelling, he’s worked with brands like Charles Schwab, Facebook, Nashville Soccer Club, and E. and J. Gallo Winery, providing logos, packaging design, and illustration.
His background as a US Navy photographer has shaped his creative perspective, emphasizing the importance of storytelling in conveying meaningful messages. Stephen has found the magic every artist looks for—he's combined his passions for martial arts and illustration to create his own brand. In 2021, Stephen founded a fight wear brand that outfits martial artists with fun and functional gear that straddles that line of performance and self-expression. He's also run his own design agency since 2010.
Outside of work, Stephen enjoys tacos, roadtrips to the mountains and coaching martial arts.
Kelsey is a graphic designer with over ten years of experience in a wide range of digital and print mediums, working both for agencies and in-house. She has a great eye for clean, intuitive design and has been called a curator of inspiration and cultivator of culture. Kelsey has a holistic approach to design, beginning with your story and bringing it to life for an engaging, delightful user experience.
Kelsey is a multi-disciplinary designer who loves to explore new mediums. She enjoys layout design, typography, brand design, animation, and illustration, combining them to build impactful brands. Kelsey brings a collaborative spirit to her projects, using brand strategy and storytelling to guide her design process.
Kelsey is always up for Karaoke and brings her sense of humor to her work, evidenced by her design of an SNL-themed event that won an ADDY award (baby hands included). When she's not designing, you can find Kelsey at home with her daughter, husband, and pup, Bear. She enjoys reading in her backyard hammock and eating anywhere and everywhere with friends in Nashville.
Kelsey is a colorful cat lady living and working out of her apartment in East Nashville. Kelsey is the owner of Launch Your Day Dream, a web design company for badass photographers. She’s also worked as a brand and web designer for clients spanning multiple industries—from food and beverage to non-profits.
Valuing creative connections within her community, Kelsey moved to Nashville from Virginia in 2021 and quickly got involved in the city, building creative connections wherever she went. She even volunteers with our local Creative Mornings chapter and wants to see you at their next event.
Kelsey is a sucker for boy bands and early 00s emo. When she's not designing, you can find her watching Love Island, going to concerts, hanging out with cats, roller skating, and eating her way through Nashville.
Heather Allaman is a web developer based in Wisconsin with over 15 years of experience in front-end development. Heather specializes in bringing designs to life through interactive web experiences, collaborating with intentional brands to create engaging online platforms.
An experienced problem solver, Heather loves tackling functionality issues in JavaScript and CSS, ensuring seamless user experiences. An experienced Squarespace developer, Heather builds templates with various themes, content types, and custom JavaScript functionalities. She's worked with various brands and enjoys exploring new technologies to enhance digital products. Outside of coding, Heather enjoys reading about astrology, baking sourdough, making bouquets, and petting cats.
Emmy is a brand strategist and writer based in Charlottesville, Virginia. She’s a cool mom, a Gemini, a monopoly champion, and a former brick-and-mortar yoga studio owner. She loves a good pop-music dance break alongside values-focused work that supports a more equitable and inclusive world.
Emmy values curiosity, courage, and compassion, making her a sought-after collaborator for those building meaningful projects. She's spent a decade-long career cultivating and marketing communities across industries, specifically in health and wellness, music, and entertainment. Emmy is a heart-centered leader who believes in the power of storytelling. With her writing chops and love of intentional details, she helps to bring brands to life on and off the (digital and paper) page.
Before transitioning to her work as a strategist and writer, Emmy and her husband owned Inner Light Yoga, a widely loved and successful yoga studio in Nashville. She has a knack for merging creativity and operations and is always looking to cultivate meaningful connections. She firmly believes that a day without eating cheese is like a night without stars, dull and unfulfilling.
MaRisa is a Nashville-based freelancer specializing in solving complex tech problems, from creating custom software solutions to optimizing product workflows. As a dedicated problem-solver, it comes as no surprise that MaRisa also builds her own scavenger hunts and hosts game nights.
MaRisa's superpower is her ability to find solutions for complex problems in tech and beyond! Throughout her career, she's built custom software, refined product workflows, and created scavenger hunts (but more on that later). MaRisa speaks many languages—coding languages that is—and has even built apps that bring the digital products we love (like music streaming) into our physical universe.
MaRisa doesn't limit her problem-solving abilities to tech. She's passionate about puzzles in the physical world, too. She even started a scavenger hunt business called Scout Quest where she helps others tap into their problem-solving ability. When she's not freelancing or building her business, she enjoys tackling the New York Times crossword puzzle (though she's afraid of the Saturday puzzle), hosting board game nights, and throwing murder mystery parties.
Abby Flynn is a freelance copywriter and ghostwriter based out of Charlotte, NC. She lives with her husband and two young kids. In her free time, she loves to plan girls' nights, explore new cities, hang out in coffee shops and tell bad jokes until someone finally cracks a smile.
Over the last decade, Abby has worked in marketing and publishing. She's now a freelance copywriter and ghostwriter for marketing agencies, small business owners, and more. She loves creating pieces that inspire, encourage, inform, and generally just make the world a better place. She's written an entire online course for creatives, ghostwritten four ebooks, and even created a writing template shop full of tools to help people with their copywriting needs.
Abby loves coming up with creative new ways to express ideas. She helps brand and businesses develop their own unique voice and really loves making boring things feel more fun! When she's not writing at her local coffee shop, you can find her searching for a ridiculously good deal on stylish pieces, writing songs, working out, and exploring new cities.
Hannah is a vibrant and skilled freelance branding photographer with a passion for capturing the unique essence of individuals through images. Her work extends beyond the lens as she navigates the social media landscape, adding a touch of personality to every project she pursues. When she's immersed in editing, you'll find her listening to K-Pop.
Hannah stands out in her knack for grounding people and fostering comfort. Meticulous planning is her forte, considering every detail to defy Murphy's Law. She's worked with a variety of businesses to capture their essence—whether that's through morning light and a cozy atmosphere, or a bustling environment with lots of movement.
When she's not behind the lens or editing here latest shoot, you can find Hannah immersed in a great book, watching anything Gordon Ramsey has created, or playing a cozy video game.
Alabama born and raised, Patrick has called Nashville, TN home for 19 years. With a Journalism degree, writing words has been a huge part of his life and professional career. He's worked with award-winning companies and clients in both the tech and creative agency spaces. Seeing brands grow and excel in serving others are his greatest professional joys.
Patrick helps clients shape a holistic mindset and impactful brand experience. Patrick enjoys telling stories of how brands and businesses help others succeed. With years of experience in the creative agency arena, Patrick honed his skills in brand development and strategy. He's also become a trusted voice in brand partnership conversations. He's worked with brands like Fifth + Broadway, lots of non-profit organizations, and more, helping them express their missions and messages through their creative efforts.
Patrick's creativity comes to life in many forms. Over the past 20 years, he's spent time writing for international print and digital publications and creating music with several different bands and studio projects. When he's not writing or creating music, you can find Patrick getting his hands dirty in a garden, landscaping, or home project and getting neck deep in a juicy tv series. Patrick and his wife, Alexa (a lovely and talented designer) live in Nashville, Tennessee with two cuddly cats, Ollie and Peaches, and a bevy of cacti that will hurt you if you're not too careful.
Kailey is a designer and illustrator in Grand Rapids, MI. She brings brands to life by designing for the physical world.
Kailey is a visual problem solver and multidisciplinary designer. She loves to examine the world we live in and the world in our imaginations. She brings design to physical spaces through printmaking and woodworking and isn't afraid to experiment and explore. She captures her world through photography, shooting portraits of friends and acquaintances as she sees them. She's a curious creator with a love for exploration. When she wants to learn something new, she does.
Kailey's work is driven by her passions. She created a magazine called Humanity to weave together her love for layout and print design with her love for photography. Not one to cut corners, she produces Humanity as a piece that people will love to keep for years to come. Each issue covers a theme and highlights people living that theme. If you find an issue, keep an eye out for some Easter Eggs—Kailey brings her dry wit and humor to her work, creating satirical ads and artwork.
Kailey's best clients are those looking for creative solutions to tricky problems. She's a talented spatial thinker and has a knack for layout design and picking out the right size container for leftovers. Some call her the Goldilocks of Tupperware.
