Our Philosophy
Approach & Core Values
From STRATAC’s Founder
Honesty, Empathy, and Reality are our priorities. For too much of my career, I spent time holding my tongue when customers would ask me why they were struggling to make their sales goals. I knew in my heart that the campaigns we were creating were catchy and the aesthetics were solid. But, I also knew that the marketing, in its traditional sense of brochures and slicks, wasn’t the problem. It was the branding… what the companies were saying about themselves… in the worst cases, it was a flat out lie. In the best cases, it was inaccurate, overly aspirational, or targeted at the wrong audience.
Marketing is a tricky science and there’s a lot of psychology at play in all of the things that motivate people to act or maintain the status quo. With marketing campaigns you have to capture someone’s attention by standing out from the rest of the pack, but you also have to be honest about who you are and why someone would choose you.
I believe that for marketing to be successful, it has to be honest. You may convert a few customers with flashy advertising, but if your brand is built on a lie, your customers will leave.
Looking at your company with a discerning eye, the way a potential customer does, can sometimes be a harsh reality check. Having empathy for your customer can be hard when you know how hard it is to do X, Y, or Z. You take your company personally.
Honoring some faceless prospects wants and needs can feel burdensome when you’re struggling and feel like their goals are misaligned with yours. But that’s what you need to do.
We use empathy to see things from your perspective and from your customers’. We work to help you tell a true story about your brand.
The truth can be hard to accept and reality can really bite. But that’s what we work with… facts. Marketing is so much more than business cards and mass email blasts. Marketing is a complex and beautiful study of human psychology, evolution and behavior modification. At STRATAC we look at reality through the lens of your customer – we sit in their reality – and we sit in yours. We work to identify biases – obvious and covert – to help motivate customers and transform your brand into something that someone wants.
The other side of reality is that we give you realistic options for how you can attract and retain your customers. If you’ve got a budget like Jeff Bezos, you can afford to fail multiple times and try new and innovative approaches. If you’re like the rest of us, you have bills to pay and expectations to meet. You can’t afford to throw money at something and hope it works. That’s why we take a realistic approach to what you can do, and we take the best practices that have proven successful for others, and apply those to your go-to-market strategy.
What Drives Us…
I started STRATAC because I knew my experience and my expertise could help others. I knew I didn’t know everything (still don’t), but I knew I could build a team of specialists that could handle the most common challenges businesses were facing when it came to Sales, Operations, Marketing and Employee Engagement. Our combined knowledge, experience, and efforts are what generates lift for businesses.
Each of us is passionate about making a difference. We all care about creating a positive and rewarding engagement for our clients. That’s why we work so hard to give undivided attention and high-quality work products. We know your time is valuable and we want you to know we are paying attention to the details.
While everyone appreciates praise, at STRATAC, we are positive feedback focused… and motivated. We genuinely care about making you happy. We strive to make you say things like “that was genius” or “I couldn’t have done it without you”. A heartfelt “thank you” also goes a long way. If we aren’t making you happy, then we aren’t happy either. That goes for all 8 of us.
About me, personally
Aside from work, my other passion is dogs. I am grateful that my husband supports my obsession and love of cavaliers as he waits for the day when we may deviate from just cavaliers… but until then – we are the happy dog parents of 3 beautiful Cavalier King Charles Spaniels.
A portion of all proceeds generated by STRATAC are donated to The Cavalier Rescue Trust, a non-profit organization whose mission is to provide a cohesive network of rescue volunteers who love the Cavalier breed and are committed to its well being. You can donate here.
Remembering Dottie, June 2013–January 2024