Design isn’t the problem, friends. The wrong questions are.

Most people crack open Canva (or PowerPoint, Google Slides, or Adobe InDesign) before they’ve opened their eyes to what’s really off.

They start tweaking layout & colors when what they should be worrying about is clarity.

I just wrote about why better questions (not faster design) are what actually move the needle.

Because brand fog makes you explain more, sell harder, and win slower.
And no amount of pretty design fixes that.

If you want design that actually drives trust and growth, start upstream (with yours truly).

Get the deets:
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“We have a meeting with THE top bank in the U.S.”

So said a client after informing me their company sales deck was sadly “beginning to look like a patchwork quilt”.

Their sales team needed best-in-class materials to tell their story more brilliantly. And they wanted to show prospects that they’re the data grown-ups in the room. They wanted to better articulate this other stuff, too:

• Who are we?
• What do we do for clients?
• What can we do for other clients like you?
• What makes us different / better?
• How can we you solve your problem?
• (Oh, and this needs to look frickin’ awesome)

Well, even if you’re meeting with the top horse trader in Timbuktu and need a deck to tell your story and sing your praises, I can make you look and sound as awesome on the outside as your company is on the inside.

What happened at that top bank meeting?
Well, I’m pretty sure they kicked a**.

Most wealth firms could swap websites and no one would notice.

Why is that a problem?

When your brand sounds like it`s copied from the same ol` dusty brochure as everyone else, you’re not building trust—you’re blending in and frankly stagnating.

Clients don’t just buy performance. They buy stability. They buy clarity. They buy proof that you belong in the space you serve in.

In my latest article, I break down four ways high-trust firms set themselves apart—without fear tactics, clichés, or stock-template websites.

Read it here:
https://atelierlks.com/why-wealth-brands-blend-in

Creative directors don’t always get a lot of biblical shoutouts.
But Bezalel? He’s the OG.

He was tasked with leading the most high-stakes creative project in history: designing the tabernacle. The original house of God. No pressure.

He wasn’t picked by committee. God called him by name—and filled him with the Spirit—so he could lead a team, interpret divine specs, and craft beauty across mediums: metal, wood, textiles, even layout. (Brand systems, anyone?)

Bezalel is my blueprint. Not just because he was wildly multidisciplinary—but because he was entrusted to shape something sacred with clarity, care, and excellence.

As a fractional creative director, I get to do a small version of that: helping organizations express their purpose in a way that’s beautiful, useful, and trustworthy.

It’s holy work. Even if it starts in Figma.

The historical figure I’d most like to have coffee with? Bezalel.

Not a king. Not a prophet. An artist.

In Exodus 31, God calls him out by name—the first human in the Bible described as “filled with the Spirit of God.” Not for preaching. Not for leading armies. But for designing.

Bezalel was a multi-hyphenate long before LinkedIn bios existed: architect, metalsmith, textile artist, sculptor, typographer (if scrolls had type). A designer with divine backing, called to build beauty that carried weight, meaning, and function.

And honestly? That’s how I see my own work—as a fractional creative director and as a believer. Design isn’t just decoration. It’s stewardship. It’s trust-building. It’s telling a story that aligns with something higher.

(Also, shoutout to my friends Mike Valdes for his insight and to Katie Burkhart for gifting me the book `Art for God’s Sake`, which unearthed all these good things.)

Would love to hear from you—who’s your creative inspiration from history?

A friend recently said, “You should really talk about the way you structure decks. I didn’t know you did that — and it’s what sets you apart.”

So here it is:
I help entrepreneurs and wealth management firms tell better stories — through decks, brand messaging, websites, all of it.
Not just “here’s what we do.”
But “here’s why it matters. Here’s why you should trust us.”

It’s not about being louder.
It’s about being clearer.

Helping a client prep for a pitch last week, I said something I wish more people heard:

👉 The audience wants you to succeed.
👉 You don’t have to cram every stat and milestone into a slide.
👉 You do have to tell a simple, powerful story that sticks.

In my work with founders and firms, we don’t just "make a deck."
We build a map — a story arc that leads people from confusion to conviction.

(Even if you`re not a "natural speaker," trust me — this works.)

And about those `ums` and `uhs`: just be silent until you think of what to say. People lean in and listen when silence happens.

Most pitch decks I see look like a Canva crime scene.
Too many fonts. A circus of colors. Zero story.

But good design isn’t about making things “cool.”
It’s about making them make sense.
It’s about storytelling — Problem → Urgency → Vision → Proof → Invitation.
(And yes, there’s a way to do it without a single “market trends” slide.)

This is one of the biggest ways I help wealth management firms and founders stand out.
Story first. Always.

Is Your Brand More Zombie Than Superstar?

Trust isn’t built on buzzwords or glossy marketing. It’s built on real, authentic branding that connects—and your brand might not be doing that. In my latest blog, I explore the 4 big mistakes brands make that quietly chip away at trust and how to fix them before it’s too late.

Ready to find out if your brand’s a high-trust powerhouse or just playing dress-up? Take my High Trust Business Assessment and get to the heart of what’s really going on.

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