SITES THAT DON’T SUCK.
Sites that are different, for people who believe creativity and quality matter.
Have you unsuccessfully tried (again & again) to build a website you’re thrilled to share and others are thrilled to find only to either ignore it or scrap it and start again?
The answer to this way-too-common phenomenon might entirely too sound simple at first.
The quality we need to develop is–
TRUST
IN YOUR OWN DEEP KNOWING – & IN YOUR CLIENTS’ DISCERNMENT TO KNOW WHAT’S RIGHT FOR THEM.
SO, WE’RE OFFERED THREE MAIN WAYS TO DEAL WITH OUR LACK OF TRUST IN SELF AND OTHERS–
And I believe this is quietly killing our creativity, blinding us to our own power, and leaving us disconnected from the very people we’re here to serve.
(it’s also severely limiting your business potential, because those three ways are outdated for the world we live in today)
YOU ARE NOT ALONE IN THIS– AND IF YOU HAVE FELT AN URGE TO CREATE IN A DIFFERENT WAY, THIS IS A DEEP REMINDER OF YOUR INNATE CREATIVITY, HUMANITY AND DESIRE FOR HONEST EXPRESSION & DEEP CONNECTION– TO YOUR WORK, TO YOUR WORLD AND TO YOUR COMMUNITY OF SERVICE.
These three main strategies for website design more often than not leave you with a site that just doesn’t have much impact in today’s world–
1– Do it quickly because it doesn’t really matter that much.
2- Make it look perfect, because presenting a specific image is why people will buy.
3– There’s a magic formula, template or structure that will reel the customers in.
But, why don’t they work?
Because they
are built on dehumanzing you and your customer base, and devaluing creativity.
AND THESE ERODE THE TRUST OUR CUSTOMERS HAVE IN US AND OUR PRODUCTS.
THE TRUTH ABOUT GOOD DESIGN THAT HAS IMPACT–
Inner Wisdom is Required
Caring About Other People Matters
Reward Requires Risk
If you bypass your own inner knowing–
If you believe design isn’t about other humans–
If you think the goal is to risk as little as possible–
You will build on a false and faulty foundation.
Plus–
you will not like your website, it will not perform well and your customers will never really be presented with the real you.
Good, solid relationships build a sustainable business and your website building process gets to be a crucial, important, powerful part of that– if you let it.
Whether you realize it or not, your website is an honest reflection of your thoughts about your self, your work and your clients because we’re attuned to subconsciously recognize it.
The Solution is Actually Simple:
Build A Website on a Foundation of Trust.
1– Ask Better Questions, Get Honest Answers– and Learn how to Trust Them
2– Treat Customers Like Their Experience Matters to You so They Can Trust You
3– Approach Building Sensibly, Simply & With Joy and Build Trust in Your Tech Abilities
We Build Trust With This 3-Part Method
PHASE 1
BODY OF WORK
Skills Learned & Practiced:
Honest Self Expression
Creative Capacity
Visioning
Competent Conversations
FOUNDATIONAL
DOCUMENTS CREATED
Copywriting Guide
Product & Service Refinement
Vision Guide
Creative Declaration
PHASE 2
DIGITAL HOME
Skills Learned & Practiced
Orienting To The Customer
Digital Hospitality
Digital Build Planning
FOUNDATIONAL
DOCUMENTS CREATED
Digital Home Blueprint
Creative Brief
Build Plan
Customer Relations Guide
PHASE 3
BIZ & BRAND
Skills Learned & Practiced
Schick versus Intentional Design
Digital Graphic Design Basics
Font Choosing + Pairing
FOUNDATIONAL
DOCUMENTS CREATED
Brand Style Guide
Supporting Apps Plan
Customer Journey & Experience Guide
Marketing Visual Guide
It’s so nice to meet you.
Hi, I’m Steph
Dog mama.
Coach with a Master’s in Architecture.
Self-taught website designer.
Creative coach.
World traveler.
Lover of language.
Photographer.
Small Batch Scout.
Creative Risk-Taker.
I started my first business — branding and web design — when the architecture firm I worked for closed. I had a choice: find another job in another city in a bad economy… or take a chance on myself. I chose the latter.
A few years later, I built my second business — a creative market that became part of the heartbeat of a city’s rebirth. It ran for seven years, generated a couple million in revenue, and helped put tens of millions into the hands of small business owners every single year. People still talk about it. You can read about it here.
When the pandemic shut that chapter down, I chose to leave — and began a new adventure that took me to Turkey, France, Morocco, and Italy. I returned home with my architectural roots still intact, but with 15 years of business-building, community-building, and emotional wisdom added to the mix.
Now?
My greatest joy is helping creative entrepreneurs and coaches build digital homes that feel as powerful and true as the work they’re putting into the world — homes that support their creative freedom, financial success, and emotional liberation.
Let’s go through a process together.
One that will leave you–
Clearer on your purpose and how to communicate it.
More invested in building real, lasting connections with your clients.
Confident navigating the tech and design pieces that will keep showing up as you grow.
Equipped with foundational skills in design, storytelling, and competent communication.
This isn’t just about building a website.
It’s about making you stronger, more capable, and more powerful inside your business — long after we finish.
FREESIGN UP FOR THE NEWSLETTER
I write about Creative Liberation, along with the 3 Pillars of Thoughtful Digital Design each week.
HERE’S HOW WE CAN DO THIS WORK TOGETHER
$1500SPEND A FEW HOURS WITH ME
We’ll spend time on your website together, talking through my 3-part process and your specific way of working, making, doing. You’ll walk away with a list of work you can take action on with confidence and best-practices, advice & coaching from me to improve your website.
MIN $10K1:1 WEBSITE BUILD OR RE-BUILD
From the ground up. We start with deep clarity, build smart structure, write honest copy, and design something that feels like you — and works hard for your business.
I use this 3-part Process–
Body of Work– Clarity & Conversation
Digital Home + Tech Integration
Brand, Photography, Design
$3,000CREATIVE DIRECTION COACHING
If you want to build your website yourself but don’t want to do it alone, I’ll coach you through the process step-by-step. Strategy, guidance, and honest feedback — so you’re never left wondering if you’re on the right track.
I’ll put you through my 3-part Process–
Body of Work– Clarity & Conversation
Digital Home + Tech Integration
Brand, Photography, Design
BODY OF WORK
We start by slowing down and asking better questions.
This phase is all about getting the truth out on the table — so we know what belongs and what doesn’t.
The Skills You’ll Practice + Keep:
Creative Capacity
Truth Telling
Thinking of your Body of Work as a Magazine
Locating Your Creative Edge
Cultivating Conversations
What you’ll get:
A complete copy deck you can use everywhere (not just your site!)
New language for talking about your work with clarity and confidence
Messaging that feels good in your mouth and on the page
DIGITAL HOME
Once the words are locked in, we build the foundation that holds it all.
This is where we turn words into architecture.
What we’ll do:
Design simple, smart site architecture that centers your client experience
Decide on platform + tools based on your goals (no one-size-fits-all stacks)
Map out page flow, user experience, and clear calls to action
Plan for future growth — so you’re not redesigning in a year
What you’ll get:
A clear sitemap and page flow that makes sense
Tech recommendations (with pros and cons — I’ll help you choose what works)
Confidence in the structure of your digital home
WHAT I STRONGLY BELIEVE
Women founders are being sold a false dream.
One that preys on fear, scarcity, vanity, and ego — all of which pull us away from our deepest power, creativity, and leadership.
You’re told to move fast, to do it cheap, to prioritize shiny marketing hacks and manipulative copy over truth and connection.
You’re told it doesn’t matter how your digital spaces feel, as long as they “convert.”
You’re told to trust the formulas, the templates, the AI-generated words, and the cheapest stock photos — and ignore the part of you that knows better.
But I know what that approach does.
It drains you.
It disconnects you from your own voice.
And it weakens the relationships that are the heart of your business.
It might get clicks.
It will not build trust.
And it will never build the business or life you’re dreaming of.
I will not stand by and watch this cycle continue.
I offer an alternative.
One that leaves you stronger, more committed, and deeply connected to the magic of your own creativity.
One that helps you trust yourself, speak clearly, and build digital spaces that feel honest, human, and alive.
Spaces that invite in the right clients — not trick them.
Spaces that respect you and respect your people.
I’ve made it my mission to defend creativity. I even trademarked it.
Because I believe this is the medicine our businesses — and our world — need most.
The work I do goes against the grain of the fast-growth, cash-grab, you-can-be-a-millionaire-with-low-risk economy.
But that’s exactly why it works– it makes you less susceptible to the manipulative tactics of a predatory industry.
And if you’re craving a business that feels fulfilling, profitable, and rooted in care for yourself and your community — this is the path.
Join me in Creative Partnership.
Let’s build your website with intention, artistry, and integrity.
I promise: you will not be the same after this process.
And that’s exactly the point.
WEBSITE DESIGNThe Truth (as I see it):
There are three flawed ways we approach website design and branding–
1- as an annoying task that doesn’t really matter as it’s just a bunch of pixels and images and words used to capture people
2- as a vanity exercise- like putting on a the most perfect face of makeup, getting our false lashes, stuffing ourselves into sparkly dresses and stilettos and smiling for the camera.
3- As THE THING that ensures our success as business owners.
1 is Undervaluing our digital spaces and seeing them as objects of transactional relationships
2 is perfectionism, performing conformity and fawning all brought to the digital space
3- Is Overvaluing a site and undervaluing ourselves, thinking that packaging is the reason that we have value in this world.
All are flawed ways to begin and execute this deeply transformative opportunity to get in true alignment in a powerful way that WILL move people to want to work with you and deepen your resolve, confidence and certainty that you ARE here to serve in this specific way.
If we go along with what they tell us and choose to think our websites are an annoying task to check off — just another thing on your to-do list — we will hate the process AND fall into the scheme of paying for quick fixes that leave us with a false sense of confidence.
When we believe they’re a vanity exercise– like putting on makeup or a dress every single day we’ll end up being burned out by the process of faking it every day.
Same as if you treat it as THE THING that makes your business successful.
You will either undervalue it or overvalue it. And here’s another thing– thinking of it as an ‘it’ is actually part of the problem.
And worse? You’ll pass that energy along to every person who visits your site. They’ll feel it. It will feel rushed, scattered, and disconnected, confusing, fake, a money grab, untrustworthy, boring.
But if you treat this work as what it really is — a creative practice, a process of clarifying who you are, what you stand for, and how you want to show up — you will walk away with more than a website.
You will know yourself more deeply.
You will know your customers more clearly.
You will understand how design and words and structure shape trust and connection.
And you will hold something in your hands that feels like truth, not performance.
That, to me, is the only real reason to build your website.
If you’re interested in a Creative Partner like me, who approaches business websites like this, I can’t wait to speak with you.
Read on to learn more about what I think about Website Design, Creativity and how it relates to Women in Entrepreneurship.
WEBSITE DESIGNWhy the F do we do this to ourselves?
So, why do we treat our websites like this?
Why do we treat our creativity like this?
Because we’re taught to rush.
To perform.
To check boxes and move on.
To believe the goal is to get it done, not to get it right.
We panic. We compare. We think there’s some secret formula out there that someone else has and we don’t.
We devalue design, as a culture, in many ways. But here’s the thing– I bet you’re someone who loves the feel of high-thread count sheets, the soft smell of a perfectly crafted bouquet of the freshest flowers, food cooked with utmost care.
You have design discernment. And so do your clients. So, you know when someone’s faking it– telling you that the sheets are Egyptian cotton when they’re acrylic blend, that the flowers were cut this morning from the garden down the street but you know you’ve seen them wilting there for days, that the food you were just served is nothing that the chef would eat themselves. You KNOW when you’re being misled. And so do your customers and clients.
And truthfully, we’re scared of being seen — really seen — so we hide behind generic templates, safe words, and busy designs.
We ultimately don’t want to take much risk– financially, emotionally, creatively.
So, we treat the process like a chore instead of what it really is: a chance to get honest, to get clear, and to build something that lasts.
But what if you didn’t do that?
What if you slowed down, told the truth, and let this process change how you see yourself and your business?
That’s what I want to do with you.
WEBSITE DESIGNLet’s imagine we took a different path to design your site–
First and foremost, your relationship to your own work would change. You’d be more honest, more calm and grounded and alive. Your output would increase immensely. You’d (daily, weekly, monthly) push publish on work that feels meaningful to you, and highly valuable to the clients, customers, collaborators, and community you care about. Not from a forced content calendar, but because the clarity and alignment are so strong, it just flows out of you.
Bold, honest, powerful. Work that brings your business the energy, relevance, and visibility it needs to support the life you actually want to live. Work that positions you as essential — not just “nice to have someday,” but the solution people are looking for right now.
And here’s what else would be possible:
You’d come out the other side knowing more about yourself, your work, and your people.
You’d build a digital home that feels unmistakably like you — calm, clear, magnetic.
You’d stop overcomplicating and start communicating.
You’d learn to make design choices from confidence, not panic.
You’d stop hiding behind safe templates and start standing for something real.
You’d quietly build trust, attract the right people, and make it easy for them to say yes.
And you’d finally have a place to send people — clients, collaborators, even friends — and say with certainty: “Here. This is what I do.”
That’s what’s possible.
And that’s what I want for you.
WEBSITE DESIGNNow, let’s imagine how that would feel to your clients, customers, collaborators and community–
They’d take notice.
They wouldn’t scroll past, wondering if there’s something better out there.
They’d stop.
They’d feel something.
And if they weren’t the right person for you? They’d know it, too.
They’d scroll on by — thankfully — leaving space for the people who are the right fit.
The ones who would save your work.
Share it.
Sign up for your newsletter, your consult, your offer — without hesitation.
They’d take action easily, from a place of trust, curiosity, and maybe even relief.
They’d feel at home.
They’d feel seen.
They’d feel connected — even before they’ve met you.
Your self-knowing would become their sense of safety.
They wouldn’t have to wonder who you really are underneath stiff copy, AI-generated images, or branding that looks like everyone else’s.
They’d know.
They’d read what you write.
They’d take aligned action — for them and for you.
They’d see you as a trustworthy resource, an expert, maybe even just a human they want to know better.
They’d share your work with others.
That’s what’s possible.
And that’s what I want for you.
WEBSITE DESIGNWhy do it this way instead of the fast-fashion way — using cheap, trendy templates or throwing up a site you secretly hate?
When you approach building your site as the meaningful, powerful process of honesty, self-connection, and truth-telling that it really is — you don’t need to constantly reinvent or pivot. You simply go deeper.
You build something you can build on instead of tossing aside when it no longer feels trendy. Because you come out of the process with real skills — in design, in creative decision-making, in understanding yourself, in choosing honesty over fear, and clarity over safety.
These aren’t just website skills. They’re life skills. They strengthen your work, your coaching, your artistry, and your ability to show up fully in your business. They leave you knowing yourself more deeply — and that changes everything.
Fast fashion looks good for a minute.
But thoughtful, intentional work?
That lasts.
Plus — and this matters — you’ll actually see your creative efforts turn into real business results.
More trust.
More aligned clients.
More opportunities that feel good to say yes to.
Because when your work is honest and clear, people respond.
WEBSITE DESIGNWhat About Tech?
I’m going to be honest with you: most of you make the tech part way more dramatic than it needs to be. You turn it into this big, scary thing — but it’s not.
You tell yourself you’re not capable, or that you hate tech.
I call bullshit.
The tech is just part of the process. And we approach it with sanity, confidence, and practicality.
We don’t make it bigger than it is. We ask smart, simple questions that help us choose the right tools — not based on hype or fear of missing out, but based on where you’re going and what will actually support you.
It doesn’t have to be complicated.
It just has to make sense for you.
WEBSITE DESIGNWe start with copywriting because it’s the most powerful step you’re avoiding.
We start with copywriting because your words shape everything.
If you don’t know what you’re saying — or who you’re saying it to — the rest doesn’t matter. No design choice, font, or fancy feature can cover up confusion.
This is the part most people avoid because it’s uncomfortable. It forces you to get clear. To decide what you stand for. To stop hiding behind vague language and safe statements.
But here’s the truth: when the words are honest and specific, everything else gets easier. The design feels obvious. The structure makes sense. The tech becomes simple.
So we start with the hard part — the part you want to skip — because it’s the piece that makes everything else work.
WEBSITE DESIGNWhat About Design, Colors, Fonts, Brand, Photos?
All of that comes after we get clear on what you’re actually here to say.
Here’s the deal: everyone online is selling you quick wins. Pretty templates. Trendy colors.
“Just plug in your stuff!” they say.
But the stuff — the words, the offers, the core of what you do — that’s the hardest part.
And yeah, it takes sitting still. Thinking hard. Figuring out what really matters to you and your people.
Not exactly glamorous, but alive. Kinda like standing on a rock on the Italian Riviera with everyone below cheering you on. You’re nervous, but you jump, hit the water, and come up laughing — totally alive, and ready to do it again.
That’s what this part feels like once you stop avoiding it.
I want that for you.
So don’t worry about the fonts, the photos, or the color palette just yet.
Once the truth is out on the table, design gets fun and easy.
It becomes the thing that shows off the clarity and confidence you’ve already found.
Then we get to play — making it look like you on your best day.
But first, we do the part that actually matters.
1:1 Website Build or ReBuild
3 Months is spent on these 3 Foundational Pillars:
Month 1: Body of Work
We establish clarity, direction, and the conversations that you’re meant to be having through your business.
Month 2: Digital Home
We choose which Tech Stack is right for you– that’s Tech Bro speak for website platform and the accompanying programs that you’ll need to offer the hospitality and creative experience you desire for your clients and customers.
Month 3: Brand & Biz
We decide on design, brand, photo, marketing direction and plan our 2 shoots– editorial and conceptual. We also refresh, refine or rework your brand expression, including logo.
3 Months is spent on content creation, building & tech integration
Month 4: Photo Shoot Execution
We execute on our photos, just in time to build them into your site.
Month 5-6: Steph’s Studio Time
I will be turning all of that gold into your Digital Dream Home. There will be bi-monthly check-ins, along with a detailed schedule for milestones and testing.