Why Meeting Clients Where They Are Will Make or Break Your Agency
This year, we stopped doing what most branding and design studios do.
We stopped plugging clients into pre-set processes.
We stopped assuming they knew exactly what they needed.
Instead, we leaned into a radical idea:
Meet clients exactly where they are.
Not where we want them to be. Not where their competitors are.
But at the exact stage of business they're in—mess and all.
Every Business Lives in Its Own Reality
Here’s the truth: every client is living in a totally different business reality.
Some are in survival mode—bootstrapping, figuring it out as they go.
Others are in growth mode—established but struggling with outdated messaging or a scattered brand.
No two are alike.
And branding? It’s not a one-size-fits-all solution.
A startup doesn’t need the same thing as a legacy business ready to pivot.
A solopreneur with a dream needs something completely different from a scaling team preparing for a national rollout.
And yet, most agencies deliver the same formula every time.
The “Simple Website Refresh” That Changed Everything
A few months ago, a client came to us asking for what she called a simple website refresh.
She wanted something sleeker. More modern. Nothing fancy.
But when we dug in, something didn’t add up.
Her site wasn’t just outdated—it was unclear.
It was trying to speak to everyone and, in the process, wasn’t connecting with anyone.
What she really needed was a communication overhaul.
We rebuilt her site around specific landing pages, each one targeting a different customer group.
We created a brand funnel that walked users through a decision-making journey.
We restructured her content to speak directly and confidently to the people she actually wanted to reach.
What started as a quick refresh turned into a complete business transformation.
And it all came down to one thing:
Better questions.
The Questions That Change Everything
Most agencies operate like this:
Client asks for X. Agency delivers X. Done.
But in our experience, what clients think they need is rarely what they actually need.
That’s why our real work starts beneath the surface—with intentional questions:
Who is this really for?
What’s holding you back right now?
What do you want your brand to make possible in the next 12 months?
These conversations unlock the kind of clarity that transforms not just a website or logo—but an entire business.
This mindset shift came from recent business coaching and strategy work we’ve done at Gem City Creative.
It’s changed the way we show up in every client interaction.
What It Means to Build an Agency That Lasts
We’re not here to check boxes or deliver what you think you need.
We’re here to uncover what you really need—and build from there.
That takes partnership.
That takes trust.
And it takes a willingness to go deeper than the initial ask.
But when it works, it’s powerful.
It doesn’t just improve a brand.
It changes how a business communicates with the world.
And that’s what we care about most.
Want To Start Having Transformational Conversations With Your Own Clients?
The secret is knowing the right questions to ask.
I've created The Ultimate Brand Audit Checklist that walks you through every question we use to uncover what clients really need, from their brand identity and messaging to their online presence and customer experience.
This isn't just another generic checklist.
These are the exact questions that helped us turn that 'simple website refresh' into a complete business transformation.
Download it free and start discovering the real opportunities hiding in your next client conversation.
Because when you know how to dig deeper, you don't just deliver projects.
You transform businesses.
SHINE ON,
~Chris