Brand Strategy, Community Systems & Narrative Leadership

Role

Concept development and narrative architecture
Creative direction and production oversight
Community partnership collaboration
Visual storytelling strategy
UGC narrative integration
Campaign and digital adaptation guidance

Changing Tides is a mission-driven organization that enables underserved young women to build confidence through mentorship, education, and the transformative power of surfing.

My role supported the organization’s transition from culture-led leadership into more structured brand and business systems to support long-term impact and sustainable growth.

The work focused on translating community energy and lived experience into scalable strategic frameworks without losing the authenticity of the organization’s voice.

Strategy & Contribution

A core focus of my work at Changing Tides has been establishing foundational creative, communication, and community systems to support the organization’s maturation and long-term growth. Because the organization was originally built by surfers and volunteers rather than traditional operators, much of my role involved translating a deeply values-driven mission into clear brand positioning, messaging structure, and scalable storytelling systems.

I helped shape market positioning across new geographic and community contexts, ensuring the brand could resonate locally while maintaining alignment with the organization’s global mission. This included refining messaging to better connect program impact with the broader values of mentorship, confidence-building, and ocean connection.

I also developed the organization’s early impact narrative architecture, helping articulate how surf mentorship translates into measurable personal growth for participants. Digital storytelling became a central component of this work, integrating organic content and paid media strategies to increase visibility while preserving authenticity.

Across campaigns and ongoing communications, I provided creative oversight for content production, visual storytelling, and narrative consistency. At the same time, I built early-stage marketing and communication infrastructure, creating systems that allow the organization to grow its audience, partnerships, and programming more sustainably.

I led the planning and coordination of a three-day organizational strategy session, the first formal strategy retreat in Changing Tides’ 10-year history. During the retreat, I facilitated the final working session with Board members and senior leadership, guiding discussions to align on long-term vision and strategic priorities. This process helped support the organization’s transition toward more intentional business, marketing, and operational planning.

Strategic Leadership Facilitation

Impact

Strengthened clarity around program purpose and community value

Supported development of foundational brand and communication systems

Established strategic frameworks for future organizational growth

Preserved mission authenticity while enabling expansion readiness

Seaster Stories is Changing Tides’ annual storytelling and community gathering. It’s a space where surf culture, women’s voices, and shared lived experience intersect.

The event drew more than 300 attendees last year and generated meaningful press, local recognition, and ongoing momentum for the organization. Surfer and filmmaker Leah Dawson joined the panel conversation, helping elevate the event’s visibility and credibility within the broader surf community.

This year, I am leading the strategic development and evolution of Seaster Stories as part of a broader effort to formalize Changing Tides’ business foundation and community positioning.

My role includes:

  • Refining event positioning and narrative direction

  • Structuring brand partnerships and collaboration strategy

  • Aligning the event with long-term community building goals

  • Integrating digital storytelling and paid amplification

  • Strengthening messaging clarity across channels

Seaster Stories is not just an event, it is a strategic anchor for brand identity, community trust, and sustainable growth.

Seaster Stories - Community Event

Why This Work Matters

Many mission-driven organizations are built on powerful community energy but lack the structural systems needed to scale sustainably.

This work focused on bridging that gap by translating culture-led leadership into intentional brand and narrative infrastructure. The goal was not to commercialize the organization’s voice, but to strengthen its ability to communicate impact, deepen community connection, and support long-term mission sustainability.