Publications


Farmhouse Living Through the Seasons

My writing will be featured in an upcoming book by Kristine Stark, author, photographer, and founder of Farmhouse Green.

Pre-Order Link Coming!

Bella Grace Magazine

A Stampington & Co. Publication

My Old House, Unlovely and Loved - a story about how I made peace with a seemingly unlovable house after I found aspects of myself in it - was published in the Cozy Issue, Volume 7.

Bella Grace Magazine

A Stampington & Co. Publication

My Old House, Unlovely and Loved - a story about how I made peace with a seemingly unlovable house after I found aspects of myself in it - was published in the Cozy Issue, Volume 7.

Brand Auditing

Rate: $150/hour

Marketing is no longer about the stuff that you make, but about the stories you tell.
— Seth Godin

Woman exploring by Tristan Colangelo

I will review and evaluate your brand assets, platforms, current communication efforts, creative collateral and existing content for strategic soundness. I will identify any areas of opportunity and make recommendations related to message consistency, positioning, tonality, cadencing of communication activity, potential brainstorming territories, etc. My objective is to ensure you are telling a consistent, well-told story across channels that authentically reflects your objectives and strategic aims.


This article was published in the pages of Bella Grace Magazine (The Cozy Issue, Volume 7, 2024 and also Fall 2021, Issue 29 ) and I couldn’t be happier about it.

I am excited to work with you as you build a women’s lifestyle media brand you love! Let’s begin with a complimentary consultation during which I will learn about you, your story, your existing projects and content, and your professional objectives. We will then determine how I can best meet your needs and craft a purposeful plan forward.

 

"
I shared with April my mission, goals, history, and current need. She listened intently and began asking pointed questions. She did so with a blend of professionalism and respect, giving me a high level of comfort in providing the answers that would inform her good counsel and lay the groundwork for shaping a better strategy. April exudes confidence, enthusiasm, and a genuine interest in my success. Our connection yielded several great takeaways and concrete next steps for me. I have renewed excitement and am re-energized as I see more clearly a path to achieving my goals and having a greater impact. I highly recommend April for anyone needing assistance in developing an effective marketing strategy.  

/  Carla Wright  /

 

Patterning

Rate: $150/Hour for custom reports (Subscriptions available)

There is no such thing as a new idea. It is impossible. We simply take a lot of old ideas and put them into a sort of mental kaleidoscope. We give them a turn and they make new and curious combinations.
— Mark Twain
 

Typewriter by RawPixel.com

 

I am a bit of a cultural explorer, a scout, if you will, a trend seeker and connoisseur of new and inspiring things! I value hands-on experience because touching the real world brings insights to life in a way nothing else can. I investigate the cultural phenomenon and trends that matter to your readers and followers across fashion, music, art, design, consumer goods, wellness, politics, etc. Career, relationships, parenting, health, wellness, home, style, food, travel, and entertainment. fashion, music, whenever possible because touching the real world brings insights to life in a way that nothing else can. If you are able, join me and let’s have some fun! I will design experiences to inspire you, stimulate your imagination, and get you thinking about your brand in new and exciting ways. We may talk to experts, explore unique spaces, investigate interesting brands, or interact with an ideal customer. I will often recommend personal excursions as part of the planning process too! Immersive, multi-sensory experiences like these will spark creativity and are an ideal setup for landing on a direction, planning a brainstorm, or for simply doing things a little differently. . trigger your imagination and help you solve problems in new ways. We call these Insight Immersions.I look at what brands are doing so that you can what??? Write about it? Generate content ideas?

I will review the activity of brands of interest and provide detailed findings so that you can identify business solutions and opportunities.

Cultural Exploration: These reports can assist in positioning in the market place, brand building as you created brand sustaining plans

Get to know your customers (see what matters to them) AND look at what other brands are doing and apply, get you inspired.

Explore the Unexpected
Gather eye-opening inspiration from parallel industry categories, and uncover unexpected ingenuity that can inspire action and drive change.

I will also continuously pattern and observe the marketing activity of brands of interest and use my findings to assist in creating exploration opportunities, provide inspiration, or help set a brainstorming agenda.

During our Insight Immersions, we venture into the vibrant streets of a major city to explore current marketplace trends, discover buzz-worthy brand spaces, interact with insightful experts, participate in unexpected experiences and uncover valuable insights that will benefit your business.

Our process will help you take your female-focused business to the next level. Why? Because we have a genuine understanding of the female audience. We are plugged into the Life and Lovely Things community and we also regularly research global consumer, culture, and brand related trends across music, art, fashion, design, consumer goods, wellness, politics, etc. Our hands-on approach to investigating what matters to women plus our experience in brand strategy and in crafting engaging experiences make us an ideal partner. So let us know what you need!

Step 1: Examine

by Rastlily

We begin our process by working with you to get at the core of your business needs and using a variety of methods to gather insights – patterning relevant brands, talking to our community, and reviewing the trend information we gather regularly. We will then share relevant findings and leverage what we know about the culture of modern femininity to create exploration opportunities based on your objectives. As part of our family, you will also be informed of ongoing educational opportunities that we provide to supplement your own industry knowledge. These include case studies, trend and insight reports, workshops and speaking engagements. We can also customize any of these services upon request. 

Step 2: Explore

by Tristan Colangelo

Next, we will design an immersive, multi-sensory, ethnographic experience in Detroit, MI that allows you and your team to ‘walk a mile in her shoes’ and gain a deeper understanding of your business and your customer. These cultural excursions allow you to see what may not be obvious in data and analytics because you will engage in the real world. You may talk to experts, explore unique spaces, investigate interesting brands, or interact with our community as they engage with your product or service. Can't make it to Detroit? No worries. We can put together pre-brainstorm activities, and while not as immersive as a cultural excursion, they will still allow you to get your creative juices flowing. So, get inspired, use your imagination, and have some fun while thinking about your business in new ways. Get to know your customer, get inspired with new ideas

share inspiration, generate innovative ideas, and identify big platforms that can be used to surprise and delight your customer. And, I will work with you to filter ideas into a robust tactical plan that you can use for clear execution. When we are finished, you will know exactly what you are doing and why. I will also recommend partners, whenever possible to help activate your big ideas.


Group Services

MONTHLY RATE: $50/persoN

There is immense power when a group of people with similar interests gets together to work toward the same goals.
— Idowu Koyenikan
 

War room by Nastuh Abootalebi

 

If you’ve ever been part of an energetic collective or a dynamic team discussion, you know that groups are powerful in taking things to the next level. That’s why I’m offering several collaborative opportunities that allow me to offer my services more broadly.

Group Coaching: Coaching for like-minded professionals featuring specified topics.

Team Coaching: Coaching designed to foster collaboration amongst team members and partners related to specific brand building projects.

Masterminds: A facilitated working group in which attendees have an opportunity to ask questions, share content for feedback and discussion, brainstorm, share resources, and provide peer accountability. Currently offering a free Women’s Lifestyle Content Creators Mastermind! Additional groups TBD.

 

"
This group lights me on fire and makes me want to do amazing things! I am SO GRATEFUL that I became part of April's Content Creators Mastermind. April has gathered a group of unique women who share a desire for a supportive space to actualize their dreams of producing inspiring content for the world. April is constantly introducing us to new venues in the Detroit area with the most incredible history. We meet on a monthly basis, share a delicious meal, and discuss our progress with and challenges of growing our businesses. It is the perfect place to give and receive productive feedback. This group of ladies and the discussions we have totally light me up and make me want to conquer all of my biggest dreams! I can finally see myself making positive shifts to move in the direction I've been wanting to for years.

/  KATIE COLLINS  /