Inspiring Conversations with Samantha Smith and Traci Bushur of On Brand Marketing Co

Today we’d like to introduce you to Samantha Smith and Traci Bushur

Hi Samantha and Traci, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourselves.
We became fast friends when we studied abroad together in London in 2019. We returned home to the COVID era and went our separate ways – Sam went to Chicago to be a live-in nanny and Traci went back to London to get her MBA. We reunited for some contract marketing services digitally, and then On Brand Marketing Co. became official in 2021 offering services in branding, social media management, and email marketing.

Because we’ve had such low overhead costs, we’ve been profitable since day 1 but it’s really been in the last year that we’ve gotten a solid roster of clients, hired our first employee, and felt like a true agency. We’ve tried not to skip any steps and truly do our best work for every person we’ve worked with and we both believe it has paid off as we’ve always kept clients on beyond their contracted dates and so many of our inquiries come from word of mouth.

As co-founders, one of the biggest lessons we’ve learned is that communication is truly key. We have a very open and honest relationship with a lot of trust and respect for each other. We hope that anyone that interacts with us can see that, and that we truly come across as a united front. We also believe in collaboration and are always trying to help people (especially fellow female creators) when we can. We are so honored when other people ask us our opinion or for advice and love answering DMS and helping other creators, and if we don’t know the answer, we try and find someone who does.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
As any entrepreneur will tell you, owning a business is rarely a smooth road. The highs are incredibly rewarding, but the lows can be emotionally and mentally draining. As co-founders and friends, we’ve always had each other to rely on, and fortunately, our strengths tend to complement each other’s weaknesses. However, that doesn’t come without its challenges. We’ve always maintained an open communication policy, which helps us navigate disagreements with the understanding that, even when we don’t see eye to eye, we both want what’s best for the company. When issues arise, we make sure to discuss them in person, not over text, and are willing to sleep on it if necessary, until we reach a resolution that feels right for both of us.

One of the biggest challenges we faced was in our second year, just before Christmas. A client we’d worked with from the very beginning, who we considered both a friend and a mentor, suddenly dropped us without any warning and then ghosted us (we still to this day aren’t sure why). This was our largest account at the time, and the financial loss was significant, but it also felt deeply personal. We were still a small company and heavily reliant on that income. At the time, I {Sam} wasn’t sure how we’d move forward. However, after stepping back and refocusing our efforts on strengthening our own business, we were able to not only recover but surpass our previous earnings. The next month turned out to be our second-highest-grossing month to date. That experience taught us a valuable lesson in resilience, persistence, and the importance of trusting ourselves to move forward no matter the setbacks.

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about On Brand Marketing Co?
At On Brand Marketing Co., we specialize in crafting distinctive and powerful brand identities through a combination of creative strategy, digital marketing, and design. Our services range from branding and website design to social media management and digital strategy, with a focus on helping businesses connect with their audience on a deeper, more authentic level. We always say that working with us is more than an exchange of services. It is a partnership, a collaboration, a friendship.

What sets us apart is our commitment to producing results-driven work while staying true to the essence of each brand we work with. We prioritize collaboration and transparent communication, ensuring that every client we work with feels like we’re an extension of their team. We are known for our ability to blend creativity with measurable impact — whether through engaging social media campaigns, beautiful website designs, or strategic brand positioning.

We truly try to treat every person we work with how we would want someone to treat us or our brand, and we genuinely care about their success and we think (and hope) that our clients feel that. We have been so fortunate to have long-lasting relationships with all of our clients and many of them have referred us to their friends which tells us we’re doing something right.

So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
You can follow us on Instagram, @onbrandmarketingco to see what we’re up to. If you want to work with us, you can complete this form: https://www.onbrandmarketingco.com/inquiry-form.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.onbrandmarketingco.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onbrandmarketingco/

Image Credits
For the 2 images looking in the mirror and with the newspaper: Maggie Adams
For all of the other images: Bekah Wriedt