CREATIVE BUSINESS STRATEGY AND MENTORING
The business of beautiful things.
Being brilliant at what you create and building a brilliant business are two very different skills.
I get inside your business, question what’s happening and help put it back together in a way that makes commercial sense. Think of me as a second brain for your business.
15+ years inside creative businesses • Master of Business (Marketing) • Co-Owner, The Designory
SOUND FAMILIAR?
You might not have a marketing problem.
You might have a pricing problem. Or an offer problem. Or a business model that made sense five years ago but doesn’t anymore. Before you spend another dollar attracting more customers, it’s worth looking at the business you’re inviting them into.
Your most popular service is quietly your least profitable.
Enquiries come in, then disappear somewhere in a sales process that’s more complicated than it needs to be.
Your website still promotes work you don’t actually want to do anymore.
Seven offers are competing for attention when three would make the business stronger.
You’re busy, booked and working harder than ever — and it isn’t getting any easier.
LESS BUSINESS COACH, MORE BUSINESS BRAIN
You don’t need another person telling you to post more.
You need someone to look at the numbers, question your pricing, review your offers and work out whether what you’re spending your time on is actually helping. Sometimes the answer is better marketing. Sometimes it’s something else entirely.
I investigate
The real work happens outside the call. I review your offers, pricing, website, marketing and customer journey to find what’s actually going on.
I connect the dots
With 15+ years across creative and commercial, I see how the pieces fit together, the things you’re too close to see.
I get involved
No motivational quotes and a to-do list. If your packages need restructuring, I’ll help you restructure them.
No cookie-cutter programs. No six-figure promises. No homework for the sake of homework.
One-off sessionThe Outside Perspective
A fresh set of eyes on your business.
$595 incl. GST · 90 minutes
90 minutes
For when you have a specific problem, a decision to make or a tangle of thoughts you can’t quite unpick.
—Short pre-session questionnaire
—90-minute one-on-one Zoom session
—Written summary of recommendations and next steps
Intensive Strategy ProjectThe Business Deep Dive
Let’s get under the bonnet.
$1,900 incl. GST
approx. 1–2 weeks · introductory price, 3 foundation spots
For when something isn’t quite working but you can’t put your finger on what. Not a chat about what you think is happening, an investigation into what is.
—Tailored review of your business
—Three-hour private working session
—Personalised 90-day game plan strategy
On-going supportThe Second Brain
Your business. Two brains. Better decisions.
$1,250 / month incl. GST
3-month minimum
For when you want someone in the room who knows your business, challenges your thinking and rolls up their sleeves.
— 2 x 60-minute strategy sessions a month
— Two hours of hands-on strategic work a month
— Shared plan tracking priorities and decisions
— Email support between sessions
INSIDE THE BUSINESS DEEP DIVE
Sometimes the problem isn’t your marketing. It’s what you’re marketing.
Your offers, pricing, customers, website and time might each make sense on their own. The Deep Dive looks at whether they’re working together.
PHASE ONE
The InvestigationBefore we meet, I review the parts of your business that matter most, offers and pricing, website and positioning, marketing, customer journey or systems. Tailored to you, not a rigid template.
PHASE TWO
The Deep DiveA three-hour working session, not a presentation of everything you’re doing wrong. We work through the findings and start making decisions together.
PHASE THREE
The Game PlanA clear, useful action plan. Not a 40-page document destined for a forgotten Google Drive folder.
WHO IT’S FOR
A better business. Not necessarily a bigger one.
You’ve been going for two to ten years. People clearly want what you make. But instinct, hard work and figuring it out as you go aren’t enough anymore. You might want to earn more without working more hours, feel less overwhelmed, or finally have a clear direction.
Especially for businesses that design, make, build or sell beautiful things:
INTERIOR DESIGNERS / BUILDERS & JOINERS / FLORISTS / MAKERS, ARTISTS AND CERAMICISTS / HOMEWARES & FURNITURE BRANDS / PHOTOGRAPHERS & STYLISTS / BOUTIQUE RETAILERS / SMALL DESIGN STUDIOS
Not in this list? If you’re obsessed with what you do and want the business around it to work as well as the work itself, let’s talk.
KIND WORDS
“If you are a creative business owner and you haven’t worked with Cat, I genuinely cannot recommend her enough. Every creative business needs a woman like this in their corner. Working with Cat on the marketing strategy and rebrand for MOJ Flower has been one of the most valuable investments I’ve made in my business. She has inspired me in more ways than I can explain. Not only has she created a brand that feels so authentically MOJ Flower, but she has given me the confidence to back myself, trust my vision and feel genuinely excited about what I’m building. From creating my logo and brand identity to developing the creative direction for my photoshoot, every detail has been so thoughtfully considered. The photoshoot direction alone was exceptional. Cat understood exactly what I needed and gave me the creative framework to get the absolute most out of the day. She doesn’t just deliver beautiful work; she gives you the tools, direction and clarity to make the most of every opportunity. And the strategy? My business bible. Truly. It’s something I’ll continue to refer to as MOJ Flower grows, evolves and moves into each new season. It’s not just a beautiful collection of brand assets; it’s a clear direction for my business and a foundation I can build upon with confidence.
What makes Cat so special is that she sees beyond the logo, the colours and the aesthetics. She sees the bigger picture. She understands the heart of your business, helps you articulate what makes it different and gives you the confidence to bring that vision into the world. If you’re a creative entrepreneur sitting on a vision, full of ideas but needing clarity, direction or someone who can help you see the full potential of what you’re building, invest in Cat. She has a rare gift for bringing creativity and strategy together in a way that makes you feel understood, inspired and ready to take your business to the next level”.
AMY PAVLOVIC, Owner Moj Flower
MEET CAT
“I’ve spent my career inside creative businesses - just just marketing them from the outside”.
I’m a marketing strategist, creative director, brand builder, designer, artist and business owner, which means I tend to look at businesses from more than one angle. For more than a decade I’ve worked across the design and interiors industry, building brands, growing audiences, developing websites, launching products, creating content, producing campaigns, forming partnerships and figuring out how the creative side of a business translates into something commercially useful.
Today, I’m Director and co-owner of The Designory while also working directly with founders and small businesses through Cat Gerke Creative.
I know what it is like when the person responsible for the big idea is also answering emails, approving a website, finding something to post on Instagram and remembering that an EDM was supposed to go out yesterday. Most of my clients don’t need another person giving them a list of marketing jobs to do. They need someone capable of taking some of those jobs off the list.
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