Readers of the Sage Advisor have come to recognize the unmistakable voice of Stagecoach Designs’ CEO Melanie Parish. Her personal stories of brands-gone-bad, missed opportunities, and marketing successes–spiced up with a dash of life with twin two-year olds–have been appearing every second week for almost a year. In her articles, Melanie takes on the role of brand coach. She is keenly observant, quietly funny and full of smart and creative recommendations to right the marketing wrongs she encounters in her day-to-day life.

One month not too long ago we welcomed a new voice to the Sage Advisor. Nik Boylan, General Manager and self-proclaimed “SEO guy”, wrote an article introducing search engine optimization to our readers. Nik may have been pinch-hitting for Melanie that week, but his willingness to step up to the plate and hit us home gave us an idea. Why not utilize a group of writers with diverse opinions and areas of expertise for the newly branded Stagecoach Express? The story-telling format and marketing focus would remain, but the perspectives and personalities would be different. And, to enhance the list of contributors and exchange of ideas even more, why not create easier and more meaningful ways for readers to add to the dialogue?

This approach is, not surprisingly, consistent with the Stagecoach Designs brand. We emphasize team work and collaboration, and honour the different ideas, approaches and skills each person–including the client–brings to every project. We appreciate the opportunity to try new things. And we like to do things a little differently.

Our in-house team is well-groomed for the task. Nik can optimize websites for search engines, is handy with graphic design, can manage both people and processes, and he has worked as a writer. Kerry is a graphic designer, fluent in both print and web applications, and is a textile artist, an actor, and, you guessed it, a writer. Jen is a cultural anthropologist, researcher, and environmentalist with community development and non-profit experience. Oh yeah, and she’s a writer, too. Melanie’s familiar voice we already know. Not only is she a successful business owner, accomplished speaker and certified business coach, but she also has a way with words.

We’re excited about this latest evolution of our Stagecoach brand, and the opportunity to bring more of ourselves to you. And, hey, if you don’t like it, or like some aspects better than others, or have a perspective of your own to share, don’t rein yourself in. We’ll have built a simple and effective way for you to tell us (and the rest of the world)!

Warmly,

The Stagecoach Express writers (current and future)