MEANING MAKER IS
THE CREATIVE CONSULTANCY OF
ALLI MAGIDSOHN

Brand strategy & communications for startups, purpose-driven
organizations, & boutique creative agencies

WHEN I BOIL WHAT
I DO DOWN TO ITS MOST ESSENTIAL PART,
I'M LEFT WITH THIS:
I MAKE MEANING.

Each project I take on is unique, but ultimately, my work helps companies get to the core of who they are, then designs thoughtful strategies for
them to captivate both new and existing audiences.

Though I have a wide variety of skills, my offering comes alive in the space where strategy,language, & product experience meet.

I do this work with early-stage tech startups, as well as more established companies, across sectors. Agencies also turn to me to partner on
client work as a trusted collaborator.

The through-line of it all? The orgs I team up with; those at the intersection of business and
purpose, building products &
services that seek to truly improve life for the people they serve.

BRANDING IS THE
ART OF USING
LANGUAGE & DESIGN
TO SHAPE PERCEPTION.

SERVICES

A great name evokes curiosity, communicating a simple truth about who you are as a company, and getting there is a journey. I winnow through linguistic roots, obscure references, and pages of free association to sift out a few gems. Then, do it all over again. While finding your exact right moniker takes time, once we get there we’ll know it: it’ll sing.

NAMING
(MY FAVORITE)

CONTENT
DESIGN

Wireframes may come before words, but the right words can reveal design hiccups that prevent a truly seamless user experience. The best UX comes from an ongoing rally between visual & verbal designers. So, if you need a partner to craft friction-free products that people love to use, I’m your gal!

BRAND STRATEGY & DEVELOPMENT

Your brand isn’t just your look or your logo - it’s the story you tell as a company at every single customer touchpoint. To start to shape that identity, first I zoom out, engaging in a comprehensive discovery process. Then, I zoom in and dive deep, hunting for pearls. It’s those unexpected little insights that allow for true differentiation.  

CREATIVE
IDEATION

Sometimes, special projects just don’t fit into the standard list of deliverables. Have a unique strategic or creative challenge that requires an external stakeholder to drop in, go deep, look with fresh eyes, and offer up a fresh perspective? Or a number of good ideas? I’m all over it.

It’s simple: Language is the means by which ideas are brought to life - and with 20 years of experience & a masters degree in creative writing, it also happens to be a central part of my toolkit. I can take on any kind of communications project, from websites, investor decks and user communications, to long-form articles, video scripts, speeches, manifestos, and a whole lot more.

VERBAL IDENTITY
& COMMS

Don't have budget for a long-term engagement, or only need a single deliverable tackled? A day-long deep dive may be our best option to work together. Walk me through what you’re facing, and I’ll give it a solid day of head-down focus. Please contact me for my day rate and availability for this kinda gig.

DAY-LONG
DEEP DIVES

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SELECTED CLIENTS

Writing is the craft, language is the medium, knowledge is the currency.



AM I
THE
MEANING MAKER
THAT
YOU’VE
BEEN
LOOKING
FOR?

TESTIMONIALS

  • "Alli has had a transformative impact on our young company."

    SANJAY DESAI
    CEO
    Mudflap

  • "She has a natural talent for visualizing the end game and helping you put the right pieces in place to get there."

    MONIQUE APTER
    SVP Sales
    HDS Global

  • "Her collaborative spirit and strategic mind have made her a trusted partner."

    DANA NEUJAHR
    SVP Strategy
    Something Massive

  • "Her ability to see and make connections that allow an idea to become reality is unmatched."

    MARC MERTENS
    CEO
    A Hundred Years

  • "It's great working with someone I've got complete confidence in."

    CHRIS POTTER
    Co-Founder
    Screenlight

  • "Her innate ability to comprehend and translate our concept has been incredibly helpful and inspiring."

    GEOFFREY RODRIGUEZ
    CEO
    Dewie Beauty

  • "If you run a business, a startup, or a brand, hire Alli."

    KYLIE HANSEN
    Director, Product Design Strategy
    Microsoft

  • "Especially helpful was her ability to think creatively and not be bound by convention."

    WILL TAYLOR
    Senior Brand Strategist
    Amazon

  • "Alli had a central role in the creation of the Waze product and brand from the ground up."

    YAEL ELISH
    VP Product + Marketing
    Waze

  • "Alli is a super smart, insightful and creative branding expert."

    SHIMRIT SHIRAN
    Marketing Lead
    Neura

  • "She is always seeking the absolute truth to inform her work, and when she delivers it - it's on time, it's strategic, it’s thoughtful and well…it’s good.

    JOHN SCHEER
    Co-Founder
    Herman Scheer

  • "She's able to breathe life into the most mundane topics with elegance and wit."

    KARIN MEYTAHL
    Editor-in-Chief
    TimeOut

  • "Alli is great at what she does. Her efforts had a considerable impact, and steered the direction of where we're heading."

    JARRAD HOPE
    CEO
    Status

  • "She is meticulous and very research-oriented."

    C.K. KANDAGADLA
    CEO
    EnjoyFresh

  • "She was able to articulate how she could add value to our team and delivered on it."

    ZOE BRIDGES
    Product Lead
    Place

  • "She stood out due to her well-rounded expertise and refreshingly direct yet still flexible working style."

    ALEX ROSS
    CEO
    Greg

  • "She brought a valuable outside perspective."

    ROSE BROOME
    CEO
    HandUp

  • "She brings a sense of purpose to each communication."

    STEVE PETRE
    CEO
    Metromile

  • "Her wonderful sense of humor is a bonus."

    ARTHUR FURHER
    Co-Founder
    Kasamba

FAQs

I make meaning. While that kind of strategy work first happens in the abstract world of insights & ideas, it ultimately resolves itself into the human operating system —language— across these 8 areas of focus:

  • Naming

  • Brand Strategy & Development

  • Messaging & Positioning

  • Verbal Identity

  • Product / Service Strategy

  • UX Writing / Content Design

  • Marketing / Brand Communications

  • General Creative Ideation

WHAT DO YOU DO, EXACTLY? 

WHY SHOULD I HIRE YOU OVER AN AGENCY?

Agencies have all kinds of overhead like rent and payroll to meet, so they build their budgets accounting for these expenses. I, on the other hand, work on a nimble retainer basis, exchanging money for value in a 1:1 trade-off, without any hidden padding or budgetary bloat. While my hourly rate is healthy, you can still expect me to come in at a fraction of the cost of working with a more formal agency.

WHERE ARE YOU LOCATED? 

I'm based out of Portland, OR, but am often on the road. I roll through Seattle, SF, and LA on the regular, but given that I work remotely, at the moment I could be just about anywhere.

:::taps you on the back of your shoulder:::

Given my tech focus, many of the orgs I partner with are in the SF Bay Area, but I’ve also worked with companies in Australia, Canada, France, Switzerland, Hong Kong, & Israel, so this night owl is accustomed to hopping on calls at all hours of the day and night, without complaint. As long as you’re up to big things, I'm happy to join forces no matter what timezone you’re located in.  

WHERE ARE YOUR CLIENTS LOCATED?

WHAT KIND OF COMPANIES HIRE YOU?

The majority of my clients fall into these 3 categories:

  1. EARLY-STAGE TECH STARTUPS - Without a fully-built-out team in place, technical & business-focused founders of VC-backed companies bring me on in true startup fashion: To tackle pretty much everything creative, all at once — and I bring it. One day, I may be naming, crafting strategic messaging, or brainstorming new product features. The next, I could be collabing on product design or developing launch assets. I love these engagements ​because I ​get to bring my full creative arsenal to the table, and deliver.

  2. WELL-ESTABLISHED COMPANIES - In-house department heads bring me on for temporary, senior-level support when they and/or their team is at capacity, but the work just keeps on coming. They experience a ​mounting ​backlog of projects without internal bandwidth or headcount to drive them forward, but an urgent need to get things done, and I save the day. I jump in, move straight down the list, and, at the end of the contract, leave ​my clients with a clean slate — and a deep sigh of relief.

  3. CREATIVE / BRAND / COMMUNICATIONS / PRODUCT DESIGN AGENCIES - Strategy & Creative leads reach out when they’re short-staffed on the engagements they’re juggling, or, when they just need fresh eyes and a crisp new perspective on a project that’s difficult to crack. Why does working with me work so well for them? Because they pull me in when they’re in feast mode, then cut me loose when famine comes. As a trusted agency partner, I drop in as needed, go deep, and do my part to help make the agency shine.

While most of my work is with tech companies, I work across all verticals, and happily offer a 20% discount to certified non-profit orgs.

HOW DO YOU STRUCTURE YOUR ENGAGEMENTS?

  • WITH BRANDS: I work on a retainer basis with a three-month minimum commitment to start. This model has proven to be the most transparent, results-driven, and win/win for the kind of hands-on, become-an-extended-part-of-the-team client work that I love to do. Nearly all of my clients extend beyond our initial term, signing a second, third, or even fourth contract together.

  • NEED A SHORTER ENGAGEMENT? I offer day-long consulting sessions. These 8-hour deep dives are perfect if you’d like to collaborate without committing to a long-term retainer. A session might include things like a brand audit, refining communications for a website or investor deck, or tackling any other kind of special project. Reach out below to discuss my day rate and availability.

  • WITH AGENCIES: These engagements are tailored to the unique needs of each project. Let’s connect to explore how I can help!


Having worked for years on the client side, I know what it’s like to hire someone who makes big promises at the outset, but ultimately fails to deliver. For this reason, I work with no more than 2 clients at a time to ensure both get the undivided attention they deserve.

HOW MANY CLIENTS DO YOU WORK WITH AT A TIME?

Reach out, and I'll take it from there.If it makes sense to, we’ll hop on a call, and should you decide to move forward, I'll send over my simple 3-page contract. Then, once you sign it and send it back my way, it's settled: I'm all yours!

SOLD! HOW DO WE BEGIN?

LET’S
GET INTO IT.

PROJECTS

Waze

Creating the Most Beloved Social Navigation App in the World

METROMILE

Transforming Pay-per-Mile Car Insurance Into a Lifestyle Brand

HOLLYWOOD AI FEATURE STORY

Exploring the ways AI will transform Hollywood

GREG

Bringing an AI-Powered Plant Care App to Life—Literally

Tapstack

Rethinking an App Built for More Meaningful Connection

GOOD MAGAZINE COVER ARTICLE

Pondering the Meaningful Axis
of Sustainability & Death

HDS GLOBAL

Imagining Possibilities for a Robotics-Powered eCommerce Brand

A HUNDRED YEARS

Helping an Agency Dedicated to the Long View Realize its Potential

THE PRESENT MOMENT GAME

Designing an Online Social
Meditation Experience