Three Years in Business: Hitting my Stride

Three years ago, I launched BP Communications.

No large organization behind me. No guaranteed work pipeline. No built-in credibility from a corporate brand. Just experience, relationships and a belief that I could build something sustainable on my own terms.

Three years in, here’s what I’ve learned. What worked. What surprised me. What I’d do again without hesitation.

Imposter Syndrome Is Real. Yes, Even Now.

Let’s start with the part most people don’t talk about.

Going out on your own triggers imposter syndrome. Even with 20+ years of experience, leadership roles and major brands on your résumé, there’s still moments when you wonder if anyone will actually hire you.

Inside an organization, credibility comes with the brand. On your own, credibility is you.

The feeling never fully disappears. It just gets quieter. Every successful engagement. Every solved problem. Every client win builds evidence.

Confidence follows results.

Executives and Boards Want Clarity, Not Activity

One thing I didn’t predict was just how much of my work would be directly with senior executives, leadership teams and boards. I expected more traditional communications work to be my door opener. More execution than strategy. In reality, it’s been a strong mix of both, with many engagements at the most senior levels.

These environments move fast. Expectations are high. Time is limited. What leaders want is straightforward:

• clear thinking

• practical advice

• strategic direction

• someone who can execute, not just recommend

This experience reinforced something I’ve always believed. Communications is a business discipline. It deserves a seat at the table. It shapes strategy. Not just outputs. Not just tactics. A driver of real business outcomes.

My Advantage: A Generalist Through and Through

My biggest value proposition is straightforward. I’m a generalist.

I bring strategy, communications expertise and hands-on execution across design, branding, web design and more. I can help shape direction and build the deliverable.

Most organizations split this work across multiple teams or vendors. My clients value having one partner who sees the full picture and makes things happen.

Strategy without execution creates ideas. Execution without strategy creates noise.

The combination is where the value lives.

Upskilling Became the Lifeblood of My Business

When I started BP Communications, I made a deliberate choice to invest in new capabilities.

I strengthened my design expertise. I expanded my web design skills. I deepened my work in branding and visual communication.

This was intentional. I wanted to be more useful to clients and more complete as a practitioner.

That decision paid off.

The combination of communications, strategy, design, branding and web design has become the core of my business. Not just the comms person. A partner who can think, build and deliver across integrated approaches.

A clear lesson emerged. Experience gets you started. Continuous learning keeps you relevant.

Relationships Drive Everything

Nearly all of my work has come from relationships.

Former colleagues. Past clients. Referrals. And referrals from those referrals.

There’s no secret formula here. Deliver strong work. Be reliable. Make clients successful. Stay connected.

Trust compounds. So do opportunities.

Moving Home Was Personal. The Results Were Professional.

I moved back to Thunder Bay for personal reasons. To be closer to family and aging parents. To reduce cost of living. To create more flexibility in how I live and work.

I also made the move to support something that matters deeply to me: travel.

I’ve visited 53 countries across five continents, and I have a lifelong goal of reaching at least 100. Travel provides perspective. Seeing how people live, especially when they live differently from us, changes how you see the world and how you approach your work.

In my first three years running BP Communications, I visited 21 countries, travelling with loved ones and spending time with the people who matter most. That’s proof the model works.

What surprised me was where my business came from. I assumed my experience with global brands and major agencies would immediately generate strong demand locally. That hasn’t happened, at least not yet.

Most of my work continues to come from relationships built in Toronto, Vancouver and Seattle. I’ve joined the Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce and I’m serving on the board of United Way of Thunder Bay to build a local presence (and give back, which is also important to me!), but long-term engagements from outside the region have kept me busy.

Reputation travels. Relationships travel. Geography matters less than it once did.

Remote Work Changed the Game

One positive outcome of the pandemic is how dramatically it reshaped collaboration.

Clients are comfortable working remotely. Teams are distributed. Digital tools make meaningful collaboration possible from anywhere.

This shift made independent consulting more viable than ever. I can support organizations across Canada and internationally while living where I choose.

While I’m based in Thunder Bay, my work hasn’t been limited by geography or sector. Over the past three years, I’ve supported Canadian clients while collaborating with client partners across multiple provinces and U.S. states, as well as in Mexico and China. Engagements have spanned food and beverage, healthcare, aviation and professional services. Different industries and locations, same fundamentals: clear strategy, strong execution and measurable results.

That flexibility has been transformational.

Verdict: Landing (New to the blog? My tomatometer is explained here.)

Has going out on my own been good? Yes. Has it been without challenges? No.

Building a business is a lot like launching a new airline.

Take Porter Airlines. When it launched, the vision was clear: bring class, service and a more refined experience back to air travel. Did it launch as the airline it is today? No. It started smaller. It refined the model. It learned. It adapted. But it stayed true to its value proposition and steadily grew into what it is now.

That’s what building a business looks like.

You start with a clear premise. You learn quickly. You adjust constantly. You stay anchored to what makes you different. Over time, momentum builds.

That’s been my experience.

More control. More flexibility. More meaningful work. More growth. More perspective. More countries checked off the list.

A clear landing. And still climbing.

Thinking About Your Next Communications Challenge?

If you need clear strategy, practical execution or a partner who can move from direction to delivery, please reach out.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have about 47 countries left to visit.