The Story Behind Gray Matter Firm

Starting a business is hard but keeping it going is even harder. Sometimes you realize things aren't going as well as they should be, or maybe it's just time to shift gears and do something slightly different. As times change, so do the needs of clients, and sometimes that looks like pivoting until the end-product (or service) is just right. In our case, we did this a few times over the years.

Remember the days when Instagram was filled with poorly composed photos with over the top filters? This was a great time to be a business with a social media presence. It was a time before the overload of 7 second videos and trending audio clips. If a business owner wanted to stand out from their competitors, all they needed to do was just post.

Post images

Post videos

Post graphics

It didn't matter if the quality wasn't 4K.

Graphic design skills weren't needed.

The goal wasn't to get a billion shares.

To post, was to be noticed.

Business owners knew that they wanted to be noticed, but many of them just didn't have the time to plan out content, let alone making time to record videos or take photos. It was a time when you had to convince people that digital marketing was a legit business expense.

Many needed help with both administrative tasks as well as marketing efforts.

This is technically where Gray Matter Firm was conceived. But this wasn't a head first birth, it was gradual, with small changes over time. I (Stephanie) started working with small business owners in Colorado in my spare time. It was 2015 and I was employed full time as an Office Manager and going to school to become a Licensed Massage Therapist. After accepting my first position within a small business, I realized how different things were from larger corporations.

The lead generation process was different.

The need for structure & systems was different.

The financial situation (budget) was different.

The client relationship building process was different.

It wasn't as simple as getting handed a SOP (standard operating procedures) guide and going with the flow. I had to start from scratch with building out systems, organizing tasks, and planning things in advance.

A lot of my time was spent virtually assisting with administrative tasks, creating marketing content, and managing social media accounts.

Fast forward to 2020 ⏭️ ⏭️ ⏭️

The world as we all knew it shut down and everything started to change due to the pandemic. At this point and time, I was done with massage therapy school and had my own holistic wellness business. A year prior, my family relocated from Colorado to Detroit, Michigan. This was already a tough transition, especially with attempting to rebuild a brand new business in a new place. With regulations put in place, I had no choice but to figure out a new plan to make income since I couldn't see clients. The decision was made to turn the "side hustle" into the MAIN hustle.

Gray Matter Firm was officially born.

We tagged ourselves as being "not your ordinary marketing firm". It was a place where data and humans could collide, to promote real community impact through our marketing + branding services. You can't have marketing without the brand. Our vision included helping small business owners gain clarity on their branding to ensure a solid brand strategy and brand experience for clients/customers.

Our framework is made up of a few key components:

• Showing Your Work

• Focusing on Dream Clients

• Using Systems + Tools

• Building Real Connections

Being intentional with every process and component was essential. As you can imagine, a lot of time, energy, and effort go into ensuring a business is upholding all parts of this puzzle.

The only problem was that social media started getting less and less intentional. The goal for many was to get noticed by as many people as possible instead of getting noticed by the right people. To do this, it requires pumping out as much content as possible, following anyone and everyone, jumping on trends, and spending so much time online.

This doesn't align with our core values of community, connection, and collaboration.

Once again, it started to become obvious that it might be time to shift again. We slowly but surely started dropping our marketing and social media management clients. This allowed more focus to be put on the foundational pieces of our origin: structure, support, and organization.

Today, Gray Matter Firm is all about helping small business owners get unstuck and grow with confidence. We’ve moved beyond branding and marketing. Now, we focus on the big-picture strategy, daily operations, and growth systems that make your business sustainable for the long haul. From streamlining what happens behind the scenes to mapping out actionable plans, we’re here to help you turn ideas into real progress.

As Gray Matter Firm has grown, we’ve also integrated Industrial-Organizational (I/O) Psychology into everything we do. We believe that small businesses thrive when people feel valued, supported, and rewarded for their contributions. By weaving I/O Psychology principles into our consulting and strategy sessions, we help owners build workplaces that put people first, where clear systems, thoughtful leadership, and a culture of trust and recognition go hand in hand with growth. It’s not just about the bottom line. It’s about creating an environment where both the business and the people who make it possible can succeed together.

Curious about how we could help you? Schedule a complimentary call today!