I love it when women say they don’t want to look anything like their competitors.
When Angie Gad came to me, she’d already built a strong reputation in the intelligence community. Her company, GadIntel, helps organizations train their analysts and build stronger intelligence programs.
She’d built much of her business through referrals. Now she needed a website that could show people who’d never heard of her what GadIntel does and why she was THE person to call when they needed intelligence training.
Angie wanted a professional site that could hold its own alongside the big names in her industry. But she was clear that she absolutely did not want the usual intelligence-industry look.
You know the one. Dark backgrounds, glowing screens, and stock photos of people staring very seriously at data.
Angie is a young Muslim woman in a field long dominated by people who don’t look like her.
She wanted a brand that felt distinctly hers. Fresh, optimistic, and just approachable enough, while making it clear that she has authority oozing out of every pore.
Here’s how I brought that to life.
01 A little sunshine
For Angie’s homepage, I wanted people to know right away what GadIntel does and what analysts and their teams could expect to get out of working with her.
“Better intelligence begins here” is the promise. The copy underneath spells out how GadIntel delivers on it: customized training that helps analysts think more critically, write more clearly, and give better briefings.
Then I designed the visuals to support that promise. The bold type gives the headline some weight, while the orange and yellow from Angie’s quill-inspired logo and the soft watercolor elements keep it feeling fresh and warm.
The fine lines running across the banner are a nod to the way information moves through a system. The big circle could be a lens or a rising sun. The lens made me think of how Angie helps analysts sort through a lot of information and zero in on what matters. And the rising sun gives us that bit of optimism she wanted.
As promised, it looks nothing like the other guys.
02 Give people a clear way in
There are three ways to work with GadIntel. They offer bespoke intelligence training and intelligence program development, plus a recently launched AI-powered intelligence writing platform.
I laid out all three paths near the top of the homepage. The scrolling headline, “3 paths to better intelligence,” adds a little movement and draws your eye to the section.
Each option leads with what people want to accomplish. So you see “Train stronger analysts” first, with “Bespoke Intelligence Training” right underneath. That way, visitors can quickly see which path is right for them and click through for more details on how GadIntel can help.
03 Let people meet Angie
When someone’s considering training, they’re choosing a person they’ll learn from and work with. I wanted the photos to give them a sense of who that person is.
On the homepage, Angie’s leaning forward and smiling. She looks like someone you’d feel comfortable asking a question.
On the Speaking page, she looks every bit the authoritative badass that she is. This hero section might be my favorite part of the whole site. You can picture her walking onto a stage and having something real to say.
I’m really proud of how Angie’s full site came together. Check it out here.
The bottom line
The internet is a noisy place. And when people are being careful about where they spend their money, looking professional is the bare minimum.
Angie wanted a site that felt distinctive and welcoming. One that would make people lean in and think, “This is something special. I want to work with her!”
That’s what I want for all my clients. If you’re wondering what would make the right people feel that way about your business, a Branding Roadmap is a good place to start. Book a call and let’s chat about it.
Goodies Just For You
WHAT I’M THINKING ABOUT: Nathan Fielder’s new documentary about Elizabeth Holmes, You Can See Everything. I don’t want to say too much. I’d go in cold. I’ll just say that I think it lives up to the hype. And it opens up interesting questions about how we choose to present ourselves. If you can, see it in a theater. Half the fun is hearing the audience react.
WHAT I’M MAKING: Slow Cooker Chicken & White Bean Chili. It’s really more of a stew than a chili. I added some chopped fresh spinach to make it a true one-pot meal. Also recommend garnishing with pickled jalapenos. Healthy, delicious, and quick to prep. All my favorite things.
WHO I’M ADMIRING: My dear friend Luisa Alberto is an expert in all things small business. Her company, People First Finance, offers bookkeeping and tax services for service-based businesses. She also offers fantastic done-for-you operational support called People First Foundations. Her team takes care of day-to-day marketing, email, scheduling, and sales so your business stays visible and responsive even when you step away.
