ALL THAT GOOD STUFF UNDER ONE UMBRELLA

Strategy, creative direction, research, advisory and so much curiosity.

STRATEGY, CREATIVE DIRECTION & BUSINESS ADVISORY

I’m Candice Blansett-Cummins

I’ve been around many a block, including Big Corp and Local Indie, and have used my curiously strategic artists’ mind to help a whole lot of businesses, founders and leaders make sense of what they’re building, what matters most, and what should happen next. My first, second and maybe even third question is probably "why?".

Work with me and you get much more than a single-niche service — you get someone who sees the brand and the business at the same time. I move between brand strategy, positioning, creative direction and business advisory, helping you connect the decisions you’re making about the business with how it shows up in the world.

My right brain and left brain get along really well: I mix strategy & intuition, art & acumen, the creative & the technical, and years of experience inside businesses large and small. Sometimes that means defining the direction. Sometimes it means helping a leadership team get to the decisions together. Sometimes it means staying alongside you as an advisor while the business keeps becoming. Either way, you get a thinking partner who can connect the pieces and talk about the tricky stuff in plain language. (Scroll down for the fun stuff.)

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A woman with gray hair smiling, sitting on a dark pink chair with an aqua wall behind her at The Riviera in Palm Springs CA

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You might have seen me here.

I bring a researcher’s brain to Smitten, helping us look beyond the obvious answer and understand the people, context, patterns and possibilities surrounding the work — years in sales taught me to build genuine relationships and really listen.

I'm also a trained sommelier, which instilled an obsessive attention to detail and a deep appreciation for craft, and the understanding that the best experiences are the ones people remember long after they're over. This makes me especially interested in how people actually behave, what they notice, and what gets lost between what a business intends and what someone else experiences.

At Smitten, I support research and insight work across strategy engagements and bring a thoughtful creative eye when ideas begin taking shape.

I’m Lucy Mares

RESEARCH, INSIGHT & CREATIVE SUPPORT

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A megaphone without a clear message is just noise.

The best questions usually come before the best answers.

Design without strategy is just decoration.

Every business has a story.

Making something look effortless takes effort.

Trends are called trends for a reason.

How you feel about your business influences how others feel.

Honesty in marketing really is the best policy.

Editing is always a good idea.

Good branding doesn't require explanation.

A pretty website can't fix a business.

A megaphone without a clear message is just noise. The best questions usually come before the best answers. Design without strategy is just decoration. Every business has a story. Making something look effortless takes effort. Trends are called trends for a reason. How you feel about your business influences how others feel. Honesty in marketing really is the best policy. Editing is always a good idea. Good branding doesn't require explanation. A pretty website can't fix a business.

More about Candice

… green beauty products, art/design books and fabric I might never use but are handy for decorating my office.
… Southern California and spent most of my childhood at the beach, pool or roller rink.
… in San Francisco and Long Beach, CA for a decade respectively, and in the West Town neighborhood of Chicago (home to Wicker Park and Ukrainian Village) for two. Even though Chicago is one of the most fantastic cities, turns out I do mind the cold winters after all, so we’ve come back to LA.
… across creative, technical and business roles on four continents for some of the most well-loved brands and logged a bunch of airline miles I let expire.
… the public library is one of the most democratic institutions of all time and highly recommend we all use them.
… my rad husband and two adult children, one of whom is often amazed at my extreme digital relevance and tells me as much with great surprise, and the other who knows more about coding and wine than I do (the latter of whom I’m lucky to work with).
… a penchant for listening to music while I work : punk rock, funk, house, alt (and old!) country, world, vibey indie... Manu Chao, LA LOM, and Eslabon Armado are some of my current faves.
… drink enough water but know I should and feel somewhat guilty about it instead of just drinking more water, nor do I cook but my husband of forever does and is amazing at it (he’s not a chef but is a public school administrator #publiced).
… wind and water. Give me a body of water and I’ll give you a happy body.
ETA our sweet Trixie passed away but I couldn't bring myself to remove this:

...coddle our 12 year-old rescue-mutt Trixie and am debating if I should not make her sit for treats anymore because she’s earned them.
… called a “hurricane” as a child by by Mom, which is funny because that’s what my kids called me whenever I needed to be protective of them in the world. A boss once asked me how I got so much done and asked if, when I closed my office door, I flew around on a broom issuing spells, which in itself is a kind of hurricane…and not unlike AI co-working.
… only just recently the life affirming power of hot pink tights but I seem to always wear the same Levi’s 501’s that are hanging on by a thread, and by thread I mean the broken ones from multiple hand-sewn repairs.

More about Lucy

… wine reference books and pressed flowers.
… Long Beach and Chicago, and then Long Beach again.
… in Central American research camps and European hostels.
… as a cidermaker in galoshes and googles.
… listening to an audiobook counts as reading the book.
‍ … my growing family; my husband and our baby boy.
… an adorably scruffy rescue pup, Luna, who loves the treats, the ocean, and cuddles (in that order).
… put tomatoes in the fridge. Ever.
… Anthony Bourdain, Jane Goodall, & Ada Lovelace. (Talk about an interesting dinner party.)
... put goat cheese on everything.
… a fan of cooking shows since before I could walk.
… everything seems brighter and lighter after a walk outside, even if it’s raining.

Tell us what you're building, changing, or trying to figure out.

ENOUGH ABOUT US