Rene Huey-Lipton — DAME Collective
Brand and marketing strategy for small businesses.
I've spent 25 years building brands. Southwest Airlines, McDonald's, Walmart, UnitedHealthcare. Real work, real budgets.
I now do the same work for small businesses that don't have a marketing department.
The strategy is the same at every size. Figure out what's true about your business, find the part of it customers actually care about, and say it the same way every single time until it sticks. Most small businesses skip that first part and then wonder why the ads aren't working.
What I Do
- Positioning and messaging — what you lead with, and why
- Consumer and business research
- Brand voice, naming, taglines
- Website copy, marketing copy, email
- Social media — strategy, calendar, and the day-to-day posting
- Launch plans for a new product, service, or location
- Business plans
I handle most social media myself. When a job needs more hands — design, video, paid ads, web development — I have people I've worked with for years and can bring them in. One point of contact, a team behind it, no agency overhead.
Who This Is For
If you've ever been told your business is "hard to explain," or that it's too little...that's my whole thing. Complicated, technical, unsexy, too sexy or the underdog — I make it land in one sentence.
Also good for: you're busy and the marketing keeps sliding to next week. You're paying for ads that aren't converting. You're about to launch something and you're nervous.
How It Works
First conversation is free and I'll tell you straight whether I'm the right fit. If I'm not, I'll say so.
Projects start around $2500. I also do hourly and monthly retainers. Tell me your budget and I'll tell you what's possible with it.
Based in Thurston County, Washington. Local, remote, or both.
"We engaged DAME for a highly specific B2B strategy requiring a deep dive into new platforms. The combination of realistic big picture thinking & understanding what is important at each stage of the project was second to none. Highly recommended."
— Stewart M., August 2026
"I had the great pleasure of working with Rene at We Are Unlimited, as full-time embedded employees from Sparks & Honey. Time and again, Rene proved herself to be exceptionally insightful, driven, principled, and passionate about the work, while also being highly personable and reliable as a leader and colleague. Her perspective and expertise would be a great benefit to any organization."
— Nicholas A., 2020
"Rene was a pleasure to work with. Her knowledge of cultural insights significantly contributed to the creation and execution of national campaigns. I could always rely on her to pull current cultural trends to support selling in progressive, creative ideas for a global brand. She is a beacon of positivity and a strong (& stylish) role model for working women everywhere."
— Liza R., 2019
"Rene is relentless in her pursuit of new thinking. She looks at things straight-on, inside-out and upside-down, and she challenges those she works with to do the same. I've always admired her ability to inspire new and interesting creative solutions that help her clients connect with their customers in meaningful ways."
— Shannon S., 2012
The Book
I wrote the list I wish someone had handed me.
Start Inside the Economy: The Women's Founder Checklist is what you actually need to start a business — the registrations, the accounts, the decisions, in the order they come at you. No mindset chapter. No manifesto. A checklist.
Free on Kindle Unlimited. $7.99 in print.
Free to read with a Kindle Unlimited membership.
