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From Passion Project to Profession: Branding The Smoke Break Podcast
Location
Portland, Oregon
Date
2021 - Ongoing
Role
Brand Strategist & Designer
Project type
Podcast Branding & Content Strategy
Package Type
Custom
Consultation
Zane Thomas Says...
"Shantel is as easy to work with as she is hardworking and I wouldn't put my brand in anyone else's hands"
The Smoke Break is a mental health podcast hosted by Zane Thomas, an artist and comedian with a powerful personal story. I first met Zane when he was struggling to gain exposure for his work and was balancing his passion with a part-time job. I partnered with him to build a professional brand and a sustainable platform, helping him transition from a struggling artist to a full-time mental health professional with a thriving creative outlet.
Challenge: Translating Passion into a Professional Platform
Zane Thomas was a passionate artist and podcaster who was dedicating his life to helping others struggling with mental health and addiction. However, he was doing so at a personal cost. His podcast had a small following and his live shows weren't generating significant income. His brand and content were not optimized to attract the audience he needed, and his creative work was not yet providing the stability he needed to pursue his passion full-time. The core challenge was to help Zane elevate his brand and his professional profile to align with his immense talent and dedication.
Solution: Building a Professional and Scalable Foundation
I implemented a comprehensive strategy that focused on brand development, content marketing, and professional support to help Zane achieve his goals.
Brand and Visual Identity: I created a new visual identity for The Smoke Break. The original podcast thumbnails were cluttered with text and information. I designed a new, streamlined template that was clean and professional, focusing on a clear photo of the guest and the podcast title in large, bold font. This new look made the podcast more visually appealing and professional, increasing its appeal to new viewers.
Scalable Content Creation: I built a series of templates in Canva for his team to use for all of their social media posts, YouTube and Spotify releases, and event lineups. This provided a consistent brand identity and allowed Zane and his team to easily update dates, times, and other information without needing to create new graphics from scratch, saving time and money.
