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About

Brand and Marketing Leadership That Starts With Your People.

I help small businesses and start-ups turn who they are into why people choose them, with 20 years of brand, communications and marketing leadership behind every engagement.

Summer Hagens, founder of Authentically 23

Summer Hagens

Founder, Authentically 23

LinkedIn

A Note From Me

I love the moment an organization gets crystal clear on who it is. That clarity rarely starts in the boardroom. I listen to employees just as closely as leaders and customers, because the people doing the work every day often know the brand best. When they help shape it, they see themselves in it. And when every person understands how they help deliver on the brand promise, I get to watch the whole company transform, inside and out. That's why I started Authentically 23.

The results matter, and I'm proud of them. When employees believe in the brand, customers feel it. I've seen it in teams that stayed, clients who renewed and customers who were quicker to recommend us. But what stays with me isn't a number. It's the moment someone on the front line realizes their work is part of something bigger, and starts showing up that way. That's the moment customers notice, too.

If you're ready for your brand to feel as good as the business you've built, I'd love to hear your story.

Summer Hagens · Founder, Authentically 23

How I Help.

A Brand That Turns Who You Are Into Why People Choose You.

I help you define who you are and who you're for, then put it into words and visuals your customers can feel and see themselves in. I've led rebrands for start-ups, B2B firms and multi-site companies.

A Steady Hand Through Change.

Mergers, acquisitions and big transitions are personal. I've guided a company through 16 acquisitions, and I've been the employee on the other side of the announcement, twice.

A Culture Your Customers Can Feel.

Your brand is only as strong as the people delivering it. I help every person on your team see how their work delivers the brand promise, so it shows up in every interaction.

A Marketing Leader in Your Corner.

When you've outgrown doing it all yourself, I can step in as your fractional Head of Brand & Marketing. I've built marketing functions from the ground up, twice.

90%

employee retention, up from 117% churn

18%

more customers who'd recommend the company

750%

more inbound leads

90%

above sales targets, two years running

23

Why 23?

Every person carries 23 pairs of chromosomes. Same number for all of us, and yet no two people come out the same. Businesses are the same way: each one has a combination of purpose, values and lived experience no competitor can copy.

That's why I named my company Authentically 23. My work isn't about inventing something new. It's about revealing what's already there, and helping the world see it.

Let's Talk About What's Next.

Book a time that works for you, or send me a note if that's easier. We'll start wherever you are.