“Shannon fundamentally changed the way that we and the community think about and interact with the Columbia Pike Partnership and the Columbia Pike Community at large. The work was that impactful. From the first steps of working through listening and understanding what made our community and brand so unique to the final stages of putting together the visual elements to it, every step of the way she was not only our guide but also our teacher. We felt like it was a true partnership every step of the way.”
—Andrew Schneider, Executive Director
Columbia Pike Partnership
“Shannon fundamentally changed the way that we and the community think about and interact with the Columbia Pike Partnership and the Columbia Pike Community at large. The work was that impactful. From the first steps of working through listening and understanding what made our community and brand so unique to the final stages of putting together the visual elements to it, every step of the way she was not only our guide but also our teacher. We felt like it was a true partnership every step of the way.”
—Andrew Schneider, Executive Director
Columbia Pike Partnership
“Shannon fundamentally changed the way that we and the community think about and interact with the Columbia Pike Partnership and the Columbia Pike Community at large. The work was that impactful. From the first steps of working through listening and understanding what made our community and brand so unique to the final stages of putting together the visual elements to it, every step of the way she was not only our guide but also our teacher. We felt like it was a true partnership every step of the way.”
—Andrew Schneider, Executive Director
Columbia Pike Partnership
"Shannon has been an invaluable strategic partner for Dance for PD Mid-Atlantic. She brings both high-level thinking and hands-on execution to help us strengthen our communications and expand our reach. Her expertise in brand positioning has helped us articulate our value more clearly, and we're seeing results—we’ve seen increased engagement with our dancers and growth in individual giving. Shannon is a delight to work with and her understanding of our unique needs has added tremendous value to her work with us. Shannon fills critical gaps on our team and helps us show up stronger in everything we do.”
—Lucy Bowen, Director Mid-Atlantic
Dance for PD
Ongoing Strategy & Growth Consulting
We plug into your leadership team to focus on strategies that drive results. Together, we get to the core of your value, brand position, and the opportunities — whether that's reaching new audiences, deepening existing relationships, or finding the right path to growth.
Marketing & Communication Strategies
We build strategies that are designed not only drive business goals but to integrate seamlessly into your team and how you work.
MPS helps your business to clarify your brand position,
understand your market, and build strategies that drive growth.
Case Studies
Testimonials

Shannon fundamentally changed how we communicate and position ourselves. She took the time to understand our community and the nuances of stakeholders to develop brand messaging and visuals that truly articulates what makes The Pike so unique. Every step of the way she was not only our guide but also our teacher. We felt like it was a true partnership every step of the way.
— Andrew Schneider, Executive Director Columbia Pike Partnership
Testimonials

Shannon has been an invaluable strategic partner for Dance for PD Mid-Atlantic. She brings both high-level thinking and hands-on execution to help us strengthen our communications and expand our reach. Her expertise in brand positioning has helped us articulate our value more clearly, and we're seeing results—we’ve seen increased engagement with our dancers and growth in individual giving. Shannon is a delight to work with and her understanding of our unique needs has added tremendous value to her work with us. Shannon fills critical gaps on our team and helps us show up stronger in everything we do.
— Lucy Bowen, Director Mid-Atlantic Dance for PD
Testimonials

Shannon took time to listen to our needs, identify opportunities for growth, and then offer creative solutions to amplify our brand. I appreciated Shannon's care for aligning our marketing strategy
with the organization's strategic plan. The specific way she showed how each marketing objective met our goals was not just delivering what we asked for but aligning that deliverable to a larger purpose.
— Lisa Fikes, Executive Director the Leadership Center of Arlington
Frequently Asked Questions
Make Progress Strategies provides marketing strategy consulting for businesses looking to align their positioning, messaging, and business development efforts around clear business goals. We develop goal-oriented strategies grounded in the current realities of the business in order to make quick wins in tandem with steady progress towards long-term goals.
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Marketing strategy development with implementation roadmaps and oversight
- Brand positioning & messaging
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Alignment with marketing and sales/business development objectives
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Ongoing strategy and consultation to leadership teams
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Small-medium businesses and organizations who need to clarify their brand position and align growth and marketing strategies with business goals.
Both. Oftentimes, engagements start with projects and transition into ongoing retainers.
The processes and methodologies we employ work across engagements. That said, every client has different needs, team structures, and/or urgencies that we will accommodate. Every engagement adapts to be able to serve client-specific needs.
Everything starts by understanding your business goals—both immediate and long-term. From there, we develop the positioning, messaging, and strategic direction needed to achieve those goals. Importantly, your team structure and existing operations are central to planning to ensure strategies are actionable, not just aspirational.
We then work with leadership to align teams around the strategy and oversee implementation—ensuring execution stays on track. The goal is always to drive measurable progress toward your business objectives.
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