When Your Brand Story Becomes
a Business Constraint
In most companies, the origin story is clear. But as you scale, add products, enter new markets, or come under more scrutiny, the narrative stops working as a shared resource.
Leadership perspectives and priorities differ. Marketing sends out mixed messaging. Sales adapts the story according to needs.
Internal alignment weakens; decisions take longer to land. Growth falters.
That's narrative drift — and it costs you time, confidence and revenue.
I identify where narrative friction slows you down, then fix the language so the story works for everyone who needs it.
Three Ways I Can Help
Whether you need a quick strategic rewrite, a complete narrative overhaul, or ongoing senior oversight,
here's how I work:
STRATEGIC WRITING
Fix What's Not Landing
You've got a high-stakes asset that needs a senior, external perspective — fast.
I rewrite investor decks, sales presentations, websites, thought leadership, speeches and more.
Typical investment:
R8k–R65k depending on asset
Turnaround:
1–3 weeks
NARRATIVE SPRINT
Build The Foundation
Your story is fractured. Different people explain the business in different ways.
The three-week Narrative Sprint gives you one clear commercial story everyone can work with.
Typical investment:
R65k–R70k
Turnaround:
3 weeks
BRAND STORY STEWARDSHIP
Keep It Clear
You've built the foundational strategy, and the narrative works on paper.
Now you need senior oversight to keep the story straight in high-stakes materials and through critical moments.
Typical investment:
R35k–R45k per month
Not Sure Which Approach Fits?
Every engagement starts with a 20-minute Decision Call to assess whether narrative clarity is part of the problem you're trying to solve.
It's practical and focused. No pitch. No obligation.
I ask a few questions to understand what pressure the business is under, what's changed recently, where decisions slow down or confidence drops, and who needs to be involved if we move forward.
If fixing the story won't help, I'll say so.
We end the call with a logical outcome: Yes. No. Not yet. And next steps.
Duration: 20 minutes
Fee: None
Obligation: None
Who This Works For
This is for you if:
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Your business has passed the startup phase and multiple stakeholders need to approve communications
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Your market is cautious, sceptical or scrutinises language closely
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Leadership, marketing and sales are explaining the same value in different ways
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Misalignment is costing you time, rework and revenue
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You need senior strategic narrative work, not generic content production
This is not for you if:
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You want someone to "jazz up" existing copy without strategic input
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Your challenge is primarily design or technology, not language
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You're looking for quick, cheap fixes rather than strategic foundation work
Typical clients include
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B2B technology and infrastructure companies
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Financial services and FinTech
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Professional services firms
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Manufacturing and industrial businesses
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Private equity-backed companies in growth or repositioning phases
About Nick Warren
I'm a senior creative strategist and wordsmith with nearly three decades of experience working with complex organisations in financial services, technology, infrastructure, manufacturing and hospitality.
For 20 years, I was the head writer for Takalani Sesame — South Africa's flagship children's educational programme — where I learnt that when the stakes are high, clarity is critical.
Past roles include Executive Creative Director at leading South African agencies and long-term strategic work for organisations such as TransUnion, Seacom, Comsol, Karongwe and Osiris.
I'm also a published author and winner of the Philip Pullman YoungMinds Book Award. As a playwright, my work has been staged internationally — from the Edinburgh Fringe to Off-Broadway. I know how stories work, and how to make complex ideas clear.
Today, I work directly with CEOs, CMOs and senior teams. There are no handovers to juniors. No generic frameworks. No dense, unreadable, jargon-filled reports. Just clear, strategic narrative work that helps you make better decisions, faster.
And if fixing the story won't materially help your business, I'll say so.
Client Testimonials
Philippa Hudson-Bennet Managing Director
Just Begin
"Nick is a creative powerhouse and a
strategic genius."
Mark Steinhobel Chairman
VWV Group
“Nick has an exceptional ability to cut through complexity and deliver clear, structured narrative solutions that hold under pressure.”
Lizette Swart
Senior Marcom TransUnion Africa
“Nick consistently ensures the narrative is clear, accurate, and resonates with customers.”