Laura Mary West Marketing Strategist + Business Mentor

Marketing Strategist + Business Mentor 

Clarity, positioning and marketing strategy for organisations ready to grow.

Growth can feel exciting, messy and full of big decisions — especially when your brand, offer or marketing no longer reflects where you’re heading.

I work with founders, leadership teams and purpose-led organisations to clarify who they are, what they stand for, and how to communicate that in a way that supports meaningful, sustainable growth.

Whether you’re growing a creative agency, building a founder-led business, or leading a charity or social enterprise through change, I bring strategic thinking, honest advice and practical support to help you move forward with confidence.


Explore How I Can Help ↓

Who I work with

Different challenges. Shared ambition.

Growth looks different for every organisation.

Sometimes it’s about finding clearer direction. Sometimes it’s about building momentum. And sometimes it’s about stepping back and making sure your marketing is supporting where you want to go next.

I work with organisations at those pivotal moments — bringing clarity, focus and practical strategy to help move things forward.

You’re doing great work, but growth feels inconsistent or harder to sustain.

Maybe referrals aren’t enough anymore. Maybe your offer has evolved. Or perhaps you’re ready to attract bigger or better-fit clients.

I help agency founders clarify their positioning, strengthen their offer and build marketing that supports sustainable growth.

Start-ups + Founder-led Businesses

Choose the path that feels most like you

Creative Agencies

Building something from the ground up is exciting — but it can also feel overwhelming when everything depends on you.

Whether you’re finding your footing or growing into your next chapter, I help founders sharpen their proposition, align their marketing and create a practical growth plan.

Charities & Social Enterprises

Doing meaningful work doesn’t always make communicating it any easier.

Whether you’re trying to reach new audiences, strengthen your brand or navigate change internally, I help charities and social enterprises bring more clarity to their positioning and marketing so they can create even greater impact.

About

A strategic partner for moments of growth and change

I’m a senior brand and marketing leader focused on helping organisations articulate who they are, what they stand for, and how that translates into meaningful growth.

My background spans agency, in-house and consulting — including leading national communications at Maggie's and co-founding a marketing agency working with purpose-led and growing organisations.

Over time, I’ve found I’m most valuable when working directly with founders and leadership teams — helping them step back, make sense of where they are, and bring clarity to what comes next.

Because when positioning is clear, marketing has direction and teams are aligned, growth feels much more achievable.

Today, I work in a fractional and advisory capacity, supporting organisations through periods of growth, change and transition — particularly where clarity is key to unlocking the next stage.

My approach.

The Creative Growth Framework

Growth rarely happens by accident. It needs clarity, focus and a strategy that feels realistic enough to actually follow through.

The Creative Growth Framework is the approach I use to help organisations move from reactive, inconsistent marketing to clear, intentional growth.

It focuses on four key areas:

Positioning
Getting clear on what makes you distinctive, who you’re really here for, and where you create the most value.

Offer
Shaping your services, products or programmes so they feel stronger, clearer and easier to communicate.

Marketing
Building a marketing approach that feels achievable, consistent and aligned with your goals.

Leadership
Supporting confident decision-making, stronger alignment and the focus needed to move forward.

Together, these create the clarity and momentum organisations need to grow sustainably.

How I work.

Practical, strategic support — not consultancy at arm’s length

I bring together the perspective of a strategist, marketer and mentor.

Over the past 20 years, I’ve worked with agencies, brands, charities and founder-led businesses to shape strategy, strengthen brands and support growth.

But what I value most is working closely with people — helping them untangle challenges, make clearer decisions and build practical plans that feel right for their organisation.

No jargon. No overcomplicated frameworks.

Just honest conversations, strategic thinking and practical support that help you move forward.

Depending on what you need, I work through:

  • Focused strategy sessions

  • Short-term strategic projects

  • Ongoing fractional support

  • Business mentoring for founders and leaders

  • Mentoring to support and develop junior team members 

Why clients work with me

Experienced, practical and plugged in

Over the years, I’ve built, led and supported organisations from different sides of the table — agency-side, in-house and as an independent consultant.

That means I understand the realities of growth, the pressures of leadership and the challenge of marketing your business while running it.

Clients work with me because I bring:

• 20+ years of brand and marketing strategy experience
• First-hand experience of building and scaling a creative agency
• Senior leadership experience in the charity sector
• Strategic clarity grounded in practical action
• Honest advice and an external perspective
• Accountability, momentum and collaborative support

Connected to the creative and purpose-led community

I’m well connected across the creative and purpose-led sectors, particularly in Essex, Hertfordshire, Cambridge and London.

Through my work with agencies, charities, founders and initiatives like The Creative Table, I’ve built a strong network of creatives, strategists, marketers and collaborators — which means I’m always close to the conversations, challenges and opportunities shaping these sectors.

And where it adds value, I’m often able to connect clients with the right people, partnerships or opportunities.

Ready for more clarity in your marketing?

Growth rarely happens by accident.

It takes clear positioning, focused marketing and the confidence to make the right strategic decisions.

If you’re ready to strengthen your marketing, refine your positioning or create a clearer path for growth, let’s talk.

  • Kat Spybey, Founder at Spybey Digital

    “As the sole director of Spybey Digital, I can find it difficult to carve out the necessary time to focus on the business strategy and future growth, away from day-to-day client delivery. My monthly sessions with Laura hold me accountable, make me think about the bigger picture, strategies and reconnect with the reasons why I started this business. With her own experience of running an agency, she’s been a brilliant sounding board to help me overcome pinch points and focus my decision-making. Most importantly, she’s supported me whilst injecting some fun back into running a business which can at times feel like a lonely and overwhelming task.”

  • Katie Tait, Director of Communications at Maggie’s

    "I cannot recommend Laura highly enough. On several occasions in the last six months, we have had critical projects to manage that have fallen outside of our day-to-day work and we have been able to pass them over to Laura knowing that they will be carried out professionally, efficiently and to an extremely high standard. We have been delighted with the results".

  • Karen Tait, Founder & CEO at The Residence Coworking

    “I had the absolute pleasure of engaging Laura on my project that involved both creating a website and developing a content strategy. Laura's contributions were fundamental to the project's success.

    I was particularly impressed with her ability to translate our ideas into a compelling content strategy that resonated with our audience. Her creative insights and strategic thinking were invaluable.

    Laura is not only a highly skilled professional but also a pleasure to work with. I wouldn't hesitate to work with her again on future projects. Her commitment to excellence and her ability to deliver results are truly commendable. If you're looking for someone who can turn your vision into reality and drive success, Laura is the person to partner with."

  • Chris Larkin, Director, Hashtag Creative Media

    “I wish we had found Laura before re-developing our website! The website review workshop was one of the most helpful sessions we’ve conducted as a business.

    The session was engaging, insightful, and informative. The follow-up included detailed notes, an implementation plan, and structure which meant we could get the project over the line efficiently with every team member knowing their responsibilities.

    Laura provides valuable suggestions and facilitates the session in a way where the ideas come from within the team. I highly recommend businesses & self-employed individuals to undertake this workshop, we are excited about the changes we have made and they have had a huge impact on our business!”

  • Amanda de Beaufort, Director of Communications, Studio Libeskind

    “Laura is a skilled communicator and a thoughtful and engaged collaborator. I had the pleasure of working with Laura on a major building opening in London where she played a pivotal role in the communications, marketing, writing, and event planning for a complicated announcement. She is also a delightful person and fun to work with!”

  • Molly Leonard, Pride of Britain Award Winner, Mental Health First Aider, Founder and Director of Craft With Me

    “When I first started working with Laura, I had no idea how to share my story. She first supported me ahead of the 20-mile walk across London, a King’s Trust fundraising event, where I was speaking publicly for the first time. Since then, she’s been by my side, helping me prepare for events like the Pride of Britain Awards and so many others.

    My journey hasn’t been easy—I’ve faced a lot of challenges and overcome so much to get to where I am today, personally and in my work. There’s so much to share about what I’ve been through and why I do what I do now, but it all felt tangled in my head. Laura helped me untangle that web and find a way to tell my story in a way that connects with others.

    Thanks to Laura’s guidance, I’ve grown in confidence. She’s helped me turn what felt overwhelming into something meaningful and inspiring.”

  • Jeff Hack-Davies, Founder, APE Engineering

    “Working with Laura helped me take a business idea and make it a reality. I knew my sector and niche well and knew I had the connections I needed to make it a success, but I didn’t have the knowledge and understanding of how to brand and market my new business. Laura talked me through the key go-to-market areas, listened to my vision, and helped me bring my brand to life. Her simple approach to marketing a small business cut through the jargon and gave me clear and simple steps to start marketing my business to my target audience. I always feel well supported and know I can come to her with any business and marketing problems I have.”

  • Samantha Booth, Head of PR, Maggie's

    “I have worked with Laura for many years and have always been incredibly impressed by her professionalism, work ethic, insightfulness and creative approach.

    Most recently she worked with Maggie’s as a consultant project manager to oversee all comms around the opening of a new centre. This involved strategic planning, managing internal and external stakeholders as well as planning and delivering all communications around two VIP press events to mark the occasion.

    Her high levels of organisation and focus kept everything on track and helped deliver two hugely successful events with impressive pick-up. I would recommend Laura to anyone.”

  • Eleanor Evans, Notary Public at Evans Notary

    “Having been employed in a large firm for my whole career to date, setting up my own business as an independent notary was daunting.  I knew local marketing and a website were going to be important parts of making my business a success but I had no experience in these areas and didn't really know where to start.  My sessions with Laura helped me to understand what marketing channels would work for me and how I could market myself whilst staying true to my business values.  I really appreciated that she gave me the skills and confidence to do some bits myself and had the right contacts for the bits where I really needed a professional.   As a result of our time together, I had my branding and a new website ready to launch as well as a solid understanding of how I could market my services locally.  I was able to come back to her with questions and it was reassuring always knowing she was there if I needed extra support.”  

  • Jane McCluskey, Founder at Burrow & Fern

    “As I reached a significant stage in my life and business journey, my mentoring session with Laura was exactly what I needed. We discussed my future vision and Laura provided expert insights, offered valuable suggestions, and practical steps that helped me focus and visualise a clear path forward. I left her feeling energised, inspired, and excited about the work ahead. Thank you, Laura!”

  • Georgina, Maggie’s Head of Special Projects

    “At Maggie’s, we have a small team working together on the official openings of each Centre, and Laura is commissioned as part of our team to project manage the creation of each Centre’s opening architectural booklet.  Laura liaises with the architects' and landscapers’ teams to get their copy and images for the booklet and descriptions for all the artwork and furniture, she then copy edits and writes any missing copy.  She then works with the graphic designer to lay out the pages and send them to print.   Laura is an integral part of the official opening team, and I can rest easy knowing that the project management of the booklet will be created to the highest level. She is meticulous in ensuring the information is accurate and always ensures we achieve the deadlines set”.    

  • Hayley Smith, Virtual Personal Assistant

    “I had a one-to-one mentoring session with Laura, and taking time away from my to-do list to focus on the areas of my business that need attention was so refreshing. Laura is supportive, experienced, and has fantastic knowledge and ideas to share. She has helped me find the clarity and focus I need to grow and market my business.”

  • Victoria Careless, Director, Friends Dress Agency

    “I had a fantastic face-to-face creativity meeting with Laura. I was so impressed with Laura’s ideas and input to help me get the best from my business. I have a to-do list, and I feel it’s given me a positive boost. As you can get stuck in the mud sometimes and having someone with a fresh set of ideas is so beneficial, I’m looking forward to the future, we have agreed to have quarterly meetings, so I can check in with her, and discuss my progress. Thank you so much, I'm looking forward to the next one.”

  • Larissa Matias De Lima, Freelance Brand Strategist

    “Working with Laura has been a game-changer as I embarked on a new career direction as a freelancer. Her guidance was instrumental in helping me shape my business idea and structure my project with clarity and purpose. Laura helped me identify how to build a strong, engaged community and how to present myself to my ideal clients confidently.

    One of the most valuable lessons I learned from Laura was that not every client is the right fit, and she helped me define the kind of clients I truly want to work with—those who align with my values and goals. Her support, encouragement, and insightful advice gave me the confidence I needed to take this step in my professional life.”

  • Alice Cassie, Head of Professional Services, Escone Solutions

    “As someone with no marketing experience, I was unsure where to begin when redeveloping some of our web pages. Laura guided me every step of the way, helping me create a clear plan and structure to communicate our message effectively. She has been instrumental in the redesign of our Professional Services pages. Her expertise, support, and the insights I gained from our sessions were invaluable. I highly recommend Laura to anyone seeking marketing support – her knowledge and guidance are unmatched!”

  • Sam Hockley, Video Director, Filmmaker and Editor

    “Working with Laura was invaluable for me as a freelancer. She helped me pause, take stock of where my business was, and get clear on where I want to be in the years ahead. With her guidance, I was able to break things down into simple, actionable steps that made real progress feel achievable.

    I felt at ease with Laura within minutes, and we were able to dive straight in. What stood out most was that she didn’t try to give me all the answers– instead, she listened and helped me uncover them for myself.

    I’d recommend Laura without hesitation”.

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