“My mentor was instrumental in coaching me on taking bolder decisions and really positioning myself as a thought leader and a fractional executive.”
Stephanie Houle, Chief Design Officer & Fractional Advisor: I left corporate America about a year ago to start my own agency and explore alternative ways to work and lead in the world today. Right around that time, I was approached by Connectd, and I thought it was really interesting. A great way to network, meet leaders from around the world, connect with startups and high-performing executives. The platform really interested me.
Stephanie Houle: The Connectd platform gave me the confidence and the tools to lean into skills I already had, but to get clearer on how to approach a fractional career. A lot of it has to do with being self-directed and empowered, leading yourself, and communicating well with founders. The Academy really helped showcase different ways I could go about that, how to outline the role and responsibilities, and how to get clear with the founder on what needed to be executed.
Stephanie Houle: The next step was getting paired with a mentor, and I was really fond of him. He had a lot of great insight. At the same time, I had been embracing a bit of a speaking career, stepping on stages and sharing thought leadership. He was instrumental in coaching me on taking bolder decisions and really positioning myself as a thought leader and a fractional executive. I got a lot of clarity, support, and confidence from working with him.
Then I was paired with my placement. It wasn't one I might particularly have sought out myself, and that's actually why it became so synergistic. It was something new and very impactful, and I'm really thankful to have been connected with my founder.
Stephanie Houle: A lot of the work I do with brands is about getting clear on the mission, the vision, the values, and how to represent them. In partnering with Gavin, the first 30 days were about understanding where his brand was at and how to elevate it to look more professional and polished, which I believe is really crucial when going for investment. You want to look and feel like your best, clearest self, and your materials need to reflect that.
We did a lot of work in the beginning to peel back the layers, understand what was a priority at this stage and what wasn't, and then prepare and present his materials to be truly reflective of who the brand is and who he is as a founder.
Stephanie Houle: I have a background in digital product design and e-commerce, often with large-scale retailers and fashion brands. Working on something focused on the military and healthcare, with AI and digital product at the core, was a mix of a few different areas for me. But understanding Gavin and seeing his mission, he really has a heart of gold. He's been through an incredible story and is driven to do meaningful work.
Hearing that, this wasn't just a military product or a healthcare product. It was out to make a real difference in the world and to impact the lives of veterans, of those who have fought for us, and to make their lives easier. That was really important to me after hearing Gavin's story and understanding the impact of what he's building.
Stephanie Houle: The first 30 days were a lot about getting clear on where the company and the brand were at. Some of that even involved coaching Gavin on how design functions within his business and the real impact it can have. Being able to showcase that gave him more clarity around the importance of design and how to represent himself.
After that initial clarity phase, it became about identifying which marketing assets and investment materials needed refinement. We got into a cadence of reviewing those, polishing and building out the brand, and getting consistency across design systems. Over the months since that first phase, we've been finding the right level of cadence to continue evolving those assets.
Stephanie Houle: When I first saw the investment materials, they looked very simple and basic. Adding the polish to highlight and showcase his digital product front and centre was really important, and it wasn't something Gavin had the tools to do himself. We're talking about screens on devices, a real refinement of how the assets come together to make an impact with investors. That work has been one of the most meaningful contributions I've been able to make.
Stephanie Houle: My biggest piece of advice would be to stay open-minded. Stay in a space of creativity and creation. Think big while managing things in fractional chunks of measurable output. Simplify communications, take it step by step, don't get overwhelmed. Stay open, stay creative, and understand that each step forward is a step forward.
I found all the staff at Connectd to be very supportive and forward-thinking. Every conversation I've had with a team member has given me a lot of inspiration and encouragement and helped me see things in new ways. The platform itself is just really incredible. I was even able to connect with other founders when I was in London, and I've had additional connections through Connectd since then. The team has really empowered me along the way. They've listened to feedback, responded, and helped to position me in the best place I possibly could.
Stephanie Houle, Chief Design Officer & Fractional Advisor
