A Brand, Evolved: The Story Behind Dodson Consulting’s Refresh

By Jessica Dodson, Founder & Chief Brand Strategist

We’ve refreshed our brand — and somehow it feels like both a reflection and a reveal.

The new Dodson Consulting identity brings bolder color, modern typography, and a refined mark that better represents who we are today: A global collective of strategists and creatives helping purpose-driven brands grow with clarity, confidence, and purpose.

But this isn’t just a design update. It’s an evolution that honors where we began and the story behind the symbol that’s guided us from the start.

Every brand has a story behind its mark. Ours began long before Dodson Consulting was a company. It began on a 500-mile walk across Spain that taught me how much clarity truly matters.

The shell in our logo isn’t decor; it’s a compass that still guides how we work today.

The Genesis of the Shell

Some people assume our logo came from my San Diego roots and lifelong proximity to the ocean. While that would make sense, it isn’t the story.

Our logo has always been a scallop shell, which is the symbol of Spain’s Camino de Santiago, a 500-mile pilgrimage I walked in 2019. When you begin the Camino, you stop at the Pilgrim’s Office to register. There, you’re invited to pick up a scallop shell and tie it to your backpack, a simple act that marks you as a pilgrim. For the weeks that follow, that same shell appears again and again along the route, carved into stone markers and painted on signs, quietly guiding you toward Santiago de Compostela.

And it’s funny, but the shell that started as a keepsake, becomes a compass. It serves as a constant reminder that you’re part of something bigger, and that you - along with all your fellow pilgrims - on a path westward toward Santiago de Compostela.

The Camino is a beautiful paradox. Each person walks their own pace and path (sometimes alone, sometimes alongside others) yet everyone moves toward a shared destination. It’s an experience that strips life down to its essentials. You carry only what you need. You observe. You connect. You learn to listen — to yourself, to others, to what’s around you.

That walk became clarity in motion. A reminder that progress isn’t about speed or control, but about awareness, adaptability, and intention. It was also an exercise in curiosity, connection, and clarity, which are the very values that now anchor Dodson Consulting.

I’ve always been a traveler, but that experience deepened my perspective on leadership and growth: It helped me to see that clarity rarely comes from standing still. It comes from walking forward with intention, learning as you go, and staying open to who you might meet, and what might unfold along the way.

When I returned home, I started consulting with organizations that needed exactly that: Clarity, alignment, and forward movement. Step by step, project by project, Dodson Consulting was born.

From One Client to a Collective

What began as freelance consulting for a former client during COVID has since grown into a work-from-anywhere network of strategists and creatives across the Americas, Europe, and Asia. Together, we’ve helped purpose-driven organizations of all kinds. From travel and lifestyle brands to wellness, nonprofit, and leadership groups, we’ve worked to bring alignment between vision, message, and growth.

The work has expanded. Our perspective has deepened. And with that sense of settling in came the desire to more boldly claim the story that inspired it all – The Camino story, and the shell that continues to symbolize it.

Why the Refresh

Our original shell mark was abstract. It was a quiet nod to that beginning. But as the company has grown and embraced a more global, exploratory way of working, it felt time to bring that story forward with greater confidence.

The new mark brings the shell upright and into focus. It’s still refined, but unmistakable in meaning. It’s a reminder that while paths may differ, purpose connects them all.

Our color palette expands on that idea of balance and energy:

• Forest for grounded clarity

• Mint for curiosity and renewal

• Carnelian for warmth and insight

• Linen for calm simplicity and space to think

Our tile pattern, inspired by design traditions from Seville to Marrakech, represents the mosaic of perspectives that shape our work, where structure meets creativity and strategy meets story. (And yes, we love the travel nod.)

The result feels modern, intentional, and true to the energy we bring to every engagement. We bring a balance of strategy and human connection that reflects who we are and how we lead.

A Reflection of How We Work

At our core, Dodson Consulting exists to help purpose-driven brands find alignment between who they are and how they grow.

Today, our collective includes a network of strategists, creatives, and marketing leaders who believe that strategy and creativity move further when they move together. We can plug in as your part-time marketing director or brand strategist, or assemble a small team to provide fractional CMO leadership that brings executive-level clarity and alignment. We meet brands where they are and help them grow with confidence.

We bring curiosity to every engagement.
We build alignment through collaboration.
We pursue clarity with intention – because when you know what you stand for, it’s easier to see where you’re going.

That process mirrors the Camino, too: Different paths, shared final destination. And that’s how we help leaders move with purpose, through change and into possibility. So while this refresh doesn’t change our story, it does sharpen it.

It reflects a company and a team walking forward with focus, curiosity, and connection – recalibrating when needed, soaking up inspiration, building relationships, and moving forward with clarity around what matters most.

Gratitude and What’s Ahead

A heartfelt thank you to Your Design Pals, who helped bring this identity to life. They understood our story and translated it into something that feels exactly like us: Grounded, dynamic, and ready for what’s next.

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Explore more on the Dodson Consulting Blog for insights on brand clarity, marketing leadership, and purpose-driven growth.