Tana Llinas has always believed that every brand has a story worth telling. Her journey began with a passion for meaningful connections and a desire to help organizations express who they truly are through thoughtful, purpose-driven branding.
With an eye for creativity and a mind for strategy, Tana built an agency that blends artistry with business insight. Her leadership philosophy centers on authenticity, collaboration, and innovation, values that continue to shape the agency’s work and culture today.
From small startups to established institutions, Brand Poets’ approach focuses on transformation. Tana and her team at Brand Poets guide clients through change, helping them rediscover their voice, strengthen their presence, and inspire audiences in an ever-evolving digital world.
A Vision Takes Shape
Tana Llinas had always dreamed of creating something of her own. “I built Brand Poets with the desire to create something of my own,” she says, “to work on my own terms with the clients and stellar team who share my values.”
In 2016, she turned that dream into reality. Brand Poets was born as a collective of “strategists, storytellers and digital artisans, crafting better stories for brands who want better connections.” From the start, Tana focused on creating and repositioning companies, products, places, and events through branding.
– The Brand Poets team in action, where creativity and strategy come together to craft meaningful stories for clients. (Source: Brand Poets)
Once a strong brand foundation was built, her team led communication efforts in the digital space. They specialized in website development, marketing automation, online advertising, and social media management. Beyond that, Brand Poets also provided marketing consulting as a fractional CMO.
Defining the Creative Focus
Over time, Brand Poets found its niche in brand strategy, particularly in education, health and wellness, non-profit, and retail sectors. “We launch, relaunch, and re-envision stalemated brands looking to gain more market share and grow,” Tana explains.
– From concept to creation, Brand Poets helps organizations rediscover their voice and reimagine their visual identity. (Source: Brand Poets)
The agency’s goal has always been to help organizations evolve. Tana and her team bring new energy to brands that are ready to connect more deeply with their audiences.
Growth Through Resilience
Brand Poets quickly earned an award-winning reputation for exceptional work. “We have an award-winning, locally recognized body of work with a solid reputation for delivering exceptional work,” Tana says with pride.
– Behind the lens at Brand Poets: a glimpse into the creative process where every story begins with vision, precision, and purpose. (Source: Brand Poets)
But the path hasn’t been easy. “As an entrepreneur, there is no straight line in business,” she admits. “We have daily ups and downs as well as long-term challenges.” The team constantly pitches new ideas, wins major contracts, and embraces new technology. Yet, there have been difficult times too, moments when the agency had to reorganize, leading to layoffs.
Each setback became a lesson. “We rebuild and grow again,” Tana recalls. That resilience continues to define Brand Poets’ journey.
Principles Behind the Progress
When asked what drives the agency’s success, Tana points to three strategies. “We have a solid process that enables the team to work efficiently. We do what we say we will do, we deliver. And lastly, we are ethical and authentic in our approach to developing campaigns for our clients.”
The most challenging project so far has been a government contract. “It has a complex and specific language,” Tana says. “It’s forced our team to be very diligent on our messaging throughout multiple platforms.” The experience strengthened their attention to detail and communication.
Tools also play a big part in their workflow. The team relies on Asana for project management, Google for presentations, content, and reports, and Dropbox for file management. Each tool helps the agency stay organized and efficient.
Looking ahead, Tana’s focus is on growth and recognition. “Grow, retain, and build upon our reputation with earned awards, recognition, and speaking engagements,” she says.
The Tools Behind Success
When it came to choosing a hosting provider, Tana found Cloudways through a referral from a web developer. What convinced her to stay was its simplicity. “Easy to use,” she says.
– Simple, reliable technology like Cloudways empowers Brand Poets to deliver exceptional digital experiences for clients worldwide.
She had tried other hosting providers before. “Yes,” Tana recalls, “they have outdated interfaces and they are not intuitive.” Cloudways, by contrast, made managing websites smooth and efficient.
Her advice for anyone starting an agency in her niche is clear: “Find a pain point for your client and make a solution to solve it. Stick to this and you will never run out of clients.”
As for the words that best represent Brand Poets’ journey, Tana smiles and repeats her agency’s motto: “We are a collective of strategists, storytellers and digital artisans, crafting better stories for brands who want better connections.”
Interested in working with Brand Poets? You can connect with Tana Llinas on LinkedIn or through their website. We recently interviewed her as part of our Agency Spotlight series.
Mansoor Ahmed Khan
Been in content marketing since 2014, and I still get a kick out of creating stories that resonate with the target audience and drive results. At Cloudways by DigitalOcean (a leading cloud hosting company, btw!), I lead a dream team of content creators. Together, we brainstorm, write, and churn out awesome content across all the channels: blogs, social media, emails, you name it! You can reach out to me at [email protected].
