Past
How did you get here?
What have you already built, learned, attempted, and survived?
hello@companybell.com
Hi, I’m Jon
Over the past 20+ years, I’ve built a creative agency, founded and sold a consumer product company, and helped organizations and individuals articulate who they are, what they’re building, and where they’re going.
Along the way, something unexpected happened:
People started coming to me not just for brand strategy, but for personal strategy.
They were stuck. They had ideas. They were multi-talented but directionless.
And they needed someone who could see the common thread, identify the path forward, and help them believe they could actually do it.
That’s what I do now, one person at a time.
Who this is for
These sessions are ideal if you are:
→ Ready to leave a job and go out on your own
You want a plan. You want validation. You want to know you’re not crazy and you want to hear from someone who will be encouraging and truthful.
→ Sitting on an idea for a product or service
You have something real, but you need help framing it into a business model, market position, and first steps.
→ Great at many things, but unsure how they fit together
You’re a multi-hyphenate. A Swiss Army knife. You need help identifying your through-line and choosing the right direction.
→ Lacking confidence, momentum, or clarity
Sometimes you can’t see the opportunity when you’re inside the problem. I help you see it and I help you step into it.
What I bring
- Everyday I work with business owners and experts in their craft.
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12+ years running a creative agency helping brands clarify who they are.
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Founder → Operator → Seller of MichiganAwesome, a bootstrapped-to-exit consumer brand.
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A proven ability to identify what someone should be building, even before they can articulate it themselves.
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A track record of helping people believe they can do the thing they’re meant to do.
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A mix of candor, creativity, business acumen, and human empathy.
What our time looks like
The goal isn’t inspiration for its own sake.
It is to see something clearly enough that you can move.
The conversation, followed by a concise What I See memo.
Within a few days, I’ll send you a written summary organized around four questions:
What You Brought
The question or situation that brought you to the conversation.
What I See
The patterns, tensions, strengths, or overlooked ingredients I heard.
The Opportunity
What appears possible now.
What I’d Do Next
Three to five specific moves that can create evidence, clarity, or momentum.
The value isn’t a giant report.
It is a clear perspective you can return to, and a practical place to begin.
Meet Jon
Jon Bell is a branding, communications, and organizational development expert who helps leaders, founders, and creative teams communicate with clarity, strengthen culture, and navigate change with confidence. Drawing on more than 20 years of experience as a founder, agency leader, and organizational strategist, Jon brings a rare combination of strategic storytelling, facilitation expertise, and founder-level pragmatism to his work.
He began his career producing events, films, and conferences that helped shape the early platform of Rob Bell, contributing to Bell’s rise as a New York Times bestselling author. From there, Jon went on to found and lead multiple ventures, including the nonprofit Heart Support, the web startup 599Work, and the widely recognized apparel brand MichiganAwesome, which he later sold.
For 12 years, Jon led Company Bell, his creative agency, where he and his teams developed brands, messaging, and strategic tools for organizations across a broad range of industries. This work sharpened his ability to quickly identify what makes people and organizations distinct, and how to translate that clarity into momentum.
Today, Jon serves as Communications and Creative Director for AIA Colorado, the voice of the architecture profession in Colorado. Working closely with architects, firm leaders, and allied professionals continues to shape his perspective on leadership clarity, collaboration, and the future of creative and professional service firms.
Jon lives in Laguna Beach, CA. Connect with Jon on LinkedIn.