Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Savannah White. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Savannah thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Almost all entrepreneurs have had to decide whether to start now or later? There are always pros and cons for waiting and so we’d love to hear what you think about your decision in retrospect. If you could go back in time, would you have started your business sooner, later or at the exact time you started?

I would not change a thing. I started what’s now Studio 22 back in 2010 as Big Mouth Marketing. I was young, eager to build my portfolio, and couldn’t get the jobs I wanted without experience. So I created my own opportunities – gave away most of my work for free or dirt cheap just to get my hands on real projects. The clients I found had limited budgets and really needed help, and I was hungry for the work.

But I kept it as a side gig for 13 years while working full-time agency and higher ed jobs. I learned project management, client relations, the full scope of what it takes to run a business beyond just creativity. If I’d gone full-time right away, I don’t think I would have had the foundation to build something sustainable.

When I finally made the leap in 2024, I rebranded to Studio 22. I had evolved so much as a strategist – I wasn’t just executing creative work anymore, I was helping businesses build clarity and structure at pivotal moments. The name Big Mouth Marketing didn’t tell that story anymore.

The number 22 is deeply significant in my life. All the best things in my life have happened on that date or around that number. It’s a reminder that the work our studio puts out is because the timing was just right. Good things aren’t rushed.

Around the same time, The Hive Coffee & Bakehouse evolved too – we started as Honey’s Coffee Co., a mobile coffee shop in a camper, and now we have a brick-and-mortar. Within a couple of years, I had two full-time companies running, and they inform each other. The Hive keeps me connected to customers on a ground level. I get to test branding and marketing in real time on my own business before I ever recommend it to a client.

All of my broad experiences – the side hustle years, the agency work, running The Hive – that’s what gives me an edge. I understand business from the ground up, not just from a strategy deck.

So no, I wouldn’t have started sooner. The timing gave me the experience I needed to do this right.

Savannah, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am the founder of Studio 22 Marketing and owner of The Hive Coffee & Bakehouse. Studio 22 is a brand strategy and marketing studio that helps established businesses build momentum through clarity, structure, and intentional visibility. We work with organizations at pivotal moments – launches, expansions, repositioning, or seasons where marketing feels busy but not effective.

I got into this work because I loved bringing brands to life visually. Over 13 years of running my business as a side gig while working full-time, I realized something: most businesses don’t need more creative execution. They need clarity first. They need to know what they’re saying, who they’re saying it to, and why it matters before they worry about what it looks like.

That shift changed everything. In 2024, when I went full-time with the business, I rebranded to Studio 22 to reflect that evolution. The work we do now is strategic first – brand positioning, messaging frameworks, websites built on solid foundations, campaigns that actually move the needle. We help decision-makers get clear on what matters so their teams can move forward with confidence.

Here’s what sets us apart: we don’t create dependency. A lot of agencies want you on a retainer forever, posting for you, managing your ads, keeping you reliant on them. That’s not our model. We work project-based, stepping in at moments that matter to build what you need, then we step back. Our goal is to leave your team stronger than we found them – with language, systems, and confidence they can use long after we’re gone.

We also don’t do one-size-fits-all. I’ve seen too many businesses try to follow generic best practices that don’t fit who they are or what they’re trying to build. Strategy has to be specific to be useful. That’s why we start every engagement with three qualifying questions to make sure we’re the right fit before we ever talk scope or pricing.

The other thing that makes us different? I’m not just talking theory. I run The Hive Coffee & Bakehouse, a brick-and-mortar business where I see branding and marketing play out in real time every single day. I understand what it’s like to be on the other side of the table – to need clarity, to feel the pressure of a launch, to wonder if your messaging is landing. That perspective keeps me grounded and makes me better at what I do with Studio 22.

What I’m most proud of is the transformation our clients experience. It’s not about the website we built or the campaign we ran – it’s about watching a team go from scattered to structured, from second-guessing everything to moving with confidence. That’s the work that matters.

If you’re an established business at a pivotal moment and you’re tired of marketing that feels busy but not effective, that’s where we come in. We define what matters, build strong foundations, and create forward motion – not noise.

We’d love to hear about how you keep in touch with clients.

We stay invested- it’s all about relationships. When we work with a client, it’s not transactional – we don’t finish a project, hand off the files, and disappear. We become genuinely invested in their brand and what they’re building.

For local clients, The Hive is a natural touchpoint. It’s such an easy way to stay connected – they’ll stop in for coffee, we’ll catch up on how things are going, and it keeps the relationship warm without it feeling forced or formal. But whether they’re local or not, we make it a point to stay in touch. We celebrate their big wins, support them when they’re navigating something hard, and make meaningful connections when we see opportunities that could help them.

We do have a very select few clients with recurring work, but it’s high-level strategy-based. We do that to maintain our craft and stay sharp, but even with those relationships, the goal is empowerment. We’re not there to do everything for them – we’re there to guide, build what they need, and make sure their team can run with it.

For most clients, the relationship looks different. We finish a project, they move forward with confidence, and then when the next pivotal moment comes – a new location, a rebrand, a campaign launch – we’re top of mind and we’re there. I often pick up several projects in between those bigger engagements, which keeps us connected without creating dependency.

The key is being invested without being overextended. We establish trust, we stay present, but we’re intentional about not taking on so much that we can’t fully commit to everyone we work with. Loyalty isn’t about constant contact or keeping clients on a leash – it’s about showing up well when it matters and being someone they know they can count on when the next big moment arrives.

Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?

I manage two very different teams, and honestly, they’ve both taught me a lot about what it takes to keep people engaged and invested.

At Studio 22, I’m fortunate to work with a team of women who are incredible at their crafts. They challenge me in the best ways and teach me things constantly. The dynamic there is collaborative – we’re all senior-level in what we do, so it’s less about managing and more about creating space for everyone to do their best work and push each other forward.

The Hive is a different beast. It’s always turning and changing because a lot of our team members are young, and we’re often a stop on their journey, not the final destination. But I really want to be a meaningful stop on that journey. I want them to move to the next thing and say, “Wow, Savannah and Mikey (my husband) really cared about their people. They gave me opportunities to grow, they were in the hard work with me, they supported me, but they also called me on the things I needed to be called on.”

Here’s what I’ve learned works: people need buy-in. They need to feel connected to what they’re doing and why it matters. The work we do at The Hive might seem transactional – it’s coffee, right? – but it’s not at all. I’ve always believed we have the power to change someone’s day with coffee. And while a great cup is definitely important, that’s not everything.

We’re deeply rooted in our brand story and values: locally sourced, house-made, dye-free, ethically sourced, women-owned when we can be, and very focused on community and altruism. When we embed those values into our team, they feel connected to the story and our mission. They’re not just making lattes – they’re part of something bigger.

We also put a huge emphasis on customer service, and I owe so much to Derron and Krista Steenbergen at The Swagger Institute. They’ve been instrumental in our customer service training, and they hold me accountable in the ways I aspire to do for my staff. That accountability piece is huge – you can’t expect your team to show up a certain way if you’re not willing to be held to the same standard.

My advice? Make sure your team knows what they’re working toward and why it matters. Give them opportunities to grow, be in the hard work with them, support them when they need it, and call them on things when they need to be called on. Treat them like people, not resources. And if you want high morale, you have to actually care – not performatively, but genuinely. People can tell the difference.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.studio22marketing.com | www.thehiveglasgow.com
• Instagram: @thehiveglasgow
• Facebook: @thehiveglasgow
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sav-gillispie/

Image Credits

Kevin and Renee Photography

https://kevinandrenee.co/