Meet Kate Jacoutot | Founder of ModusMark, Brand and Messaging Strategist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kate Jacoutot and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kate, Let’s talk about principles and values – what matters to you most?
Always be curious.

I think curiosity is super important in business, but also in life. Curiosity helps me find balance and inspiration. If I didn’t have the curiosity driving me to explore new interests and ideas, I’d stay glued to my computer all day. And I guarantee my creativity and work output would suffer.

In business, curiosity keeps me open, on my toes, and objective. This is super important…because while my work at ModusMark requires me to draw on my past experiences, I cannot let the past cloud my view of what’s right in front of me.

I could have all the business acumen in the world, but without curiosity, I’d get stuck into the very thought patterns that our clients hired us to dig them out of.

What should our readers know about your business?
At its core, ModusMark helps companies unearth their story and their identity.

In other words, we help complex businesses develop a brand and message that connects with customers and stands out from the competition. Then, we help them bring that brand to market through the typical services you’d expect from a marketing agency: website design, pitch deck development, content marketing, paid media, email marketing, and more.

I’d say there are really three things that make us different:

1 – We dive really deep into our clients’ businesses.
The number one complaint clients typically have about their agency partners is: “They don’t understand my business.” None of our clients would say that about us. Zero. That’s because we won’t take on any engagement unless we will have the space to learn and truly understand the business from the top down and bottom up.

2 – We take a more thoughtful, more collaborative, and more inclusive approach to brand development.
Our process connects external market research and customer insights with internal perspectives across sales, marketing, leadership, and customer success teams. Bringing together all of these perspectives creates space for people to be heard, space to reframe old ideas and space to surface new ideas (ideas people didn’t even know they had). All of these perspectives come together like a beautiful mosaic to create a richer, more compelling brand story.

3 – We always tie the brand story to the larger business strategy.
At the end of the day, we understand that conversations about messaging are really conversations about strategy. And with this mindset, the brand ends up playing a role that’s much bigger than marketing – the brand becomes a compass that guides business decisions, it becomes a rallying cry for employees, and most importantly, it positions your company as a trusted guide for customers.

This approach to business has driven incredible client retention and fast growth for our business over the past two years… but it has definitely created challenges as well.

For one, once clients know they can trust us to get things done the right way, they want us to do pretty much everything for them. Not a bad problem to have, I know… but because we’re trying to find and own a niche, focus is and will continue to be super important as we progress as a business.

Learning how to discern which opportunities are a fit, balancing that against our genuine desire to help, and then setting boundaries have been amongst the biggest challenges for me and my team. With the increasing demand for our services compared to the scale of our team, we have to be intentional about what kind of work we say yes to.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
The nice thing about Atlanta is that it has SO much to offer for SO many types of people. Downtown, midtown, and bulkhead are really the only areas that feel like a “city” and the rest of Atlanta is comprised of a bunch of little neighborhoods – each one with its own vibe.

Breakfast
Hell Yeah Gluten Free is a place I checked out because I have celiac disease. But even if you’re not gluten-free, you should go. Because it’s amazing. The lady that owns it is so passionate about making absolutely delicious baked goods that cater to all sorts of allergies AND the people who were dragged along that DON’T have any food sensitivities. Eat there and no one will miss out.

Workday Stuff
I wouldn’t be able to take off work the WHOLE time this metaphorical friend was visiting, so I’d probably take her to a cool coworking space like Switchyards so she could see Atlanta’s vibrant startup community in action and work in a cool space.

Afternoon Activities / Lunch
Atlanta’s beltline is definitely a must-see for any visitor. A good starting point for a Beltline trip is Krog street. You could grab lunch there and then continue to walk the Beltline to fun restaurants and breweries (Two Urban Licks and New Realm are fan faves). From there, you could end at Ponce City Market, grab dinner, and then go to the PCM rooftop for fun games and exquisite views of Atlanta.

Evening Activities
I really enjoy a good comedy show. I used to work with a woman named Madeline Evans who is a part of the Atlanta comedy scene. She performs in an improv troupe called Six Kids and also does standup comedy on occasion. When I worked with her, she’d always point me to the best shows each week and it was so great. The shows happen all over Atlanta, but I’m sure you could find some good events if you did some googling. Off the top of my head, Wonder Comedy Atlanta, The Vortex, and Limerick Junction come to mind.

Also, I haven’t been in a while, but Write Club Atlanta is another really great show to check out. It can be funny, it can be deep, but it’s always a good time.

Weekend
If you’re feeling artsy, it’s worthwhile to visit The High Museum.
If you’re looking for something more outdoorsy, I’d recommend a picnic in Piedmont Park or a hike along Sweetwater creek.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I can’t choose just one… so here’s a pretty lengthy list instead.

Obviously, I’d have to start with my team at ModusMark. They’re kind, thoughtful, honorable, hardworking, and a million other things. They share my values and they strive for continuous improvement every day.

I have incredibly helpful people in my immediate family. My dad and oldest brother, Michael, are both fellow entrepreneurs. So much of what “comes naturally” to me is a direct result of their influence. The amount of times I say, “my dad always says _____” in a week is borderline embarrassing…until I realize that I come from some of the scrappiest, grittiest, most honorable roots imaginable.

And then there’s my other brother, Bryan, a lawyer who gives me free legal advice pretty much whenever I pick up the phone and call him. And of course, my mother, who keeps me grounded and balanced and likely prevents me from becoming a workaholic with her midday check-in calls.

My boyfriend and pro bono business advisor, Shep. Shep is both a support system and a mentor. As a fellow entrepreneur, he gets all of the stress and drama that comes with it. He never makes me feel like I’m working too hard or not hard enough. He’s a steady force who actually gets it.

My best friend, Steph Evans, has always been my biggest cheerleader.

My old boss at Setup, Joe Koufman. He was always more than ready and willing to let me explore and be curious. He gave me the space to grow into a leader within his business before wishing me the best as I moved on to my next endeavor.

And finally, the Atlanta marketing community. Everyone in my network has always been available to lend a helping hand without any expectations attached. I’ve had access to Atlanta’s most successful agency CEOs and they are ALWAYS more than willing to grab a drink and talk through my business challenges without hesitation – even if we’re *technically* competitors. Community is so, so important. And I’m so thankful for the one that Atlanta has provided me with.

Website: modusmark.com

Instagram: @kjacoutot

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kjacoutot/

Image Credits
Jason Seagle, Rob Whaley, ModusMark