How will you grow?

You have big goals. Whether you’re a nonprofit, small business, or professional looking to build your personal brand, you want to reach more people and amplify your impact.

But - you don’t want to waste your time or chase the latest trends. You want strategic direction and support from an experienced storyteller. And you want to see exactly how marketing is helping you grow - in visibility, audience, and customers.

I would love to work with you. Let’s tell your story.

Smiling woman with shoulder-length hair outdoors, standing under leafy branches with brick wall in background.

Meet Melissa Galvez

When I was little, I wanted my superpower to be storytelling.

I’ve been an 8th grade English teacher, award-winning public radio reporter, and communications professional. Now my superpower is listening deeply to others, highlighting their best ideas, and turning that into strategic direction, compelling content, and effective outreach.

I work with people and organizations who want to make the world a better place.

Let’s Partner

Growth Strategy & Brand Building

Before most projects, we'll do CoreWork — a discovery process that ensures everything we build together is strategic and purposeful.

CoreWork may include:

  • Defining or refining your audience, brand, and messaging

  • Mapping your audience journey

  • Identifying the marketing channels and tactics that will actually move the needle

Creative Strategy: Writing, Video, Social Media, & Design

No great story should sit on a shelf — so we'll build a plan to get yours in front of the right people.

This may include:

  • Content distribution: Web content optimized for search and AI (SEO), email marketing, organic and paid social media, media/PR, live events, and conferences

  • Lead gen systems: CRM setup, landing pages, and other systems to capture and follow up with contacts

  • Data and analytics: Analyzing marketing performance through Google Analytics and Meta

Outreach Strategy: Distribution, Lead Gen, and Systems

With over 20 years of experience, I bring your core ideas to life through engaging content.

This may include:

  • Writing/ video: Brand taglines, op eds, articles, blogs, case studies, white papers, 2-pagers, website copy, and social media posts; video creative direction, script, production support

  • Brand guides: Updated font and color schemes, and brand-aligned, market-ready language guidance

  • Design support: Light design projects, or serving as liaison to graphic designers and web developers

What’s Sapwood? The inner core of a tree, which carries nutrients up and down the trunk. It surrounds the heartwood, giving the tree its strength.

When we work together, we’ll focus on your core - what drives you, sets you apart, and speaks to others. We’ll build everything from that.

Children in a classroom engaging in various activities at their desks with a teacher assisting them. The room has colorful educational materials and supplies on shelves.

Building a more informed, connected civil society

I’m fascinated by a wide range of topics and can quickly get to know almost any subject. But I’ve spent over 20 years either working in, writing about, or educating myself on the following:

  • I have a particular expertise in education issues, from teacher preparation to leader development, school and state finance, student-centered learning, and innovative school designs.

  • I have volunteered on campaigns and with pro-voting organizations, and care deeply about repairing our divisions and fixing democracy to move us towards a more perfect union.

  • As a reporter, I particularly enjoyed writing about health and science, asking experts just the right questions to ensure that non-experts could understand. I also have a background in history, museums, and theater, and I care deeply about sustaining those vital human pursuits.

Reach Out

Interested in working together? Fill out some info and I will be in touch shortly.