Born and raised in Queens, New York, I grew up first generation in a household that emphasized the value of education. Credentials mattered. Certifications mattered. My fascination with words, politics, and public perception were always front and center even as a young girl. I longed for Friday evenings when I would stay up to watch Barbara Walters on 20/20. She was poised, well-spoken, and always knew how to ask the right questions. She had the ability to get people to open up. Most importantly, she brought a level of transparency, honesty, and clarity to their stories.
Growing up, I knew that writing would always play an important part in what I chose as a career. I wanted to be an advocate exuding strength, compassion, and (brutal) honesty. I was one of the few in my class that pushed for Al Gore’s election during the 2020 presidential campaign. When my elementary school principal enforced a“no-makeup policy,” I sat in her office firmly asserting that I needed to wear medicated concealer (not makeup) as I struggled through my tumultuous skin issues. I triumphantly succeeded and, with these small victories, continued to bring the fire of altering perception to bring about change.
I went on to pursue a degree in Political Science & Journalism. Bringing to light the emphasis on education, I didn’t think pursuing a career as a journalist would be as fruitful compared to finding a career that required a certification. With that mindset, I packed my bags and moved to Boston as I endured three years of arduous law school. Through resiliency to finish what I started (and later to pass the bar), I brought honesty in the conversations that I had with my family announcing that a traditional legal career wasn’t in my cards.
Through alumni networking, I transitioned to legal marketing where I was so aptly able to combine my love of communications with my legal education. This was the first exposure I had to a large scale rebrand – and oh how I loved every minute of it. From the altering of color palettes to matching the colors to the fabric of the new office chairs, I embraced the concept of change.
As I moved throughout my career, I was lucky to have had the opportunity to bring this change mindset to Boston’s startup community. As I worked with founders in launching their minimum viable products ( aka MVP’s), I helped mold their brands throughout every touch point – from their logo, messaging, and marketing to their investor decks, website and mobile app features. I advised, advocated and brought about change.
Combined with unfortunate circumstances with the accelerator closing its doors, I was inspired by the founders that I worked with to go out on my own. “Launch a company,” they said. And that’s exactly what I did – behold, Executive Branding Solutions was born.
Months after my initial launch, I admitted to myself that the name was a bit long and perhaps cumbersome on the tongue. However, the name worked well for marketability purposes and I came to embrace the name as my own. But there was always something missing. The name of the company always came first when I went to network at events. I was the person behind the LLC name.
In the past 18 months, I’ve worked with incredible founders, thought leaders, and industry cultivators. I’ve learned that the craft of a successful brand is established on carefully-chosen words and emotion-evoking visuals. Through EBS, I did more than the company name implied. The name just didn’t do my work justice anymore. From UX/UI design for MVP prototypes to presentation decks that sparked community engagement, I was more than what my original brand was suited for. My role became the intersection of strategy, branding, design, and development. By breaking concepts down, I built companies up. As a result of this self-audit, it was time for a change.
Today, I am proud to launch my personal brand. There’s no box of titles that I quite fit in. I’ve always pushed the boundaries in unconventionality and with this rebrand, I continue the trend. I know who I am, the value that I bring to the table, and the people and companies that should be working with me. You’ll still see the original services, work with the same person, and benefit from the same value add. But you’ll notice a change in the voice with a level of transparency and advocacy, and intentionality that I bring to my work.
There will no longer be an ambiguous company name. Starting today, I’ll be collaborating with the startup community as Olivia Kantyka Consulting LLC. When you work with me,you truly work with me. Between us, I hesitate to use the title “consultant.” Generally speaking, consultants give advice. Unlike a traditional consultant, I walk the walk and practice what I preach. I open original design files to make recommended changes. I draft new taglines to bring a fresh voice. Need a creative marketing campaign concept? I got you. I’ll even prototype that mobile app idea that you’ve been thinking about for months. And if there’s something that I know someone in my network can do better, I’ll be the first to refer you to someone that I trust.
Defining our personal brand is an evolution that we all have in this world, irrespective of industry, location, gender or status – and that evolution brings change. Theory is only relevant when we can apply it to our own lives which is the reason for my change today. You will, however, find that some things haven’t at all changed. I’ll still be posting on Instagram with my endeavors as a gluten-free baker. I’ll still be gallivanting around Boston networking and speaking at panels. Perhaps you’ll even hear a testimonial from a fellow founder that has worked with me in the community.
But if you’re looking to collaborate with someone who brings guidance for your first launch or need the tools to help raise your next round of funding, that hasn’t changed.
