alexis brown
I offer several services under the umbrella of Deer Heart Solutions Ltd. Co., including DH Solutions (Wix Partner website design) and Deer Heart Consulting (business consulting).
All of my services are meant to help strengthen small businesses and support owners in finding balance - so you can achieve success throughout the life of your business.
I focus on the creative strategy in design so the visual and written messages support your vision and goals, contribute to efficiency, and are a key component to a targeted marketing plan.
Business Consultant
Creative Strategist
Professional Opportunist
Intentional Writer
Lover of Local
You'll get more than a great website because I am a writer, researcher, and strategist who can see both the forest AND the trees.
I have over 20 years of experience working in support of nonprofits, artists and arts organizations, entrepreneurs, and local businesses. I have done this as a Director of Development, volunteer, board member, activist, and ally.
In early 2021, I was accepted as a member of Design Corps, a collective of individuals who see design as a strategic force and catalyst for change. It's an honor to be among such an exceptional cross-section of professionals whom all share the core values of designing for social impact and systemic change, tackling issue areas as diverse as economic and workforce development, affordable housing, social and environmental injustice, arts & education, and health and human services.
Skills and Qualifications
Advertising
Branding
Budget Development
Copy Editing & Copy Writing
Campaign Planning
Crisis Communications
Crowdsourcing & Crowdfunding
Customer Profiles
Database Development
Database Management
Developing a Case for Support
Event Planning
Grant Strategy & Writing
eCommerce Sites
Graphic Design
Graphic Design Concept
Graphic Design Oversight
Infographics & Fact Sheets
Internal Communications
Inventory Control
Market Analysis
Market Segmentation
Media Relations & Press Releases
Pitch Decks
Photography Composition
Problem Solving
Process Management
Project Management
Relationship Building
Small Business Systems Development
Secondary Market Research
Social Media
Storytelling
Strategy Development
Strategic Action Plans
Trend Analysis
Verbal Communications
Volunteer Management
Website Content & Flow
Website Design
Website SEO
Website Development
about the name Deer Heart
The "DH" in DHSolutions stands for Deer Heart. Here's the backstory on the name.
I have many names. I have been known as Alexis my entire life. I chose it as the name I would be known as because it is a more commonly known diminutive form of my birth name - and easier to pronounce. I chose it and so it represents my individuality. It comes from the Greek name Alexander, which means "defender, protector of people" or "helper of people."
I was born Alexandrina Imma Irene Isabel Brown. This includes family names on my mother's side. It connects me to my Scottish ancestors. I am from Clan Ross, from the highlands north of Inverness. Clan Ross has a lineage that can be traced to the 10th-century Gilleon na h-airde, a Celtic-speaking Pict. It is said that, to the Picts, "ross" meant "noble steed" or stag.
I am also a tribally enrolled citizen of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, of the Watonlak Oshi “White Crane” Clan. It is through this family that I was given another name - Issi Chunkash. It means Deer Heart. The Choctaw believe these names were given to us by our ancestors and that, similar to Socrates, our name has always been ours and it is intrinsic to who we are.
The deer has economic and spiritual significance in both Choctaw and Scottish cultures. It is the deer that provides sustenance, clothing, and a means of trade. For the Choctaw, the deer also signifies compassion. And both cultures see the deer as a reminder of cyclical patterns, regeneration, resilience, restoration, healing, growth, and guidance.
And though both cultures hold these ideas of the deer, I chose the name Deer Heart for my consulting business specifically because the Choctaw people embody these ideas. They walked the Trail of Tears knowing they would face hardship and death but they had a vision of health, balance, and rejuvenation for the Choctaw people. They show us what is possible when you are resilient through dark times and develop an ability to quickly adapt to change. A mere 4,000 people survived the walk. But the Trail of Tears did not destroy them. It made them more compassionate and giving. And now they are the third largest tribe in the United States, with over 200,000 enrollees located around the world. Their resilience and adaptability, combined with compassion and love of fellow man, allowed the Choctaw Nation to thrive despite the great adversity they faced.