How SOCO Tax + Accounting launched their biz with clarity and confidence.

When Loren Harwood decided to open a new tax and accounting consultancy in Oregon, he wasn’t interested in blending in.

As a CPA starting his own consultancy, Loren knew the technical side of the business was solid. What he needed was a brand and digital presence that reflected who he was—young, thoughtful, and intentional—while still conveying the professionalism and credibility clients expect from a tax and accounting advisor.

From the outset, the goal was clear: build a brand that felt like him, not a carbon copy of every other small accounting firm in the market.

THE CHALLENGE —

Differentiation in an over-saturated category.

Tax and accounting is a crowded space, particularly at the small-firm level. Many firms rely on the same visual tropes, language, and positioning, which makes it difficult for new entrants to stand out or communicate value beyond compliance.

For SOCO, the challenge wasn’t just differentiation—it was alignment. Loren wanted to avoid a corporate, stock-photo-driven aesthetic and instead build a brand that felt personal, modern, and approachable, without sacrificing trust or professionalism.

At the same time, he was intentional about how he wanted to grow. While rooted in Oregon, SOCO was never meant to feel purely “local.” The brand needed to support a virtual-first model that positioned Loren as accessible to clients across the region and beyond.

THE APPROACH —

Translating personality into a professional brand.

Outspoke partnered with Loren early, guiding him through an in-depth discovery process to understand his values, his ideal clients, and how he wanted to show up as a business owner.

Rather than starting with visuals, we focused on clarity—who SOCO was for, what it stood for, and how it could communicate credibility without leaning on tired industry conventions. From there, we collaborated with Savy Design to explore and define a visual identity that felt distinct, modern, and true to Loren’s personality.

Once the brand foundation was established, we moved directly into execution. The goal was to create a digital presence that felt cohesive and intentional from day one, balancing approachability with trust, and local roots with virtual reach. We built a simple, effective Squarespace website that allowed SOCO to launch quickly without compromising on clarity or quality.

Over our 2-month engagement, we guided SOCO through:

• In-depth discovery and brand exploration

• Brand moodboarding and visual direction

• Colour palette, typography, and logo development

• Messaging and copy development

• Brand application across a new Squarespace website

• Website build, launch, and deployment

The result was a unified brand and website that reflected Loren’s personality, differentiated SOCO in a crowded market, and gave the business a strong foundation to grow from without the need to immediately revisit or rework what had just been built.

THE SHIFT —

A confident launch and a brand that fits.

For a new business, the impact was immediate. Loren launched SOCO with a brand and website that reflected his values, his personality, and the type of clients he wanted to work with. More importantly, he gained confidence in how he was showing up. The brand gave him a clear story to tell, a professional presence he could stand behind, and a digital home that supported both local credibility and regional reach.