Story moves the needle.
From Consulting to an Intriguing Growth Methodology
Client: KaipHR
A sprained ankle is easy to diagnose. The X-ray, the pain, the high heel that decided to stay back in the sidewalk crack. But how do you diagnose a problem people don’t know they have?
This was the dilemma for Necole Matlock, a board-level adviser and founder of KaipHR. The 25-year human resources veteran had deep corporate experience with prestigious companies like MasterCard. Yet, trying to convince CEOs they had a growth problem frustrated her for more than two years. KaipHR’s messaging was siloed in the HR consultancy camp, limiting sales traction with CEOs who “already had HR covered.”
READ THE CASE STUDY BELOW→
The Endeavor
When a company’s story isn’t clear, they are less seen, less heard – and less hired in a world where attention is harder and harder to acquire.
No worries. Through a structured story design process, K+L Storytellers uncovered KaipHR’s positioning, transforming it from being seen as an HR consultancy to experts in growth.
“This process brings me clarity … so I can literally speak to my clients instead of speaking at them,” said Matlock. “Talking to you is confirmation of what I've been feeling this whole time. Instead of people saying, ‘No, you're this,” now I'm saying, ‘Here's who I truly am.’”
The Story
Through a two-hour, in-person Story Session, Michele Kelly from K+L Storytellers stepped up to the whiteboard as she and Matlock explored KaipHR’s core story, top messaging points and sales process.
K+L Storytellers captured, organized and framed Necole’s ideas in a structured way. She called these “lightbulb” moments that helped shape her growth methodology, some which she had developed early in the company’s journey but set aside.
What once felt scattered became a cohesive, market-ready system for business owners in five key growth stages. “It was almost like I was locked and you just came in with the key,” said Matlock.
“It’s exciting to know what you are selling and how you make a difference for people,” said Kelly. “This is your life’s work. When you know your company’s story, you want to share it with the world.”
“I can do HR in my sleep,” said Matlock. “What I didn't know was how to get what I'm trying to convey out of my head. I had so many frustrations for almost two and a half years. Up until the day I met you and you walked me through it on that big board, I was still struggling with how to say it.”
Here are ways KaipHR’s narrative story is adding value to Matlock’s business:
The K+L Storyline™ framework transformed KaipHR from a set of services into a clear, differentiated solution. This easy-to-reference story guide addressed business pain points for companies under $10 million and top-level messaging (not every point in the Storyline was spot on, but each helped guide Matlock to find the right ones!).
We named the problem – because many CEOs don’t think they have one. Naming the problem gave it an adversarial power KaipHR tames. Now, Matlock talks about the “Growth TRAP ” (time, revenue, alignment and people), and growth stages like the “Growth LEAP,” where solopreneurs are ready to hire their first employee.
KaipHR is now in a category of one as a people and business growth strategist. The right category makes it easy for prospects to see where KAIPHR’s solution fits.
Mapping out the sales process revealed gaps. Matlock now schedules a proposal review. Even if a prospect says “no,” she has critical feedback to understand why.
Matlock’s unique worldview sets her apart. It comes from her corporate experience, her MBA degree and her people-first principles.
These narrative concepts gave KaipHR scalable messaging for sales conversations, website content, proposals, social media and a slide deck.
“This (K+L story design work) helps me identify who I am going after,” says Matlock, with a fresh energy to build her business.
Impact
Within a few weeks, Matlock closed 40% of the proposals she pitched. KaipHR’s narrative story unlocks stronger sales conversations, more effective proposal reviews, constructive feedback on prospects that say “no” and an accelerated sales journey.
She adds, “So now I was able to see what my customers or my potential clients were dealing with. Because when I saw it on the board, I knew what it was. It became digestible pieces for someone else to see the problem and be able to buy my services.”
“What you did for me here is priceless. It is just one of those things that we get so stuck in as business owners, as entrepreneurs, and we don’t know where to go.”
KaipHR now shows CEOs they can untangle the Growth TRAP and make the Growth LEAP confidently. For those pursuing growth, KaipHR’s worldview and messaging resonates.
Are you putting your story to work? Let’s do it.
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Transforming How Students View Water Careers
Client: Waubonsee Community College
Across the Midwest, water and wastewater utilities face a workforce crisis triggered by a generation of certified operators nearing retirement and low public awareness about water careers.
Waubonsee Community College worked with cities and water districts to create a 12-month Water/Wastewater Technology program launched in Fall 2025. Waubonsee engaged K+L using grant funding from the National Science Foundation Advanced Technological Education Program.
READ THE CASE STUDY BELOW→
The Endeavor
Our approach was to craft a story for prospective students, employers and regional partners. The story highlighted public service, technical skill, job stability and community impact. K+L Storytellers had four weeks – start to finish – to create compelling messaging, landing page recommendations and a video to drive registration.
Our work:
K+L Storyline™ messaging framework to elevate the role water professionals play in public health and environmental stewardship
One narrative story of about 1,200 words so the program and marketing team were aligned on how they talked about the program
Messaging connecting the program to regional workforce needs
Messaging aligned with the college’s RISE 2030 strategic plan
More than 30 stakeholder interviews with faculty, program leaders and prospective students
Image library with B-footage and still photography for future use
Analyzed workforce trends and gaps:
Mission-driven careers
Hands-on, applied learning
Clear pathways to internships, stable employment and advancement
The Story
Rather than leading with certifications and course lists, we helped Waubonsee tell a bigger story through video. K+L visited the Oswego Public Works Department and the Fox Metro Water Reclamation District to film, photograph and conduct interviews.
By centering the narrative on purpose, responsibility and long-term career value, messaging became accessible and compelling to new audiences, including high school students exploring technical careers, career changers and current employees of municipal utility partners who weren’t already certified.
Impact
The goal for the first-year program was six students. What happened next shocked Waubonsee’s marketing and accreditation leadership teams: 20 people enrolled. View the video.
The result was a clearer, more confident program narrative that strengthened Waubonsee’s position as a regional workforce leader.
Storytelling reinforced that water and wastewater careers are important public trust professions and Waubonsee is a bridge to better.
Are you putting your story to work? Let’s do it.
ROI for County Investment in Manufacturing
Client: Illinois Manufacturing Excellence Center (IMEC)
The Kane County Lighthouse Project, supported by a $1 million county investment, was designed to strengthen the manufacturing workforce through coordinated public-private collaboration.
Multiple manufacturers, workforce organizations, educators and service providers were involved. Each had a role, a perspective, and a story. The county and its partners needed an impact report that went beyond program summaries.
READ THE CASE STUDY BELOW→
Endeavor
K+L Storytellers was brought in to transform this complex ecosystem into a clear, cohesive narrative, one that demonstrated return on public investment, shared the voice of manufacturers and made a compelling case for future funding.
Our approach focused on:
Structuring the report around manufacturers as primary beneficiaries
Connecting workforce initiatives with business outcomes
Maintaining a journalistic tone for credibility with advocacy
We conducted numerous interviews with manufacturers, educators, workforce partners and program leaders, synthesizing diverse inputs into a unified story that showed real-world benefits.
The Story
K+L framed the Lighthouse Project as a national model for how public investment counties supports manufacturing at scale.
The report highlighted:
How manufacturers accessed talent, training and leadership development
How workforce partners aligned programs with real employer needs
How public funding accelerated outcomes that individual companies could not achieve alone
Third-party organizations were positioned as enablers of workforce placement and skill development, while manufacturers remained the narrative core.
Impact
The Kane County Impact Report serves as a proof point for effective public-private collaboration. It’s also a strategic advocacy tool for continued funding. Finally, it’s a replicable model for other counties and regions.
By translating complex initiatives into clear, outcomes-driven storytelling, K+L helped stakeholders see tangible results of how the investment resulted in job creation, job retention, process improvement and business automation. For every $1, the return was $19.
Are you putting your story to work? Let’s do it.
