top of page

About the Studio

Not Another Soulless Agency.

Pretty Lethal is a woman-owned studio helping businesses reach their full potential by unleashing the power of their brand.

We resize professional best practices to your brand's size and needs and cut to what’s most meaningful — to your loyal fans, strongest supporters, and for the legacy you want to create. So your brand is true to the bone and works hard to help your team run like a beast.

Whether you're launching fresh or refreshing after five generations, we understand how your brand needs to perform at every stage of growth to align your teams, enhance marketing, identify opportunity, and woo the fans that are dying to come back.

Pretty Lethal provides expertise and bold creative like an agency, with the care and practicality of an in-house team. We know how to find the right balance between pushing your brand forward and protecting your core spirit.

Best of Agency and In-House
bridge at night
market sign

Access top expertise without red tape. Our team is small but mighty, with over 70 years combined experience across top companies and organizations in creative, marketing, retail, press, and local government.

Boutique Studio Delivering Big Ideas

Our studio has been remote since 2009, so distances are no big deal. We've worked with clients around the world while our homebase has traveled from Chicago to Milwaukee to Virginia Beach.

Across the Globe from the Start
beach in black and white

We believe any location can become a treasured destination.

Sip, savor, smoke, or stay — hospitality and cannabis are gateways to the specialness of an area.

 

They bridge a connection to the sights, sounds, flavors, activities, and landscapes that make a location unique. And they allow others to escape to another world, even if it's only a few hours away.  

The ripple effects strengthen local areas with more notoriety, appreciation, and small business success that make them special for anywhere else.

marbled colors of white, orange, purple, and gray

Clients Who Love Us

really Frigging love us

82%

client return rate

Pretty Lethal's clients tend to come back time and again for new creative and new branding endeavors.

7 yrs+

client relationships

Pretty Lethal's clients often stick around, working with us regularly on direction, expansion, and creative.

$40m

client revenue

Pretty Lethal's clients vary in scale, from scrappy small businesses to solidly established operations.

Our Approach

collage of vintage Hermes ads

Longevity

Timless Over Trends

For brands that last, they'll need to break the mould. We focus on what your brand truly represents so it can evolve over time without losing its beloved core.

close up of hands examining an aging wheel of cheese in a curing room

integrity

Purpose Leads the Way

We work from the belief that brands can be a force for good. By focusing on purpose, we can create branding that naturally expands your positive impact.

empathy

People Take Priority

We believe in exceeding the expectations of the groups of people who make your brand a success. Our human-centric mindset aims for authentic connections.

a large group of diverse young women sitting and chatting in a stairwell
three people dressed as ghosts frolicking in a forested field on a dark cloudy day

Why We Started

Each recession has sucked since '08. But from each downturn, we've seen humble warriors who refused to let the character of their hometown disappear. In 2009, Pretty Lethal was a one person operation working one-on-one with businesses to use branding to their advantage. Since then, more recessions have come and gone, but with a strong support community and turn-key brand, our clients have been able to thrive and sell their businesses for their desired price when they're ready.

Be the First to Know

Under-delivery here. Over-promises there. But the worst thing we've seen was the monthly cost of over-blown services the client didn't need. So it became our mission to help clients avoid costly detours with designs, tools, and insights that make it clear to spot what's right.

Clear the Haze Around Branding
Business card design for J Sheffner
group of women

Only 1% of agencies were female-led when we became a studio in 2014. And cannabis had more women in C-suite than any other. Numbers have changed, but not all for the better. We continue to support the development of a diverse next generation of leaders in creative and beyond. 

Expand the Faces of Leadership

Sometimes you don't know what you don't know. And we've seen far too many good businesses struggle when their potential was off the charts. Which led to our approach — adapt best practices so experience-forward brands can reach growth goals and make a big impact.

Best Practices for Full Power
packaging design for Qulture CBD

Sometimes you don't know what you don't know. And we've seen far too many good businesses struggle when their potential was off the charts. Which led to our approach — adapt best practices so experience-forward brands can reach growth goals and make a big impact.

Best Practices for Full Power
three navy blue boxes with khaki tape across the top, each with logo and information on the front in a contrasting color. 1 is colored khaki, 1 is colored rose, 1 is colored lavender
A dark green J.Sheffner business card on a dusty rose background shadowed by plant leaves with neon yellow text and information in a circular formation

Under-delivery here. Over-promises there. But the worst thing we've seen was the monthly cost of over-blown services the client didn't need. So it became our mission to help clients avoid costly detours with designs, tools, and insights that make it clear to spot what's right.

Clear the Haze Around Branding
a group of diverse women laughing while sitting in a stairwelli

Only 1% of agencies were female-led when we became a studio in 2014. And cannabis had more women in C-suite than any other. Numbers have changed, but not all for the better. We continue to support the development of a diverse next generation of leaders in creative and beyond. 

Expand the Faces of Leadership
Samantha Everett

Founder & Branding Specialist

I founded Pretty Lethal to help brands forge a path that's right for their goals, not someone else's personal style or ego. Unlike other agencies that treat clients like a number, I believe each of our clients deserve the same high level of care and expertise.

 

After a nearly a decade on the global brand teams of blue chip corporations, I started working with independent businesses to grow their audience and reinforce their place in the community despite recessions. 
 

And that’s meant focusing on finding the best idea, not settling for the first thing that comes to mind. With branding best practices adapted for their needs, I saw these business owners gain confidence in their value and rally the support and recognition they deserve.

 

For over 15 years, I’ve collaborated with clients at pivotal moments as they face change, challenge, and opportunity in their businesses. Our work has led to transformations from the inside out, resulting in clients who exceed their customers’ expectations and make a greater impact to their community.

 

Through Pretty Lethal, I hope to change perspectives on cannabis through the success of brands that pave the way for better industry and healthier lives.

headshot of Pretty Lethal Studio founder

We provide expertise and bold creative like an agency, with the care and practicality of an in-house team. We know how to find the right balance between pushing your brand forward and protecting your core spirit.

Best of Agency and In-House
timelapsimage of the Chicago Theater lit up at night with the timelapsed light streaks of passing traff
Close-up view of the Milwaukee Public Market neon sign

Access top expertise without red tape. Our team is small but mighty, with over 70 years combined experience across top companies and organizations in creative, marketing, retail, press, and local government.

Boutique Studio Delivering Big Ideas
silhouettes of two surfers carrying their boards into the ocean

Our studio has been remote since 2009, so distances are no big deal. We've worked with clients around the world while our homebase has traveled from Chicago to Milwaukee to Virginia Beach.

Across the Globe from the Start

Browse Our Solutions

branding services by pretty lethal

close up of cactus spikes

Enter the market fierce and focused.

close-up view of a tiger's sharp teeth

Adapt to growth and refine tools.

close up view of the abstract pattern of a monarch butterfly wing

Evolve from proven strengths.

close-up of the letters and planchette of a spirit board

Make your next move confidently.

bottom of page