Meet Us

Jeffrey Schmidt, President 

"Every company needs to attract customers that are profitable and right for their business. I can help you develop your plan."

Over his 30-year career Jeffrey has developed marketing programs for many companies. See case studies here. He now assists sustainable and socially responsible businesses so they can have a greater impact for our world.

Jeffrey identifies segments of the marketplace so his clients can attract customers profitably. 

He built DeepSky Marketing on cold-calling marketing and personal selling that relied on relationship building from the ground up. He's made every mistake in the book and can help you avoid pitfalls and focus on your success.

At the tender age of 8 Jeffrey sensed something was amiss. At the time he could not articulate his feeling, but now knows we are destroying the very biological systems that keep us alive. This sad fact compels him to take action in both his personal and business life.

Jeffrey began his career in marketing research and fielded studies for companies like Allstate, Bank of America, The California Milk Advisory Board and Clorox Corporation.

He has developed marketing programs and materials for many organizations including: The American Marketing Association, Heald Colleges, Foppiano Winery, Bushtracks Expeditions, Oracle, It’s Yoga International, Ecology Action Associates, Solarworks, Parker Compumotor, Abbey Springs Water Systems, the Sonoma County Water Agency, Empowered Body Solutions, MTI College and more.

Jeffrey Schmidt is a public speaker, trainer and consultant on the topics of sustainable business, marketing and personal selling, and leadership. He is the author of three books: Five Proven Internet Marketing Methodologies, Seven Key Questions You Must Ask Your Communications Partner, and Five Ways to Enliven Your Message.

Barbara Stafford, Strategy / Messaging / Copywriting

“Helping clients achieve audacious goals
is what lights me up.”

Barbara Stafford has over 20 years’ experience helping clients solve wicked problems. She’s helped clients win market share. Sell more products. Donate more money to good causes. Help great ideas catch fire. Attract and build a loyal community. And connect people with what they truly value.

Marketing has the power to make all of these things happen –- when done well.

Barbara spent decades learning how to do just that. First, as a senior copywriter and copy supervisor for Foote, Cone & Belding (FCB) – a large San Francisco ad agency – where she created direct marketing campaigns that sold millions of dollars of products and services for the likes of Visa, HP, PG&E, Levi’s, Shaklee, Citicorp and other Fortune 500 corporations.

Barbara’s also been a freelance copywriter and creative director for ad agencies, corporations, nonprofits and small, and sometimes quirky, startups (like a turkey farm). She’s created virtually every form of marketing in every medium for many different businesses in many different industries.

In the process, she’s learned what works and what doesn’t – combining the art of branding with the science of direct response to get outstanding results for clients.

Laurie Binder, Designer

One of Laurie’s favorite quotes by Thomas J. Watson Jr., President of IBM is: “good design is good business.” Laurie has designed for all manner of business application: complete business identity programs, packaging, wine labels, newspaper and magazine advertising, books, brochures, websites, trade show booths, banners, T-Shirts, posters, signage, logos, educational outreach campaigns, CD covers, and even a horse jump. She has designed for the purpose of increasing sales, community outreach, education, and for the simple pleasure of creating beauty.

Her designer’s eye has been honed to unite words and imagery into simple, beautiful, and impactful layouts for her clients.

Since her first design job at the San Francisco firm Hjermstad and Associates, Laurie has learned to listen first and then bring all her experience and keen visual sense to a design project. Throughout her career she has worked for a mix of clients from the Sonoma County Water Agency to Smithsonian Journeys. Laurie  is a graduate of San Francisco Art Institute for Fine Arts, New York University for Art Education and the San Francisco Academy of Art for Graphic Design.