Business Architecture · Brand Strategy · Career Planning
For entrepreneurs, small business owners, and career professionals — Houston, TX & remote.
I help individuals and businesses build systems, brands, and frameworks that earn their place. Not flashy. Essential.
Free 30-min discovery call · No obligation
Ijeoma Maree
Business Architecture & Strategy
Houston, TX
About
I.O. Collective Co. was built around two problems I kept seeing — businesses that outgrew their systems, and talented people who couldn't communicate the value of what they'd built. 14 years of watching that pattern is what drives every engagement.
"I rarely start with what business should exist. I start with who you are — and build from there."
I work with entrepreneurs who need structure, small businesses that need systems that run without them, and professionals ready for a career move who need an honest path forward. Every engagement ends with something operational — not a presentation.
Clients: Small business owners, entrepreneurs, career professionals
Industries: Beauty, retail, logistics, security, tech, gig economy, service businesses
Format: Project-based · Monthly retainer · Houston, TX · Remote available
The philosophy behind every engagement
Most consultants help you grow louder. I help you build something people can't easily replace — designed to earn its place, then hold it.
Prioritize
Need
over want
Prioritize
Reliability
over novelty
Prioritize
Systems
over products
Prioritize
Retention
over recognition
Services
01 · Flagship
Business Operations & Framework Design
The operational framework that lets a business run without you managing every decision. Roles, workflows, compliance, intake — built from scratch.
From $600
02
Brand & Business Concept Development
Concept, architecture, and growth plan built around who you actually are — not a generic model.
From $350
03
Content Strategy & Social Media
Platform-specific content, posting calendars, and copy in your voice. SEO available as an add-on.
From $200
04
Career Path: Transition Planning & Resume
A phased plan with real timelines, cert roadmaps, and job targets — paired with a resume built to match. Not a motivational outline.
From $175
All services scoped after a free discovery call. Pricing reflects the starting point.
How it works
Look at what's actually there
I start with evidence — documents, history, what's already built — before drawing any conclusions.
Find what's missing
Every engagement has a gap between where things are and where they need to be. I name it before building anything.
Build the framework
Built for your specific situation — not adapted from a template made for someone else.
Deliver something operational
Not a deck. Something you can put in front of a client, hand to a team member, or run with tomorrow.
Selected work
Every project below is real, completed work. View the full portfolio (PDF) → for brand boards, document excerpts, and the methodology behind each one.
Swipe to see all projects →
Business Architecture · Operations Design
Steady Lane Support — mobile vehicle services startup
Built a complete operating system from scratch — 7 documents covering service scope, operations manual, role structure, decision framework, pay policy, compliance, and client intake. Designed to run without the owner on-site. Delivered once. No revisions needed.
Brand Architecture · Business Strategy
Vending business — 3-layer brand structure
Developed a 3-layer brand architecture separating the legal entity, professional operating brand, and customer-facing mascot brand. Full infrastructure kit — Texas legal setup, ops standards, and one guiding principle: treat the service like a utility, not a trend.
Brand Development · Positioning
iNV Skin & Beauty — "Lunch Break Brows"
Created "Lunch Break Brows" — positioning a beauty studio around convenience and time efficiency for professional women rather than trends. Delivered full visual brand system, content direction, uniform concept, and suite space vision.
Brand Development · Social Enterprise
Security services startup
Built brand concept and positioning for a new private security company anchored in a second-chance hiring model. Developed the narrative framework, social enterprise funding strategy, and niche market entry via ATM and commercial security.
Digital Marketing · SEO
Custom apparel brand
Full SEO audit across Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok. Competitor analysis across 12+ brands, 3-month platform content calendar, keyword strategy, and technical SEO recommendations.
Digital Marketing · SEO
Beauty & consulting brand
Digital marketing audit with real website performance metrics — on-page score, organic traffic, backlink analysis. Delivered keyword gap analysis, content roadmap, and backlink strategy targeting high-authority beauty publications.
Career Planning · Transition Planning
IT professional → cybersecurity
Full career transition plan across cloud computing and cybersecurity — skills assessment, phased certification roadmaps, 2 resume versions per track, LinkedIn strategy, interview prep by role type, and day-by-day action plan with cost breakdowns.
Resume Writing · Professional Positioning
149 resume & CV documents across 15+ industries
Full resume builds, rewrites, and multi-version packages across healthcare, IT, security, aviation, logistics, esthetics, railroad, hospitality, voice acting, and more. Includes complex cross-industry pivots, clients with non-linear histories, and multiple industry-targeted versions delivered simultaneously.
Digital Course Design · Interactive Content
Veneer technique training course
Converted a veneer technique reference guide into a navigable click-through course with embedded quiz — no custom software or dev tools required. Restructured for digital learning with knowledge checks and a completion flow.
Digital Marketing · SEO
SH Signature Studio
Third full digital marketing and SEO audit — real performance data, platform-specific analysis, keyword strategy, content roadmap, and actionable recommendations. Same structured framework applied to a different industry vertical.
Brand Development · Full Business System · Ongoing
RepairHairMan — active loc studio
The most extensive single engagement to date. Started as a content request — ended as a complete business system. Delivered brand strategy, 6-service menu, 3 packages, 3 membership tiers, add-ons, policies, FAQs, referral program (4 graphic formats), full social content suite, SEO setup, booking workflow design, and revenue architecture. Active and ongoing.
Brand Development · Dual Brand System
Lunch Break Brows + Lunch Break Level Up
Built two connected brands from one positioning insight. Lunch Break Brows — professional brow studio targeting convenience for busy women. Lunch Break Level Up — lifestyle extension for the same audience. Full brand boards, color palettes, typography, taglines, and imagery direction for each.
Own Venture · Brand Development · Product Design
The Glam Vault / ESSNTLS — Premium Vending Concept
Developed a full luxury vending concept for upscale hotel lobbies — brand identity, 16 individual product cards with positioning copy, machine mockup, hotel lobby placement renderings, and a hardcover pitch lookbook. Product selection designed to eliminate the hotel manager's primary objection before it's raised. Positioning: "Marriott Infrastructure. Not retail."
Contact
Two ways to start — choose what fits where you are right now.
Ready to get into it?
The intake form takes about 5 minutes and gives me enough context to make the first response actually useful.
Start the intake form →Not ready for a full form?
Send a quick message on the right — name, email, and one sentence about what you're working on is enough to start.
Start with a quick intro