Salt N Light Design aims to help businesses ‘shine their light and find their purpose’

Tim Harty, The Business Times 

Lauren Jobe had the experience to open her own marketing and branding business, but it was her Christian faith that directed her to do it.

That’s why Jobe now owns and operates Salt N Light Design, which also is a nod to her faith as salt and light come from the words of Jesus in the New Testament in Matthew 5:13-16.

“I believe salt was meant to enhance and light was meant to shine (Matthew 5:13-16) – and that’s exactly what great design should do,” Jobe wrote in a July 28 Instagram post, announcing the launch of her home-based business.

She also used that post to clarify her targeted customers, writing, “After some praying and creating, I’m officially launching Salt N Light Design – a marketing and branding studio designed to serve entrepreneurs, small businesses, nonprofits and ministries with clarity, creativity and purpose.”

Jobe said during an interview she has 15 to 20 years of experience, the most recent as marketing director at Bray & Co., and she’s “kind of done it all and seen it all. And for probably the past few years I’ve been told to start my business, and I thought that was the craziest thing ever.”

The idea was less crazy, though, after a car crashed into Bray’s property-management building in the 600 block of North Avenue on Oct. 5, 2023. Three people were injured and taken to the hospital, where one died. Jobe said she witnessed the crash from her office and found the woman who eventually died.

Jobe continued to work at the Bray building for a while, but eventually she had to walk away.

“I didn’t think I was experiencing PTSD until a few months later, and then I realized going back to the scene of the accident every day, I didn’t realize how much that was affecting me,” Jobe said. “It was very hard for me to leave Bray, because I love that company so much. I loved my job. I loved what I did, but I just wasn’t the same after the accident … I just feel like I maybe wasn’t the right person for the job anymore.”

As she pondered what to do next, friends told her she should start her own business, and eventually through prayer and contemplation, she determined they were right.

“My faith is very important to me, and it’s what led me here,” she said.

She said she also thought, ‘Well, I’ve done crazier stuff before, so this kind of feels in line with everything,’” and, “Starting my own business, while I think it’s not for the feint of heart and not easy to do, I think it was the best decision for me and my family.”

It’s also work she’s familiar with, and she thinks her approach will make sense to the people who give Salt N Light Design a try.

“I feel like my sort of bread and butter is small businesses, entrepreneurs, nonprofit, where maybe they don’t necessarily have the manpower to hire a marketing team, but they know they need to market, and they’re not sure where to start,” Jobe said.

Some marketing firms have a lot of “magic bullets” and throw a lot of options at clients, and the client thinks they need to do it all. Jobe said that’s not her way.

“They feel like they need to do it all, and that’s where I feel like I can help,” she said. “People think marketing has to be complicated, or they need to have their fingers in every pot. And maybe for a specific company or their purpose, that’s not where the marketing efforts need to lie. So, for me, it’s: Marketing doesn’t have to be complicated. It just needs to be rooted and purposeful.”

Jobe said she meets with clients to determine the business’s strengths, its foundation, and start with that.

And that may mean starting small and not letting marketing overwhelm people, “because at the end of the day, they’re just trying to run their business the best that they can and serve their clients in the best way that they can. … I want to help people marketing their business, especially those that don’t know where to start or feel overwhelmed by things. I just wanna be that source of help for them.”

More About Salt N Light Design

Salt N Light Design is a home-based, marketing and branding firm owned and operated by Lauren Jobe.

For more information, go online to www.saltnlightdesign.com or find the business on Instagram @saltnlightdesign.

To contact Jobe, call 970-812-3548 or email saltnlightdesign970@gmail.com.

In addition to serving as marketing director for Bray & Co. in recent years, Jobe said her previous work includes being editor-in-chief for The RE/MAX Collection Magazine for several years, and she worked for a marketing firm in San Diego and did custom marketing and branding projects.

What She Can Do For You

Jobe’s sales pitch goes like this: “With over 15 years of experience in the industry, I’ve seen how complicated marketing can be – especially when you’re wearing all the hats. That’s why I created Salt N Light Design: to offer clear, purpose-driven solutions that amplify your message and let your light shine.

“Inspired by Matthew 5:13–16, I believe that salt enhances and light illuminates – and so should your brand. Whether you need a new logo, printed materials or a full branding refresh, I’m here to walk alongside you and bring clarity to your vision.”

And for what Salt N Light Design offers, Jobe lists custom branding and logo design, be it: print materials (flyers, brochures, business cards, etc.); and project-based support with “no confusing retainers, just simple solutions.”

She adds, “Whether you’re launching something new, need help with a project, or simply need a fresh look, I’d love to hear your story and help you shine.”