‘Everything fell into place:’ Marketing agency Kelford Inc. embarks on new era following rebrand

It’s an exciting time for Joel Kelly and Leah Sanford, the innovative minds behind Kelford Inc., who last year followed their own process for helping entrepreneurs and rebranded their business. After six successful years as The Family Knife, a marketing strategy firm focused on helping entrepreneurs gain control over their marketing, the dynamic duo recognized the need to enhance their own marketing approach.“We dug into what was blocking our way forward, how we wanted to invest our time and energy, and what the options were to make progress on our goals. And the output for us was a new name!” said Leah, adding it’s a portmanteau of their last names, and how their friends refer to them.“The change helped us overcome some barriers and re-focus our energy and enthusiasm. Feeling confident in your business, and how it's presented to the world is a critical part to effectively demonstrating your value at a distance. We worked with the incredible folks at Shortstop on our new brand and website design, and we couldn’t be happier!”As a team of two, Joel and Leah get to focus on what they’re truly best at: Joel focuses on structured joy, whether that be creating models, frameworks, or structuring thoughts, while Leah works on infusing daily work tasks and processes with joy and motivation. “It’s the combination of unique skills and our unpredictable interplay that creates magic in business—and it’s what keeps us inspired to keep moving forward,” she said.While the ultimate goal at Kelford Inc. is to help their clients enjoy marketing so they can keep going, growing and building a business they love, teaching others has become an integral part of their overall business model, offering insights through consulting, workshops and free daily newsletters. “We’ve been publishing a weekly, in-depth newsletter for almost three years now, but the daily newsletter is a bit different. It’s a quick, one-minute read to set your mind on strategy for the day, and inspire or motivate you to try something new—even if it’s just a new way to think about a challenge,” said Leah.“If everyone started marketing the way we suggest, that lifts the floor of marketing success for everyone. Demonstrating value at a distance isn’t zero-sum, because it makes room for others to demonstrate their value to their best customers in their particular way.” Along with their revamped newsletter, Kelford Inc. launched its own events this year, including group workshops to teach some of their favourite and most valuable frameworks. They also plan to bring in world-renowned expert guests to bring their unique insights to demonstrating value at a distance. To learn more about Kelford Inc., sign up for their newsletter or explore their events calendar, visit their website and join in their exciting marketing journey.
Similar articles
See all articles
Beyond the research: How Pisces Oceans connects science, strategy and storytelling
Ocean research can shape policy, help coastal communities and change how industries operate. Getting from a discovery to something people can use takes more than a final report. That’s where strategy and storytelling come in.

Board Spotlight: Q&A with Dan Ellenberger
Our Board Spotlight series continues this month, highlighting the leaders who lend their time, experience and perspectives to Digital Nova Scotia’s Board of Directors. Representing organizations from across Nova Scotia’s technology ecosystem, our Board members play an important role in guiding Digital Nova Scotia’s work and helping us stay connected to the opportunities, challenges and priorities shaping our sector. Each month, Board Spotlight gives us the chance to get to know one of those leaders a little better, and for our November Spotlight, we’re joined by Dan Ellenberger , President of ABM Integrated Solutions and a Director on Digital Nova Scotia’s Board of Directors. Dan reflects on his journey into working 20 years in large technology programs, his experience on the Board, what excites him about the growth happening across Nova Scotia and why he wants more people to know there’s space for them in tech.

Uncovering Hidden IT Risks: A Smarter Approach with Digital nGenuity
For many business owners, they feel like their IT is under control. For a business owner, gaps in IT support can be difficult to spot when day-to-day work is running smoothly. The real test often comes when something goes wrong, and by then, those gaps can be costly. But should they rely on that proof solely?

How TDAP is helping a new generation discover Birchtown’s Black Loyalist history
A website rebuild through the Tourism Digital Assistance Program is helping the Black Loyalist Heritage Centre reach more people — and giving visitors new ways to explore its stories.

Digital Nova Scotia Memberships
Join our community!
With over 400 members and a growing community of 10,000 tech professionals, including leaders across industry, government, academia, and non-profits, DNS is the leading association representing Nova Scotia’s tech sector.
Become a member