Wings: Where Story Meets Strategy in Kansas City

Kansas City, MO – In a city known for its entrepreneurial energy and creative community, a boutique communications consultancy called Wings is carving out a distinct niche by helping organizations find and tell their stories. Co-founded by Kat Koziol and Jim Elms, Wings is a women-owned firm operating with a dual-city presence – Koziol is based in Kansas City, while Elms works from Wilmington, North Carolina[1]. Despite the distance, the co-founders share one vision: blending big-agency strategy with boutique-level personal touch to elevate brands’ narratives and turn ideas into action.

Born from Big Agency Roots, Built for KC’s Creators

Wings may be young (approaching its two-year anniversary), but it draws on decades of high-level experience. Koziol and Elms first crossed paths as colleagues at Barkley, a prominent Kansas City advertising agency[2]. Koziol went on to work on the client side at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of KC, an experience she describes as “what a 180” in culture shift[3]. Seeing marketing from both the agency and brand perspectives revealed a recurring problem: “great ideas can get siloed, or there isn’t that connection that helps show how all of these different pieces are working together”, Koziol says[4]. This insight planted the seed for Wings's mission.

After years of witnessing breakdowns between strategy and execution, the duo decided to launch an independent consultancy that could “deliver business partnerships without bias, with more fun, and with a lot of empathy”[5]. As Koziol explains, Wings was created to “bridge that gap between ideas and activation” in marketing campaigns[6]. In practice, this means offering end-to-end support – from research and brand strategy through to communications planning and hands-on implementation – all while ensuring the core story never gets lost in silos.

Elms brings heavyweight credentials to the table (he’s a former global Chief Strategy Officer and agency CEO[7]), and Koziol holds a master’s in integrated marketing communications from Northwestern. But instead of staying at large firms, they chose the boutique route. “Boutique agencies are typically more agile and adaptable than larger firms,” as one industry expert notes[8]. In Wings’s case, clients work directly with Koziol and Elms – a hallmark of the boutique approach that ensures “direct access to top-level experts” and personalized attention to each project[9][10]. This nimble, expert-led model is allowing Wings to serve Kansas City’s creative entrepreneurs in a way big agencies often can’t.

A Narrative-Driven Approach to Branding and Activation

At the heart of Wings’s services is a focus on narrative. “We really focus on narrative and how to tell that story,” Koziol says. “We start with the bigger picture, the bigger idea, and then help make the tactical execution and activation plan”[11]. In other words, Wings ensures that a compelling brand story underpins every strategy and every marketing move that follows. This narrative-driven philosophy is increasingly vital in modern marketing – a well-told story can set a brand apart in a crowded market. “By sharing unique narratives, brands can highlight their values, mission and the people behind the products, creating a distinct identity,” as Forbes recently highlighted[12]. Wings is putting that principle into practice for its clients.

The consultancy’s “story-first, activation-next” approach is not just talk; it’s built into their process. Wings often begins engagements with an in-depth discovery session or even a free advisory hour. “So much expertise lives in the business, and we’re just the shepherds in helping drive what it is we’re trying to accomplish at the end of the day,” Koziol says of these early conversations[13][14]. From there, the team distills the brand’s core narrative and develops a tailored plan to bring it to life across channels. Insight work like audience research and segmentation comes first, followed by strategy development (brand positioning, campaign or pitch strategy), and finally activation planning. Activation can take many forms – often involving integrated communications planning to “make sure that all of our marketing and communications are working together to help achieve business goals along that consumer journey”[15][16]. In some cases, Wings even steps in as a “communication shepherd” coordinating between a client’s creative agency and media partners – whatever it takes to align great ideas with effective execution[17].

Clarity and cohesion are obsessions for the Wings team. Koziol notes that they strive for transparency and avoid over-complicating things: proposals are kept to “10 slides or less,” and even formal scopes of work are just a few pages[18][19]. “We try to be really quick, and ... show up in the ways that we would want to be partnered with,” she says, emphasizing empathy and efficiency in communication[20]. By cutting out needless bureaucracy, Wings can pivot quickly and respond to client needs “without the bureaucratic red tape” that often slows larger firms[8]. It’s a flexibility that serves fast-moving startups and evolving nonprofits especially well.

Empowering Startups to Find Their Voice

Many of Wing's early clients have been startups and small businesses looking to define their brand identity or break into new markets. “People who are either in that startup space, really looking to define what their positioning is and how they enter into a market,” make up a key client segment, Koziol explains[21][22]. For these fledgling companies, Wings acts as both strategist and coach – helping them articulate their story and then communicate it effectively to customers and investors.

A recent example involved a four-person startup in the artificial intelligence consulting arena. AI is a “burgeoning and growing” sector, and this team needed to stand out in a noisy, complex market[23][24]. Wings led them through a tone-of-voice workshop to pin down how the brand should speak and the impression it wanted to make. “We helped define how they speak and how they want to present themselves within a very convoluted, hard-to-understand market space,” Koziol says[25]. With the voice established, Wings then developed a messaging strategy and refined the startup’s pitch deck and website content – the first places that new narrative would be applied[26].

The impact was immediate. Armed with a clearer story and sharper pitch, the AI consulting startup landed a new piece of business after Wings assisted in revamping their deck[27][28]. The founders reported feeling “so confident in how they’re able to show up ... and tell that story in a really meaningful way” to their target customers[29]. That confidence translated into tangible ROI, validating Wing's narrative-led approach. In fact, Wings has developed a special startup-friendly model for pitch support: they’ll sometimes charge only a token upfront fee and instead take a small percentage once the client wins business, so “you don’t have to pay us until you get paid,” as Koziol explains[30][31]. It’s an illustrative example of how this boutique consultancy is willing to align its success with that of its clients.

Wing's role for startups goes beyond decks and messaging – they often act as an on-demand marketing sounding board. Koziol laughs that everyone is talking about AI these days, and many companies are experimenting with tools like ChatGPT. While Wings doesn’t claim to be an AI implementation consultancy, Koziol is well-versed in the trends. “We’re always happy to hop on and even just have an advising hour for free,” she says, to help organizations understand the landscape and connect them with the right specialists if needed[32]. In her view, AI is ultimately a powerful “probabilistic computing” engine – a tool that can streamline workflows and spark creativity, but one that still requires human strategic insight to use effectively[33]. That perspective helps Wings guide startups on balancing automation with the “deep human-level strategic insight” they still crave[34]. It’s advice rooted in experience: Koziol’s background in integrated marketing means she’s lived through multiple waves of marketing tech evolution. Now, she’s channeling that know-how to help young companies avoid shiny-object distractions and focus on a narrative that resonates.

Elevating Creative Shops and Brand Campaigns

Interestingly, not all of Wing's clients are startups or brands directly – some are other creative agencies. Small design studios or production shops often partner with Wings to strengthen the strategic backbone of their campaigns. “We’ve done a lot of work with more of the creative boutique shops,” Koziol notes, citing collaborations with Atlanta-based agency Murder Hornet and X&O in New York[35]. “These big creative thinkers ... rallying specialists around a client need” sometimes bring in Wings to identify the communications strategy that will tie a brilliant creative concept to the client’s business goals[36][37].

In these scenarios, Wings starts by asking the fundamental questions: “Who is our audience? What are their big behaviors, mindsets? What’s going to be meaningful for them?”[38]. Koziol and Elms then craft a communication brief that pinpoints “the right thing to say in the right place at the right time” so that all the creative elements work in concert[39][40]. By mapping the consumer journey and highlighting the “most meaningful moments” to connect with the audience, Wings helps the creative team layer their ideas into a cohesive campaign[41][42]. The result is that clients not only get dazzling creative concepts, but also a clear plan for how those concepts will drive awareness, engagement, or revenue – whatever the objective may be[43]. This kind of strategic narrative framing is often what separates a fun idea from a successful marketing initiative. “When it’s not done well ... it can be really difficult for a client to understand how [the pieces] layer together to accomplish a business objective,” Koziol explains[44]. Wings makes sure that connection is crystal clear.

The benefit for the smaller agencies is twofold: they deliver better results for their clients, and they learn along the way. Koziol recounts that Wings hasn’t had to do formal pitching for new business – nearly “100% of the work we do is all word-of-mouth referral,” she says proudly[45]. Creative partners who have seen Wings in action often recommend them to others. That organic reputation speaks to “how much people enjoy working with us and the relationships we’re able to build”, Koziol notes[45]. Indeed, building strong relationships is a point of pride for many boutique firms – clients are “valued partners whose success is intimately tied to the agency’s own”[46]. Wings exemplifies that ethos by embedding itself as a trusted extension of each client team, whether it’s a startup founder or a fellow agency creative director. In the end, everyone shares in the win when a campaign comes together and achieves its goals.

Championing Nonprofits and Purpose-Driven Causes

While Wings is a for-profit business, its founders are clearly driven by more than the bottom line. One of the consultancy’s emerging focuses is on nonprofit organizations and social impact initiatives. “In the last 6 months or so, we have really started to create a targeted positioning for nonprofit groups,” Koziol shares[47]. The motivation is straightforward: these organizations do meaningful work but often lack the resources or specialized marketing expertise to amplify their message. Wings sees an opportunity to help. Koziol describes stepping in as an advisor or “shepherd for how these ideas can be delivered” for causes that matter to the community and the world[47].

For example, Wings recently supported a California-based nonprofit focused on grief support. The small team there was struggling with how to raise their profile and boost fundraising efforts. Wings applied its advertising-born approach: “How do we tell a story that’s meaningful and get people to do something, to take action?”[48][49]. They worked on integrated content planning, mapping out month-by-month communications to maximize impact despite the nonprofit’s limited time and staff. It’s all about being “effective and impactful for what [the nonprofit team is] spending their time on,” says Koziol[50]. By distilling the story and focusing the plan, Wings helped the grief nonprofit start to gain traction. “We live very much in that distilling the story, and then making the best plan of action for how to activate it – it’s really the space that we play that I haven’t seen others do quite as well,” Koziol remarks[50], reflecting on the firm’s knack for this kind of work.

Looking ahead, Koziol and Elms want to deepen Wings's involvement with mission-driven organizations. They have begun offering pro bono “office hours” to nonprofits – up to 10 hours a week (split between the two founders) of free advising for causes they care about[51][52]. Recently, they even published a short insight report on how nonprofits can maximize Giving Tuesday, sharing tips on campaign planning for that major charitable giving day[53][54]. Even if a group never becomes a paying client, Wings believes in providing “a roadmap or activation [plan] that you can start to take within your org” as a give-back to the community[55].

Beyond helping individual nonprofits, Wings has ambitions to play matchmaker. “As we have conversations with other freelancers in this space...there is such a desire to help out and do something and drive action with their time,” Koziol observes[56]. She envisions Wings becoming “a facilitator of helping match a lot of these nonprofits with some of those specialists” – connecting cause organizations with independent creatives or strategists willing to contribute their expertise[56]. Building the infrastructure for that matchmaking is one of the firm’s big goals for the coming year. It’s not a traditional revenue stream, but it aligns with their ethos of elevating important narratives that might otherwise go unheard.

Women-Led, Two-City Team with a Personal Touch

As a boutique consultancy, Wings embodies many of the characteristics that draw clients to smaller firms: agility, expertise, and a highly personalized partnership. The company proudly notes that it is “a women-owned consultancy that offers an unbiased third-party perspective”, delivering “clarity to narratives” and surfacing the untapped value in a client’s story[57]. In fact, Wings is 75% women-owned, according to Koziol[1]. (She leads the company alongside partner Laura Elms – Jim’s spouse – who contributes on projects behind the scenes.) This women-led sensibility comes through in Wings's collaborative and empathetic style. Koziol emphasizes working “with a lot of empathy – for the people we work with and the audiences we serve”[58], an approach that makes clients feel truly heard.

Wings's dual-city operation is another unique facet. With one founder in Kansas City and the other in Wilmington, NC, the consultancy extends beyond a single locale. Rather than being a disadvantage, this arrangement has helped Wings build a broad network. Koziol acknowledges they initially leaned on Elms’ national connections and her own network, but now they’re increasingly engaged in the Kansas City scene. “I’ve lived here for a good 5 years now,” she says of KC, which she moved to just two months before the pandemic hit[59]. Originally from Anchorage, Alaska, Koziol traversed a long path – from the far north to Chicago for graduate school, then to the Midwest – before planting roots in Kansas City[60]. Now she’s intent on contributing to the local business and innovation ecosystem. Wings's profile is rising in KC’s startup and creative circles, thanks in part to features like this spotlight by Kansas City Thrive (which first took notice of “what you’re doing for other businesses…and the way you’re serving startups and community builders”[61][62]). As more founders and fellow creatives learn about Wings, the firm hopes to become a go-to resource in the community.

Despite having two “hubs,” Wings maintains a cohesive culture defined by tight-knit teamwork. There are no account hand-offs to junior staff or layers of hierarchy – clients interface directly with Koziol and Elms at every step. “We are the two people…who you’re working with from this prospecting perspective [through] delivering all of this work,” Koziol says[63][64]. This ensures nothing is lost in translation and that the agency’s leaders are personally invested in each outcome. It also means Wings can tailor solutions with extreme attentiveness. “Every strategy, campaign, and piece of content is crafted specifically for [each client],” as one description of boutique agencies puts it[65]. And if a project calls for skills beyond the founders’ own, Wings can tap into a trusted circle of specialist freelancers in everything from graphic design to media buying. “It’s really great to have such a wide array of specialists we can call on…either as part of our team or [to] connect [clients]” to someone with the right expertise, Koziol notes[66][67]. In this way, Wings offers both the intimacy of a small team and the scalability of a larger network when needed.

Looking Ahead: Growth with Purpose and Authenticity

As Wings approaches its second anniversary, Koziol and Elms are charting a thoughtful growth path. “Over the next year in 2026, we have a goal of bringing on two additional retainer clients…people that we can work with in an ongoing partnership-based way,” says Koziol[68][69]. Most of their projects to date have been shorter-term engagements – which often suits startups – but establishing a few longer-term partnerships will provide stability and deeper impact. Importantly, Wings isn’t looking to balloon into a massive agency; their goal with retainers is still to empower clients’ internal teams. “Our goal is that you shouldn’t need to rely on us always and forever,” Koziol laughs, “because we come in and make it so that your team is able to take what we’re offering and run with it”[70][71]. In other words, success means eventually working themselves out of a job as the client matures – a refreshing approach that prioritizes the client’s long-term capability over Wings's recurring revenue.

Another priority is expanding the nonprofit and social impact side of the business. “Especially within that nonprofit space, we see such a need with what’s happening at a cultural level right now,” Koziol notes, alluding to challenges in traditional funding and the importance of public support[72]. Wings aims to “build relationships and brand partnerships for those nonprofits” as a way to fill the gap[73]. The firm’s vision of matchmaking nonprofits with skilled volunteers or freelancers could magnify their impact without significant cost. Koziol is candid that they still need to “build the operation around how we’re able to do that in an effective way”[74]. But if they crack the code, it could become a signature program for Wings – one that aligns purpose with expertise in a truly unique offering in the consultancy landscape.

In terms of marketing itself, Wings practices what it preaches about authentic narrative over flashy promotion. The company has a LinkedIn presence and periodically publishes insight pieces (like the Giving Tuesday guide), but Koziol isn’t obsessed with chasing social media engagement. “LinkedIn has turned into such a shouting match,” she says, preferring to share content that is “short and meaningful” rather than posting for the sake of visibility[75][53]. In fact, most Wings business still comes via referrals and word of mouth – something the founders are perfectly content with. It lends an air of organic credibility; as clients spread the word, Wings's reputation grows within the networks that matter. “That just speaks so much to your brand, being word of mouth…and carrying those 5-star reviews from business to business,” the Thrive interviewer remarked during Koziol’s interview[76][77]. The personal endorsements suggest Wings is exceeding expectations behind the scenes, even if it’s not splashing its name on billboards.

For Koziol, the journey from Alaska to the Midwest, from big agencies to her own consultancy, has been about finding fulfillment in the work and the people she serves. “We went out and started this [because we wanted] to do the work that really drives us and where we feel like we can deliver the most value,” she reflects[78][79]. That passion is evident as she speaks about helping a founder find their voice or guiding a nonprofit to new donors. It’s clear Wings is more than a business for its co-founders – it’s a platform to elevate stories and bridge connections in a way that leaves a lasting impact on organizations and the community.

Kat Koziol on Wing's philosophy: “We always like to say so much expertise lives in the business, and we’re just the shepherds…Our biggest goal is always to be delivering value and to help put our observations into a way that’s engaging for people”[13][80].

As Wings continues to grow, that ethos of empathy, clarity and narrative-driven strategy remains its north star. In Kansas City’s vibrant mix of startups, creatives, and change-makers, Wings has found its purpose: helping others fly above the fray, with their story as the wind beneath their wings.

Sources: Kat Koziol interview with Kansas City Thrive[81][3]; Wings company website[57][5]; Forbes Communications Council[12]; Scott Social marketing blog[46][9].

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[33] [34] Promode Interview Transcription.txt

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