We’re Stephanie and Theo, the queer spouse team behind Brancendent.

One of the hardest parts of going full time as entrepreneurs the lack of queer representation in business. We didn’t see ourselves in the typical image of entrepreneurship. Let’s face it, that image is thin, white, cisheteronormative, and definitely not trauma informed. 

After Theo started their wedding photography business, we began to see something different is possible. There are more ethical ways to navigate Capitalism while making a good living (and paying a living wage to everyone we hire along the way. We have big dreams of having full time employees with great salaries and benefits.) 

We help entrepreneurs create dreamy lives with successful businesses all while honoring their own humanity. Specifically we are one part ethical, SEO-driven copywriting (Stephanie’s specialty) and one part humanity-first business coaching (Theo’s specialty). 

We both spent over 10 years working in the corporate and academic worlds. We both tried to be the best employees we could be and put on that happy worker face. Stephanie worked in academia and then teaching in high schools, Theo taught math and then was a district administrator for a school network. After over 10 years, we were both burnt out and constantly living paycheck to paycheck. We were often unsure how to pay for unexpected bills and had to spend months eating dried rice and beans whenever we planned for vacations. Basically, we tried to do what everyone told us to do - “work hard, go to college, get a steady job,” and it just wasn’t cutting it. 

Theo quit their job in 2019, Steph in 2021. Now we both run businesses with revenue that easily doubles each of our previous salaries. And we take 1-2 months off from work each year to just chill and have family time with our toddler. We believe business is about balance and finding what works for you.