Helping a Nurse-Founded Senior Placement Service Find Its Voice and Its Clients
Senior placement services · Issaquah, WA · Ongoing retainer
Client since 2023
intro
Nancy Haberman had spent 30-plus years working in geriatric care as an RN. She knew exactly what families needed when it came time to find a safe, appropriate home for an aging parent, and she knew most of them were navigating that process alone, overwhelmed, and without a knowledgeable guide. She was ready to become that guide. She just needed help turning that vision into a business.
who they are
Calm Harbor Placements is a no-cost senior placement service specializing in adult family home placements for elderly individuals who need 24-hour care in East King County, Washington. Nancy guides families through the entire placement process, from initial assessment to move-in, with the kind of calm, informed, compassionate support that only comes from decades of hands-on nursing experience. For families in an emotionally difficult moment, she's the person who makes an overwhelming process feel manageable.
where they started
Nancy came to RM ready to launch. She had the expertise, the passion, and a clear sense of who she wanted to serve. What she needed was everything else: a brand strategy to clarify her positioning, a visual identity to establish credibility, a website, a digital presence, and a plan for getting in front of the right families at the right moment.
The connection came through a Sierra Homes client. Kelly Finkbeiner was doing a remodel at Nancy's home, and when Kristi stopped by to film Kelly's work, the introduction happened naturally. That's the kind of referral that tends to lead somewhere good.
what we did together
We started with brand strategy, working through Nancy's purpose, mission, target audience, messaging, and service definitions. For a solo practitioner entering a niche with real emotional weight, clarity here was essential. Who is she? Who does she serve? What makes her different from a generic referral service?
From there we built her visual brand identity, her website, and her full digital presence including Google Business Profile, Bing, and a business overview document she could use consistently across platforms. A few months after launch, we circled back for a marketing strategy session and recommended adding a blog, branded merchandise, print materials, and a proactive review outreach effort.
The blog has been one of the most meaningful additions. Nancy's articles offer practical guidance for families navigating elder care decisions, and the response has been real. Readers have commented directly on how helpful the content is. We now publish those articles automatically to her Google Business Profile and LinkedIn, and coach her on organic engagement across platforms.
As Nancy said: "Kristi and Cara were very easy to work with in creating my Calm Harbor Placement brand identity and digital presence. They gave me homework that pushed me to think of things I never would have thought about in regards to the presentation of my marketing information. The result was a great brand identity, a lovely brochure and a very beautiful and user-friendly website. They continue to guide me and push me to explore marketing strategies. They are a great team."
what changed
By 2026, Nancy's reach had grown fast and the data backed it up: website sessions up more than 400%, new users up over 500%, and key interactions like contact form submissions and service page visits more than tripling year over year. For a solo practitioner in a niche service, those are meaningful numbers.
But the more important change is harder to quantify. Nancy now has a business that looks and operates like the credible, professional service it is. Families searching for help in a difficult moment find her, and when they do, they find a presence that immediately communicates trust.
the relationship
Nancy is a lovely person doing important work, and it's a privilege to support it. She's navigated a real learning curve with technology, visibility, and putting herself out there. And she's done it with courage and openness. Watching her grow into the role of business owner and thought leader has been one of the most rewarding parts of this partnership.
We're currently exploring local partnership opportunities to extend her reach further. There's a lot of runway ahead.
If you're ready to launch a new service business, or finally build the marketing foundation your existing one deserves, we'd love to talk.
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