Made by BitterSweet
Dave Baker January 08, 2025 | 11 MIN 13 SEC READI’ve received a lot of questions over the years seeking an explanation for what I do or what BitterSweet does or is, and I’d like to say I’ve had a simple elevator pitch in my back pocket, but in reality, admittedly, I fall short, eyes glaze over.
“A creative agency? Er, ya know, designing logos, making videos or websites for clients, that sort of thing. Oh, but you were just in India or was it London, why? Oh that, well we were documenting a story about this organization helping refugees and asylum seekers. Oh interesting, that’s cool your clients sent you there! Well, not really, or sometimes, we sent ourselves on those with BitterSweet Monthly. Wait, I thought you were an agency? Yes, and… Oh, okay. But you should read the latest book we published. Say what? You publish books? Yep, available on Amazon and anywhere you buy books online. Got it. On and on. ”
Yes, we certainly do a number of things. But at the root of it all is a community of people making the things. Making things for clients, telling stories for causes, or creating products for people to enjoy, like books. It’s all Made by BitterSweet – no matter your entry point. And BitterSweet is the people.
As I reflect back on 2024 (with great hopes for 2025), I’d like to share a little about all things Made by BitterSweet and some of the people that make up our community.
BitterSweet Creative
This is where I spend most of my time – listening to and working with clients daily to solve business needs, whether advising on brand strategy, creating a new website, dreaming up the experience of an event or designing an annual report.
Creative Projects
Each project is unique and often requires a unique set of skills and people, either by craft or style. And so we gather the minds and talent and have the honor of working with world-changing organizations and businesses on their projects. Here are just a few examples:
Building Together Conference
Designer, Kristen Rebelo
Building Together 2024 was more than just a conference; it was an immersive leadership development experience designed to bridge differences and counteract toxic polarization. Hosted by the esteemed Council on Foundations, this event gathered philanthropic leaders to develop strategies and skills for fostering collaboration and community empowerment. BitterSweet provided design services for the conference's environmental displays and materials.
Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
Designer, Greg Sitzmann
The Center for Budget and Policy Priorities turned to us to craft a lookbook that would resonate with their mission and values—and the result is nothing short of striking. Guided by the creative vision of Obiekwe Okolo and Greg Sitzmann, we brought to life a meticulously designed booklet that marries functionality with bold artistry. Featuring a foldout poster insert that commands attention, the lookbook has transcended its role as a print piece and now adorns the organization's walls, seamlessly blending inspiration with purpose in every corner it graces.
Food on the Stove | DC Cadet Program
Director and Editor, Steve Jeter
For Food on the Stove's Dress Blue fundraiser, the project paired a detailed article with a short documentary film to spotlight the profound history and impact of the DC Cadet Program. Through personal stories and interviews, it showcased the cadets' journeys, their community contributions, and the program's role in shaping future leaders. The goal was to inspire support by illustrating how this initiative empowers individuals while fostering a legacy of service and responsibility.
Middleburg.com
Developer Lead, Shannon McMillan
We partnered with long-term client Middleburg to launch a new website that effectively showcases their vertically integrated business units and services. Our team provided comprehensive support, including strategy, copywriting, design, and development, all executed on the robust Craft CMS platform. The result is a modern, sophisticated digital presence that aligns with Middleburg’s brand while ensuring clear and accessible communication of their offerings.
Meet our Creative Director
Obiekwe “Obi” Okolo is one of the most creative, thoughtful and strategic minds I know. I’ve had the privilege of working with him for the past few years as our Creative Director. He is the type of person who brings a wealth of knowledge and experience about numerous topics to the discussion – always delighting our team and clients with a new perspective or approach to a problem. It’s truly an honor to work with him, and I know you’ll love it too if you work with BitterSweet. Obi just finished up 3 years as the host of the DC chapter of Creative Mornings. Not only that, he was the final speaker in 2024 and I thought it worth sharing his talk. It’s well worth your time. Check it out:
BitterSweet Foundation
Championed by our editorial staff, BitterSweet sent storytelling teams in 2024 to Georgia, Texas, DC, Illinois, Michigan, Uganda, Kenya, India, and England to find glimmers of solution, of fearlessness and faithfulness, of hope. We publish these stories monthly on BitterSweetMonthly.com with the help of generous donors and creator volunteers.
Here are the 2024 stories
Since our beginning, BitterSweet Creative has donated more than half-a-million dollars to elevate these types of stories. We believe they are worth telling, and the creator community is worth investing in and we’ve faithfully put our profits towards this effort.
Stay tuned for our next story, scheduled to release in February 2025 as we allow rest and reset in January.
2024 Editorial Team Shout Out
Avery Marks
Avery is our Features editor and an avid student of people. Avery holds a Bachelors in Literature, and a Masters degree in Education. She hopes her work as a writer, a mother, and in humanitarian development, will help leave the world better than she found it.
Erica Baker
Erica Baker is our photo editor and is a documentary and lifestyle photographer who primarily works with nonprofit organizations, social enterprises, and corporations doing good. She is committed to creating photographs that humanize and dignify the people in front of her camera. Erica is one of BitterSweet’s longest contributors having worked on more than 40 stories.
Steve Jeter
Steve Jeter is one of BitterSweet’s most veteran contributors. As a photographer and filmmaker, Steve has traveled the globe with BitterSweet and is credited with photography on the very first BitterSweet Monthly issue to ever be printed. Print Issue #1 published September 2010.
BitterSweet Collective
BitterSweet Collective is our foray into products including vision wear and book publishing. In 2024, we launched a BitterSweet Fall apparel capsule along with two new books available everywhere you purchase books online. Here is an overview:
Our Books
A Complicated Grace
A Complicated Grace: A Collaborative Memoir of Addiction, Grief, and Forgiveness by Dave Hillis is a profound memoir that invites readers into an intimate exploration of themes such as addiction, grief, and forgiveness. This deeply personal narrative unfolds through letters, poems, and reflections penned during various seasons of Jordan Hillis' life. As a father, Dave Hillis chronicles his son's journey through incarceration, offering an unvarnished look at their evolving relationship.
Blessed are The Others
Blessed Are the Others: Jesus' Way in a Violent World by Andrew DeCort is a guide that navigates the teachings of Jesus through the lens of the Beatitudes. It offers a trail to a more fulfilling life through vulnerability, compassion, nonviolence, justice, and peacemaking, challenging conventional understandings of religious blessings and prosperity. Andrew calls this humane happiness.
Both of these books will challenge you and need to be on your 2025 reading list.
Merch
From tote bags to hats and hoodies, our BitterSweet merch offers a way to wear the BitterSweet mantra: reject cynicism, defy apathy, celebrate good. These items will change periodically throughout the year. Once an item is sunset, you won’t be able to get it again, so if you like something, don’t wait :-) We’re excited to unveil the next capsule in the coming months.
On to the new year
As we look ahead to 2025 and beyond, BitterSweet is excited to take on new creative challenges, whether for our clients, ourselves, or our community. We’re keen to invest more than ever in our community of people that make BitterSweet what it is and we’re glad you’re along for the ride with us.
The final person I wanted to highlight in the journal is Kate Schmidgall. If you know her, you’ll agree she is the most kind and compassionate, yet fierce leader around and is dedicated to creating a culture that is soulful, purposeful, generous, and so much more. She has been steadfast and committed to BitterSweet since day 1 some 15 years ago. She’s not a self-promotor, so she’ll hate this part of the journal, and probably ask me to cut it – but hey, give credit where credit is due.
If you’re inspired by the BitterSweet world, I encourage you to follow along on Instagram, LinkedIn, or our newsletters. We’re always looking for new people to work with, whether freelancers, clients, or storytellers. Feel free to reach out. If you have a new project in 2025, we’d love to hear about it!
If you expect to have a need for design, strategy, or storytelling in 2025, Kate is offering 30-minute consultations this January where she’ll discuss your goals and brainstorm creative solutions to make them happen.
Click here to book a slot on the calendar:
By Dave Baker, Bittersweet Creative Managing Director