Meet the Team

Partner and Brand Strategist

MEET HEATHER

Heather Johnson

• Bourbon Connoisseur
• K-Pop Enthusiast

When Heather is not helping clients navigate the intricacies of marketing plans, she’s thinking of ways they can get noticed in their industry. From developing digital marketing strategies to website design to ensuring branding consistency, she thrives on making Kudzu clients successful, memorable, and sustainable.

Heather is a very active volunteer for local nonprofits and sits on numerous boards, including All Souls Counseling Center, Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, Total Resource Committee Chair, WomanUP, and LEAF Global Arts.

Partner and Brand Strategist

MEET LINDSEY

Lindsey Bnadad

• Travel Fanatic
• Karaoke Rockstar

Lindsey is a brand cultivator. She approaches every client relationship with a partnership mentality and is always on the lookout for ways to make each brand into its best possible form, from identity and positioning to promotion and digital presence. Lindsey’s passion for digging into who a business is, at its roots, gives her the ability to clearly visualize what the brand could be, and then cultivate creative strategies to make it happen.

Lindsey has supported the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce by volunteering for more than 13 years and has helped many programs including the Total Resource Campaign and WomanUP. In 2018, Lindsey was awarded Volunteer of the Year.

Junior Brand Strategist

MEET HANNAH

Hannah Welborn

• List Queen
• Office Foodie

Hannah is an organizer. Whether she is directing a multi-location video shoot, preparing a client for a trade show, or managing all aspects of your brand, Hannah brings organization and logic to every project she shepherds. Branding can be difficult, we don’t deny that, but Hannah is ready to handle the ‘dirt’y work to get to your business growing! 🌱

Hannah has been volunteering with HALTER Equine Assisted Services, a non-profit organization that provides therapeutic riding and other equine-assisted activities to children with challenges.

Creative Content Director

MEET COURTENAY

Courtenay Morgan 

• Oxford Comma Crusader
• Word Chopper
• Parallel Parker Extraordinaire

Courtenay enthusiastically contributes to all aspects of brand development and management. Her unique ability to capture client voices helps lead the content team in delivering original messaging, including website, blog, ad, video, and email marketing copywriting. Courtenay’s time outside the office includes volunteering with women in alcohol and drug recovery.

Art Director

MEET CLAY

Clay Schmidt 

• Chief Typographer
• Resident Green Thumb

Clay is an obsessive storyteller, dedicated to his client’s history, mission, and values, bringing them to life in stunning brand identities. He delights in transforming client stories into engaging visual journeys. With a sociological perspective and a history of working with small businesses (while running a few of his own), Clay easily relates to business owners and knows how to best support them wherever they are on their journey.

Operations Manager

MEET HANNAH

Hannah Flowers

• Odd TV and Film Devotee
• Enthusiastic Color Code Grandmaster

Hannah is the agency’s operations manager extraordinaire! She originally joined Kudzu as a diligent brand manager to a cadre of clients. We are now fortunate that she is handling our biggest client of all—Kudzu! Hannah has turned her attention to detail and (somewhat) obsessive organizational energy to ensuring our agency runs like a top. From scheduling supplies to collaborating on in-house SOPs to delighting us all with a fast quip, Hannah is on it. With her calm demeanor, our bustling office stays orderly and entertained.

Look around in local stores and restaurants or peek through our client portfolios and you’ll find some of Hannah’s charming illustrations.

Content Strategist

MEET LUCY

Lucy Jones

• Master of Itineraries 
• Queen of Sarcasm

Lucy finds solitude in writing. She believes it gives her a chance to make art out of everyday moments and see the world from a fresh perspective. Lucy uses this unique approach when creating content for her clients. Being part of a client’s business journey and a witness to their vision and brand growth is extraordinary. On days off, you’ll find Lucy at the next concert in town, or at home with her two cats, re-watching New Girl for the umteenth time!

Brand Manager

MEET NICOLE

Nicole Hyatt

• Coffee Enthusiast
• Nature Lover

Nicole is passionate about assisting brands with crafting their stories in unique and authentic ways, connecting them with targeted audiences. A natural problem solver and a lover of people, she guides clients through Kudzu’s creative brand management process with her can-do positivity and magic touch. Nicole has her master’s degree in Integrated Marketing Communication from UNCW and a background in implementing strategic processes and project management. You can find her outside playing and enjoying one of Asheville’s amazing coffee shops when she is not working.

Graphic Designer

MEET NICK

Nick Jones

• Keyboard Enthusiast
• Serial Hobbyist

Nick is a multifaceted, creative professional. His journey began as a digital artist, where he harnessed his artistic talents, bringing imaginative visions to life using digital media. Over time, Nick expanded his skill set, delving into coding and web development.

Demonstrating a true passion for graphic design, Nick’s ability to seamlessly blend artistic flair with technical mastery results in memorable creative assets for clients.

Having previously lent his talents to the agency, Nick has returned home to Kudzu Brands.

Brand Manager

MEET LAUREN

Lauren Van Epps

• Amateur Bird Nerd
• Jigsaw Puzzler

Lauren sees herself as a marketing MacGyver. Her “jane-of-all-trades” mentality comes from years of creative problem-solving, working with entrepreneurs in small business and start-up environments to meet goals and achieve growth. At Kudzu, Lauren uses that same versatility to the advantage of her clients through creative collaboration and a willingness to take action and achieve results. On the weekends, you’ll find her mowing the lawn, chasing down the ice cream truck, or jumping in a cold, secret swimming hole.

Content Specialist

MEET LEXI

Lexi Stewart

• Dog Whisperer
• Local Bookstore Aficionado

A former English major turned marketing professional, Lexi’s passion lies in crafting compelling content for clients. She loves nothing more than finding creative ways to showcase a client’s work, whether through social posts, website copy, or a blog. Her favorite part of the job is getting to know the people behind the businesses, and she enjoys working with clients who love what they do. Outside working hours, you can find her cozying up on the couch with her dog, a cup of tea, and a really good book.

Client Relations Supervisor

MEET SALLIE

Sallie Morgan

• Director of First Impressions
• Love Addict

Sallie is an independent thinker who brings a sense of mischief and a deep love of country rough and tumbles to the Kudzu Team. Born in Haywood County, she is a genuine Western North Carolina Great Pyrenees mix of Appalachian je ne sais quoi. When Sallie’s not nudging a hand (really, does anyone have a hand to spare?) to scratch her belly, she’s probably shedding somewhere on, or near, her mom.