Head, heart and hustle: The relationships behind The Brand Guild’s growth

This content sponsored by EagleBank.

Sixteen years ago, The Brand Guild began with two founders sharing a desk.

Today, the Washington, D.C.-based marketing and communications agency has grown to more than 50 employees, opened an office in New York and helped shape some of the DMV region’s most recognizable brands, restaurants and neighborhoods.

Through that growth, co-founders Jayne Sandman and Barbara Martin have remained guided by the same principles: head, heart and hustle.

“We work with businesses and people who we like and believe in,” Sandman shared during WTOP’s Small Business September 2026. “We have built this company one relationship, one client at a time.”

Those relationships begin with finding brands that align with the firm’s culture. “We look for brands that our team is excited to work on and work with,” Martin said.

That relationship-first approach extends beyond clients. As The Brand Guild has grown, the founders have sought employees, advisers and business partners that share the company’s commitment to responsiveness, trust and community impact.

Kevin Gaughan, first vice president of Commercial & Industrial lending at EagleBank, sees a similar philosophy in both organizations.

“You really wouldn’t expect a marketing agency and a community bank to have a lot in common, but we actually do,” Gaughan said. “Neither of us have lost sight of the community that we operate in.”

For many entrepreneurs, growth brings a challenge: how to scale without losing the culture and responsiveness that helped build success. Sandman believes the answer starts with surrounding yourself with the right partners.

“As any entrepreneur will tell you, you are doing this with a series of trusted partners who are ideally scaling with you,” she said.

Culture is the foundation for scale

When The Brand Guild started, “we were two founders with complementary skills but a shared vision,” Sandman said. “The vision that brought us together 16 years ago is still the one that we stick to today.”

She breaks down the three words that are foundational to their team.

“Head is that we are lifelong learners,” Sandman said. “Heart is that we care. Our clients see a lot of us. We care deeply about their success. And then, hustle, I always say, is something you can’t teach, it’s inside of you.”

Martin credits that foundation with helping the agency maintain its boutique approach through its growth — evolving into a full-service agency offering public relations, marketing, events, creative, social and digital services.

“Everything that we do is unique for every client,” Sandman said. “There is no plug and play here.” “I think that we find people that really believe in our core values, and that makes a really big difference,” Martin added.

Community creates opportunity

The Brand Guild’s growth has unfolded alongside some of the region’s most visible neighborhoods and brands.

The agency worked with Sweetgreen as it expanded from eight DMV locations into a national brand, for example. They’ve also spearheaded marketing for development projects including The Wharf, The Yards, City Ridge and The Boro.

“A lot of the great work that we have done in D.C. is around these incredible neighborhoods, some of which didn’t even exist when we first started the agency,” Sandman said. “It is really exciting to see the ways in which the work that we do has helped to reshape the region.”

Gaughan said that local impact is one of the reasons EagleBank sees similarities between its work and The Brand Guild’s growth story.

“Not only does The Brand Guild support companies nationally with some pretty well-known brands, but they’ve actually supported some of the biggest campaigns in the district as well,” he said. “Similarly, EagleBank was founded in the DMV, we’re headquartered here, and we play a role in the growth of companies across the region, from humble beginnings to organizations having a national impact.”

For Martin, these projects underscore the importance of working with organizations that share a commitment to strengthening communities.

“So much of the great work that we have done, especially here in D.C., has been around building communities through real estate, through retail, through hospitality,” she said. “It’s finding partners who also believe in giving back to their communities as well.”

Why strong partnerships matter

That perspective shaped the agency’s approach to choosing a banking partner.

“The bank that we had before EagleBank, we would get a call from our representative once every six months,” Martin said. “That was the only communication we had with an actual person.”

As the company grew, responsiveness became increasingly important.

“It’s being able to pick up the phone and talk to a person that can answer your questions,” Martin said. “That sounds so simple. It is not.”

“What makes our partnership with EagleBank special is they actually know us,” Sandman said. “They’re actually a part of our business and have taken the time to understand what we do and how we want to grow.”

Today, the founders view EagleBank as an extension of their broader network of trusted advisors.

For his part, Gaughan believes that comes with a commitment to learning about much more than just a company’s financial statements.

“You’re not only looking at the financials. You’re getting to know management. You’re getting to know the industry,” he said. “It’s actually the most exciting part, going to the location, seeing what people do, learning how they operate and finding some small ways that we can help them be successful.”

Technology still needs a human touch

As technology and artificial intelligence continue transforming industries, both organizations believe relationships remain essential to long-term success.

“A huge part of our success is this combination of latest technology but ultimately human connection,” Sandman said.

Gaughan agreed.

“There is something that you can’t really replace in having a relationship with a banker,” he said. “You get access to people that actually know the business.”

For The Brand Guild, that idea sits at the center of its growth story. The agency has helped build brands, launch neighborhoods and support businesses across the region, while staying true to the values that defined it from the beginning.

“Trust and loyalty. I think those are the two things,” Martin said. “Those are what we always look for in partners.”

It’s a philosophy that has helped transform two founders sharing a desk into a thriving agency, and one that continues to guide what comes next.

“Having somebody who understands your business and is genuinely excited to be your partner in what comes next is what creates a great partnership,” Brand Guild Co-Founder Jayne Sandman said.

To learn more about how EagleBank partners with small business, go here. And to discover more insights for entrepreneurs, startups and SMBs shared during WTOP’s Small Business September, click here .

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