In this episode of The Stories That Form Us, I sit down with Zoie Callihan, the founder and lead copywriter at Lexicon Copy Co. We talk about something we’re both obsessed with—the power of story to shape brands, connect people, and reveal what’s already alive in the work.
Zoie is a creative copywriter, brand voice designer, and messaging strategist who creates companies that sound more like characters than corporations. Her whole approach is rooted in telling your entire brand story from start to finish, from foundation through every chapter in between.
By the way, hi, I’m Amy — founder of Unbridled Form, where I work with boudoir, creative, and wellness brands to help you tell the story only you can tell. Through brand design, web design, and strategy sessions, I create intentional, story-led experiences that reflect both your artistry and your evolution. The Stories That Form Us podcast is one way I explore that, by sitting down with people whose lives remind us that story is always alive, shaping the way we move, work, and create.
Meet Zoie Callihan of Lexicon Copy Co, Brand Voice Designer and Messaging Strategist
Zoie runs Lexicon Copy Co, where she specializes in brand messaging and conversion copywriting for creative entrepreneurs. Her approach is story-first, always has been. She grew up in a bookstore, got paid in free books at age 11, studied English in college, and has spent her life looking at the world through narrative.
Her work blends character development, archetypal structure, and brand storytelling to help creative businesses sound like themselves while actually converting. She believes that the best way to harness authenticity is through story and that you can’t tell someone else’s story if you’re not living your own.
A Few Themes That Rose to the Surface
Witnessing Story vs. Crafting Story: We talked about the difference between creating something to say to people versus witnessing the story that’s already alive in your work. The way I describe it is going soul deep to excavate what’s already there and reflecting it back, not building something from scratch. Zoie resonated with this immediately. Story isn’t manufactured. It’s revealed.
Character Development in Branding: Zoie’s genius is in creating companies that sound like characters, not corporations. We explored how character development isn’t just for novels. It’s how brands become memorable, relatable, magnetic. When your brand has a voice, motivations, contradictions, and growth, people connect to it differently. They see themselves in the transformation.
Archetypes as Connection, Not Constraint: Both Zoie and I are archetype stands, but we talk about them differently than most. We see them as threads of commonality, patterns of connection, shorthand for helping us relate to each other. Not boxes. Not limitations. People who resist archetypes often think they’re restraining, but we associate them with growth, expansion, play. Beautiful patterns of connection if you allow yourself to see the opportunity.
You Can’t Tell Others’ Stories Without Living Your Own: This came up organically and it landed hard. Zoie’s personal journey—from public health to journalism to copywriting—taught her that authenticity starts with embodiment. You have to live your story fully before you can help someone else tell theirs. It’s not about performing a version of yourself. It’s about being what you are and building a world around it.
Story as the Lens for Everything: For both of us, story isn’t a marketing tactic. It’s how we move through the world. Zoie’s mom worked in a bookstore. She was the kid asking, “Can I bring a book?” every time they got in the car. Stories were her friends. For me, it’s the reason I do what I do—brand isn’t just a logo or a website, it’s a living story already unfolding in your work. When we name and honor our stories, we build brands and lives that feel like home.
Energy, Sustainability, and Showing Up in Alignment: We talked about the energetic drain of producing content that doesn’t align with how you naturally show up. Zoie creates her Instagram story vignettes in newspaper format because showing up on video drains her, but writing is effortless. I’m pausing the podcast after this season for the same reason. It’s a passion project, but also a marketing effort, and we shouldn’t run ourselves into the ground for that. The energy you build your business in becomes the energy your clients receive.
Through the Lens of Story
At Unbridled Form, we believe brand storytelling is less about crafting something new and more about uncovering what’s already alive in you.
This conversation with Zoie reminded me why story matters so much. Not because it’s trendy or converts well (though it does), but because it’s the most authentic way to connect. It’s how we relate to each other, see ourselves in transformation, and build businesses that feel true.
When your brand becomes a character with depth, motivation, and evolution, people don’t just buy from you. They become part of the story.
What We Loved Most
The reminder that story isn’t manufactured. It’s witnessed and excavated.
The reframe of archetypes as patterns of connection, not constraint.
The honesty that you can’t tell others’ stories without living your own.
The validation that showing up in alignment matters more than showing up constantly.
The shared obsession with character development as the foundation of brand work.
The Stories That Form Us
The Stories That Form Us is a podcast about the narratives shaping our creative work, our brands, and the way we move through the world. It’s a production of Unbridled Form, a brand strategy and design studio helping entrepreneurs tell the story only they can tell.
At Unbridled Form, story is why I do what I do. Your brand isn’t just a logo or a website. It’s a living story, already unfolding in your work and ready to be seen in its fullness. This podcast is an extension of that belief: that when we name and honor our stories, we build brands and lives that feel like home.
When you’re ready to excavate your own brand story and bring it to life through design, strategy, and a digital home that actually reflects you, explore Unbridled Form’s services.
