Get To Know Jessica Holmes, Marketing Expert, Co-Founder, and CEO of LipService | Canadian Business Owner Spotlights by Kelsey Reidl, Marketing Consultant.
Meet Jessica Holmes!
Marketing Expert and Founder of LipService, a full-service marketing agency that helps purpose-driven organizations, nonprofits, institutions and growing businesses bring clarity and cohesion to their marketing.
Welcome to our Canadian Business Owner Spotlight Series hosted by me… Kelsey Reidl (Business & Marketing Consultant).
In this series, I'll be catching up with the most talented, generous & inspiring entrepreneurs and small business owners in Canada & beyond.
Enjoy learning more about these wonderful humans, and give them a ‘follow’ or get in touch in order to collaborate with them + work with them.
-Kelsey
The TL;DR for Jessica Holmes of LipService.
Jessica Holmes is the Co-Founder and CEO of LipService, a full-service marketing agency based in Collingwood, Ontario. As a marketing expert, Jessica helps purpose-driven organizations and growing businesses turn scattered marketing efforts into cohesive digital ecosystems. Known for making complex ideas practical, she brings clarity, strategy and candid leadership to everything from brand foundations and websites to SEO, content and digital campaigns. Jessica shows clients the data and the "why" behind every recommendation, so marketing becomes something they understand rather than something they dread.
Okay, let’s get to know Jessica!
Name
Jessica Holmes
Profession / Title
Marketing Expert
Business Name
LipService
Industry / Niche
Strategic digital marketing for purpose-driven organizations, growing businesses and community leaders
My Business Was Founded In
Sept. 2018
Current Location
Collingwood, Ontario
3 words you would use to describe yourself…
Strategic.
Playful.
Curious.
Tell us more about your business
LipService is a full-service marketing agency that helps purpose-driven organizations, nonprofits, institutions and growing businesses bring clarity and cohesion to their marketing. We provide strategic leadership and hands-on support across websites, SEO, content, social media, email marketing, advertising, and analytics.
My workdays are a mix of strategy sessions, reviewing campaigns, guiding our team, solving client challenges and identifying opportunities our clients may not have considered. Most people find us through referrals, community relationships, networking and the results we have delivered for other organizations.
In one or two sentences, what specific problem does your business solve for your clients?
WE GET YOUR WORD OUT! With clear and connected marketing strategies that improve visibility and help your business get found through search engines and AI-powered platforms.
Recent milestone you've celebrated in your business
A recent milestone has been growing LipService from a founder-led consultancy into a full-service agency with a trusted team, stronger systems and clients across Canada.
What is a recent investment you’ve made in your business
We recently invested in rebuilding our lead generation, sales and onboarding systems. We replaced our generic “Book a Discovery Call” approach with a free AI + SEO audit and 30-minute consultation, built automated lead nurturing, proposals and client onboarding in Dubsado. We also streamlined our ClickUp workflows and onboarding automations. We made this investment because leads needed a clearer reason to start a conversation, and our growing agency needed a smoother path from initial inquiry to active client.
What changed after that investment? Why do you see it as an investment, not an expense?
Prospective clients now receive value before the sales conversation begins, making the call more focused and relevant to their actual needs. Behind the scenes, Dubsado and ClickUp reduce repetitive administration, prevent important steps from being missed and create a more consistent client experience. It is an investment because the systems save time, strengthen conversions and give us the capacity to grow without adding unnecessary manual work.
What would you tell a new entrepreneur who's considering investing in the same thing, but is hesitant?
Do not automate a broken process. First, understand how someone moves from discovering your business to trusting you, hiring you and becoming a client. Then invest in the tools and workflows to minimize friction from the journey. Start with the biggest bottleneck, build one reliable process and improve it as your business grows.
Now for some fun stuff!
Always…
Always be e curious.
Never…
Never bring judgment or assume you already know the full story.
Advice for other entrepreneurs, who are slightly less far along…
Build systems earlier than you think you need them, but do not hide behind your laptop perfecting them. Show up at events, build genuine relationships and let people understand how you can help.
What is a tool, resource, podcast, book or person you’ve invested in that’s added value to your entrepreneurial journey
ClickUp has been one of our most valuable investments because it has helped us turn knowledge that once lived in my head into repeatable workflows, clear responsibilities and a more consistent client experience.
Favourite way to wind down after a long workweek
A glass of wine and a great conversation with my husband.
Before starting my workday, I make sure to…
Review my priorities and decide what genuinely needs my attention before opening my inbox and letting other people’s requests determine my day.
Best part of my work is…
Helping a client see the bigger picture, connect ideas that once felt scattered and leave with a clear plan they feel confident putting into action.
Last vacation you took (and where did you go)
In the summer of 2026, our family spent a month exploring Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. The kids’ favourite experiences included visiting Anne of Green Gables, whale watching, walking on the ocean floor, searching for fossils and learning about the region’s history.
