Lesly Washington
Founder & Strategist
New Orleans, LA
www.ninetothreecollective.com
instagram @ninetothreecollective
facebook
linkedin
Q What do you do?
“I’m the Founder and Strategist at Nine to Three, a Marketing and Design agency based in New
Orleans.”
We help brands from local small businesses to major brands figure out how to actually connect with people, not just sell to them.
Q What steps did you take to get to where you are now?
I've been in Marketing for 13+ years, and worn many hats throughout my career including working at big e-commerce apparel brand doing their email marketing, copywriting, digital asset management, and photoshoot support, building and leading the marketing department at a food and beverage agency, directing and strategy role later an e-commerce and email marketing agency. For most of this time, I was also moonlighting as vintage clothing shop owner. Fast forward to 2020, the pandemic hit and I got let go from a freelance contract, I had this moment of clarity: I'd spent years building other people's businesses and I was really great at marketing, no one is hiring right now but I do have a laptop. So I closed my shop and launched Nine to Three that May and haven't looked back since.
Q How do you stand out in your field?
I believe in a human-first approach and transparency. I treat clients and prospects like friends because I think that's how the best work gets done. I actually care about understanding where a company is when they come to me, not just where I want them to be.
Q What are you working on right now?
We just wrapped up a city contract, so my team and I have a bit more capacity right now. We're using this time to tighten up our processes, market the agency with more intentionality, and continue showing up for our current client roster. We also recently rebranded and relaunched our site to better reflect who we are as an agency.
When I'm not heads down in marketing, I'm at the clay studio building vessels and playing with shapes. I'm an emerging ceramicist, and I love how it forces me to get offline and out of my head. I've been a creative my whole life, but there's something about working with clay that just feels different.
Q What’s your style?
I love bold colors, unexpected shapes, and design that doesn't feel like everything else. Our recent rebrand reflects this. We brought in more color and playfulness to highlight more of who we are as an agency.
My ceramic work leans into this too. I'm drawn to graphic, sculptural forms with bold color blocking, very Memphis Group energy. Same goes for how I dress. I follow my mood, mix textures and colors, wear things that feel like me, not what everyone else is wearing. People see you before you speak, so I'm intentional about how I show up. It all connects back to the same thing: I don't want to make, wear, or create anything that blends in.
Q Out of all your slashies, which one do you wish you could do more often?
Ceramics, for sure. My plan is to do a residency this summer so I can have uninterrupted time to just create. I'm curious about what happens when I'm somewhere new with a dedicated studio space and no distractions. If I don't get into a residency, I'm still dedicating more time to ceramics this year as I have a few goals I want to push myself on.
Q What is frustrating you right now?
That I'm not showing up on social media for my own agency the way I do for clients. We do a lot behind the scenes in terms of marketing ourselves and networking, and honestly, it's where we spend a big chunk of our time. As part of our 2026 strategy, I would like to show up more on social media, so people who find us organically, and can see more of what we're doing and how we work.
Q If you could hire someone for $20/hour, what would you have them do to make your day easier?
I'd hire a part-time business developer to work in the background, spotting missed opportunities, improving our processes, and finding ways for us to could keep growing. I think it would look sort of like an accountability partner who's focused on the bigger picture while I'm in the day to day.
Q What do you wish you could have told yourself, when, and why?
In 2019, I would've told myself, who was newly single, recently laid off and trying to stay in a city I'd outgrown, that it's all going to work out when you just let go. Rejection is just redirection. Taking that time to think about what you actually want and how you want your life to look, will bring you the clarity that brings you back home to New Orleans, help you launch your agency, and will lead you to meeting the love of your life. Little Lesly is so proud of you.
Q If you could talk to an expert to gain more insight on something, what would it be about?
I'd love to learn from entrepreneurs who have scaled smartly without going corporate. People who grew their small businesses slowly, intentionally, and didn't burn out in the process. Advice from corporate titans with massive teams doesn't inspire me. I want to talk to someone who's on the trajectory we're on and not enough people talk about sustainable growth at this scale.
Q What kind of opportunities/projects are you looking for?
I’m looking to partner with businesses at any scale for their next project. We’re open for short and long term projects, one-off projects and monthly retainers. If you have an idea or campaign that you need marketing, strategic or design support on, I’d love to talk to you about how we can help you where you are and get to where you want to be.
Q Describe your ideal job/client/collaboration.
I love working with clients who know their brand and their goals, and who show up as partners in the process. The best collaborations happen when someone understands that hiring us doesn't mean checking out. It means we're building something together. We're responsive, they're responsive, and we actually get somewhere. No project is too weird, small or big for us. We have the team and collaborators to make anything possible.
Q: What is your rate?
Our Squarespace websites typically start at $2000+ depending on complexity of design. Shopify and WordPress sites start at $3000+. Social Media packages start at $1500/month. Email Marketing starts at $1500/month plus a $1200 one-time automation setup fee (we're Klaviyo and Mailchimp certified!). Paid Media starts at $1500/month (the service cost depends on total platforms and monthly ad spend budget). Branding Packages start off at $3000. For strategy sessions or consulting, we charge $200/hour. We're also open to working with nonprofits and small businesses at discounted rates depending on the project.
Q How should someone approach you about working together?
I'm a Virgo, so I love all of the details! Please email me directly or through my website contact form and share where you are currently in your business, the scope of what you're looking for, your budget if you have one, and what you're hoping to get out of our collaboration. The more details, the better! From there I'll send over a discovery call link so we can e-meet and see if there's alignment.
Q Who is a creative you admire?
I’ve always admired Alex Wolf’s work and her approach to working as a woman in tech.
Q Oh! and… how do you stay creative?
Road trips, art museums, and ceramics!
This member profile was originally published in March 2026.