Quirk & Quill | About Sara Kotila the brains behind the brand

Hey there, I'm Sara

Yes, I’m sitting in a bathtub in this photo because it was there, and it made me laugh, so why not? That’s probably enough information for you to know if we’re going to get along.

I’ve been around long enough to know where the bodies are buried. I’ve also been around long enough to know that the marketing industry is really good at selling you the dream—we’re marketers after all, it’s literally our job.

But for all that “be authentic, find your voice, show up as yourself” bullshit they’re selling? The machine underneath looks exactly the same as it always did. It just has a friendlier face now.

And look, I’m not sitting on a mountain of case studies or a seven-figure income. I’m also not going to pretend otherwise. What I do have is almost 20 years of watching what works, what doesn’t, and more importantly, why.

Here’s what I’m absolutely sure about: the only guarantees in life are death and taxes. Anyone guaranteeing their “way” will work for anyone in any situation is either delusional or lying to you. Does it work? Yes, absolutely—for some people, some of the time. But 100% of the time? You have a better chance of seeing God.

I will guarantee you that I won’t sell you a dream I can’t deliver. That right there puts us in different territory.

Here's what I believe.

Duct tape and vibes is not a strategy.

No matter what TikTok tells you. Grit and determination may have gotten you here, but the only ones living on a prayer are Tommy and Gina (iykyk).

You don't need to go viral. You need to be remembered.

Virality is a flash in the pan that leaves almost as quickly as it came. “Can you make us go viral?” is the question every social media marketer dreads because (here’s the dirty little secret) it almost never converts. The right ten people remembering you will do more for your business than a million strangers watching you once.

Not everyone is an Outlaw archetype

Disruption isn’t the only path to differentiation, but the industry said: “get in loser, we’re going disrupting!” Now everyone is performing rebellion, and nobody is actually standing out. The most disruptive thing you can do right now is be exactly who you actually are (unicorn farts and all).

The people selling you the system are not your peers.

They’re not even playing in the same sandbox. They did the hard work (that part’s true), but what they’re selling as “I did it so you don’t have to” leaves out a critical detail. They had a team, a budget, and a full mailing list ready to convert. The blueprint is real. The “plug and play” part is the fiction. You’re still going to have to do the work. It’s a map, not a magic lamp.

What it's like to sit across from me.

I’ve been told I ask too many questions, and I’m ok with it.

I also listen. I listen to what you say. More importantly, I listen to what you don’t. Somewhere in the gap between those two things is where your brand voice is hiding (and I’m unreasonably good at finding it.)

I believe there’s a fine line between honesty and trauma bonding. The best copy doesn’t spill your guts to the tune of a Sarah McLachlan ballad. It lets people know you’ve been there. You don’t need to bleed on the page to be relatable. You just need to be honest with yourself.

I’ll challenge you directly, and without the cushioning most people wrap around hard feedback, because they’re afraid you can’t take it. I know you can take it, otherwise you wouldn’t be here.

My method is kiss-kick-kiss. I’ll hype you up, push you exactly as hard as you need to be pushed, and remind you that what we’re doing is turning finger painting into a Picasso. And I’ll let you take the credit. Deal?

Quirk & Quill Support Staff

Meet Mocha - Q&Q's Chief Side-Eye Officer

Mocha is my Shiba Inu and my ride-or-die creative partner (although she’ll 100% deny it in public). She is the most judgmental creature I have ever shared a roof with, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

She has strong opinions.
Zero tolerance for whole watermelons and anything with wheels.
And a singular focus on snacks.

At home, she sits exactly twelve inches from wherever I’m working, pretending she doesn’t care (she has a reputation to protect, after all).

The rule of paw at Quirk & Quill: if Mocha wouldn’t approve it between naps, it doesn’t go live. She’s the quality standard. She lets me do the writing.

Wanna pull up a chair?

If so, cool, grab a seat. If not—no hard feelings. I’m not everyone’s cup of tea, but that’s kind of the point.

I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours.

Will you get sales emails? Yes. You’ll also get insights distilled from almost 20 years of experience that most strategists charge for (and the occasional truth bomb nobody asked for, but everybody needs.)

That’s just how we roll.