Jessica Hatzis: The Branding Genius Behind Frank Body and Willow & Blake

Jessica Hatzis is a pioneer in branding and an exemplary entrepreneur who has transformed the way businesses connect with audiences. Co-founder of the coffee-based skincare phenomenon Frank Body and owner of Willow & Blake, a creative agency specialising in bold storytelling, Jessica has redefined brand voice and identity in the digital era. Her innovative thinking, commitment to storytelling, and entrepreneurial spirit have left an indelible mark on the branding world.
From Blog to Business: The Genesis of Willow & Blake
At just 22, Jessica co-founded Willow & Blake with friends. What began as a personal blog to share stories and interviews evolved into a full-fledged copywriting agency. While most agencies focused on visuals or PR, Jessica recognised a gap in the art of storytelling through the written word.
The team bootstrapped their business, building a portfolio through networking and taking creative risks. One of their early successes included a campaign for the “Jelly Bean Sandal,” which sold out after their intervention. These wins solidified their confidence, allowing them to position Willow & Blake as a go-to creative agency, delivering campaigns for global brands.
While building Willow & Blake, Jessica experienced growing frustration when clients hesitated to take creative risks. This inspired her team’s bold pivot—creating their own brand that would embody their vision.
Breaking Ground with Frank Body
The idea for Frank Body was born from a simple yet creative observation. Jessica and her co-founders noticed customers repurposing café coffee grounds as body scrubs. Inspired, they developed a high-quality coffee scrub and, crucially, created a brand identity with personality.
Entering the market in 2013, Frank Body introduced “Frank,” a cheeky, flirty persona that spoke directly to millennials in a conversational tone. This distinct voice set the brand apart, immediately engaging young audiences.
Leveraging Creativity to Scale
Jessica and her team identified Instagram’s potential at a time when most brands were barely scratching the surface of social media. Unlike polished, corporate beauty brands, Frank Body adopted an authentic, peer-to-peer style of communication.
By encouraging customers to share photos of themselves using their coffee scrubs, Frank Body built a community-driven, viral sensation. Step-by-step selfie instructions included with each product made “scrubbing selfies” a trend. This strategy turned happy customers into advocates, amplifying Frank Body’s reach.
Today, the brand boasts over 30 SKUs and an international presence, valued at over £80 million. The secret to long-term success? According to Jessica, it’s earning customer trust and delivering high-quality products that truly work.
Balancing Innovation with Legacy
While launching new products generates excitement, Jessica emphasises maintaining focus on hero products. For Frank Body, ensuring their bestsellers remain iconic is as important as introducing innovations tailored to customer needs.
Partnering with retailers like Mecca was a strategic move to become a respected beauty brand, rather than just an Instagram trend. This meticulous balance between legacy and novelty has been pivotal to the brand’s ongoing success.
The Evolution of Branding
Jessica’s approach to branding is rooted deeply in understanding customer psychology. She believes that branding is about connection—making customers feel seen, valued, and heard.
Frank Body’s approachable voice disrupts the cold, corporate narrative consumers are often detached from. This resonates with audiences through warmth, humour, and relatability, reflecting the intimate nature of beauty routines.
Through Willow & Blake, Jessica channels this same philosophy. By combining creativity with analytics, the agency crafts campaigns that cut through the noise, prioritising authenticity and accessibility.
Building and Leading a Strong Team
Jessica attributes much of her success to surrounding herself with the right team. Starting as a jack-of-all-trades, she learned the value of hiring professionals whose expertise surpassed her own.
Her approach to leadership is based on trust and humility. Jessica often quotes Simon Sinek’s “performance versus trust” framework—prioritising employees who foster trust over those with high performance but low values.
The team culture she has cultivated encourages open communication and accountability. “We laugh during leadership meetings because everyone feels comfortable calling out issues—even the founders,” Jessica remarks.
Leadership Through Challenges
Jessica’s business trajectory offers valuable lessons in resilience. From shifting social media algorithms to navigating international markets, challenges have always been met with adaptability and experimentation.
Transparency is another key pillar of her leadership philosophy. “When things go wrong, owning your mistakes builds trust with your team. Openness fosters problem-solving and growth,” she explains.
Advice for Entrepreneurs and Women in Business
Key Lessons for Aspiring Entrepreneurs
Jessica’s advice for entrepreneurs is simple but invaluable:
- Take Risks Without Overthinking
“Say yes before you talk yourself out of it. You’ll learn more from risks that don’t pay off than if you never try,” she advises.
- Focus on Immediate Goals
Instead of worrying about the distant future, concentrate on building a solid foundation for your business today. This focus removes barriers to success.
- Build Integrity into Your Business
Stay true to your ethics and values. Betraying them may seem like a shortcut, but it undermines long-term success.
- Learn to Adapt
Markets evolve fast. Diversify your strategies and remain flexible to stay relevant amidst changes.
Breaking Barriers for Women
Jessica acknowledges the unique difficulties faced by women in business, particularly the balancing act between professional and personal responsibilities. Despite these challenges, she sees progress.
“We’re redefining what it means to ‘have it all,’ and though it’s far from easy, I’d take this challenge over the restrictions our mothers faced.” Her advice to men? Take initiative in sharing the mental load and supporting women in leadership.
Expanding Influence
Today, Jessica balances her dual roles at Frank Body and Willow & Blake while sharing her expertise as a strategic advisor, speaker, and writer. Her frameworks have empowered countless businesses to reach new growth phases by focusing on customer-centric branding.
Jessica’s recent course, “In The Know” on personal branding for LinkedIn, reflects her understanding of how individuals can harness digital platforms for influence. It’s a testament to her belief that personal and professional branding are increasingly intertwined in today’s business landscape.
What We Can Learn from Jessica Hatzis
Jessica Hatzis has reinvented branding with her unique approach to storytelling, customer connection, and risk-taking. With her ability to spot untapped opportunities and her commitment to authenticity, Jessica’s work continues to inspire both new and established businesses. Her leadership, creativity, and vision reveal what’s possible when brands prioritise people over profits—and bold ideas over safe strategies.
If you’re ready to transform your approach to branding, take a page from Jessica’s playbook. Whether building a beauty empire or crafting viral campaigns, success starts with understanding what your audience values—and delivering it consistently.
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