Today we’d like to introduce you to Lani Colhouer.
Hi Lani, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Long before I understood marketing, I understood what it felt like to wait for customers.
Growing up on California’s Central Coast, my parents owned a local antique store. Like many small business owners, they worked incredibly hard, but every day depended on whether people happened to walk through the front door. I watched firsthand how difficult it was for great businesses to get noticed. That experience stayed with me.
Today, that childhood memory is one of the biggest reasons I founded Simply Clear Marketing.
I’ve always believed that small businesses shouldn’t have to wait for customers to find them. Instead, marketing should proactively connect businesses with the people who need their products and services. My passion has become helping business owners spend less time wondering where their next customer will come from and more time doing what they love.
When we first launched Simply Clear Marketing, our focus wasn’t digital marketing—it was bringing people together. We organized local trade shows that gave businesses a place to meet residents face-to-face. Those events weren’t just about selling products; they were about building relationships and trust within the community. I saw that when people met the owners behind local businesses, they were much more likely to support them.
As marketing evolved, so did our company. We expanded from events into advertising, websites, digital marketing, social media, search marketing, and now artificial intelligence and automation. While the tools have changed dramatically over the past 20 years, our mission has never changed: helping businesses become visible, tell their story authentically, and build lasting relationships with their customers.
One of my favorite parts of this work is discovering the story behind every business. Every entrepreneur has taken a risk. Every company exists because someone had a dream, solved a problem, or wanted to make their community better. Those stories deserve to be told.
Building Simply Clear Marketing has also been a journey of growth for me personally. Entrepreneurship requires resilience, curiosity, and the willingness to continually adapt. It has taught me that success isn’t measured only by revenue, but by the businesses we’ve helped grow, the jobs we’ve helped create, and the communities we’ve helped strengthen.
As a lifelong Central Coast resident, I care deeply about the people and businesses that make this region special. I love helping local companies thrive because when local businesses succeed, our entire community benefits.
Outside of work, my greatest joy is my family. As the mother of three daughters, I’ve learned how quickly time passes and how important it is to build a business that creates opportunities while still making room for the people who matter most.
Looking ahead, I’m excited about the future of marketing. Artificial intelligence and emerging technology are creating incredible new opportunities, but I believe the heart of marketing will always remain the same: understanding people, building trust, and helping businesses connect with the communities they serve.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Not at all—and I think that’s true for most entrepreneurs.
One of our biggest challenges came during the global recession in 2009. We survived, but it completely changed the way we viewed our business. At that point, we realized we weren’t simply an event planning company—we were really a sales and marketing organization. That shift forced us to rethink our business model, our processes, and even our mindset. Looking back, it was one of the most important turning points in our company’s history.
Another challenge is that marketing never stands still. Every three to five years, the industry changes dramatically. New technology emerges, consumer behavior shifts, and the strategies that worked yesterday may not work tomorrow. Because of that, our agency has continually evolved. Our services, products, team, and even the types of clients we serve have changed over the years to meet the needs of the marketplace.
It’s a bit of a double-edged sword. On one hand, we’re never bored. There’s always something new to learn, create, and improve. On the other hand, constant reinvention can be exhausting. You can’t become complacent in this industry.
Today, we’re experiencing another major shift as artificial intelligence and automation reshape the marketing landscape. Rather than resisting change, we’ve embraced it. Our goal has always been to help businesses stay relevant, and that means we have to stay ahead of the curve ourselves. If there’s one lesson I’ve learned over the past 20 years, it’s that resilience and adaptability aren’t just helpful—they’re essential.
Our business today looks very different than it did 20 years ago, but our mission hasn’t changed—we’re still helping businesses connect with the people they serve
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
At Simply Clear Marketing, we’re much more than a marketing agency—we’re a strategic partner. While we specialize in marketing strategy, branding, advertising, digital marketing, websites, and AI-driven marketing solutions, what we’re really known for is the relationships we build with our clients.
One of the greatest compliments we receive is when a client leaves a meeting and says, “You’ve given me hope and excitement about my business again.” As entrepreneurs, it’s easy to become overwhelmed by the day-to-day challenges and lose sight of the bigger picture. We love helping business owners rediscover their vision and see new opportunities for growth.
What sets us apart is our ability to bring an outside perspective. Business owners are experts in what they do, but they’re often so immersed in running their companies that it’s difficult to see new possibilities. We come alongside them as the marketing experts, combining our experience with their deep knowledge of their business. Together, we become one team working toward the same goal.
We’re passionate about every business we work with because every company has a unique story worth telling. We don’t believe in one-size-fits-all marketing. We listen first, ask questions, and develop strategies that reflect each client’s goals, values, and customers.
What I’m most proud of isn’t any single campaign or award—it’s the trust our clients place in us. Many have been with us for years because they know we’re invested in their success. Watching a business grow, create jobs, serve more customers, or reach goals they once thought were out of reach is incredibly rewarding. When our clients succeed, we celebrate right alongside them, and that’s what continues to inspire me after more than 20 years in this industry.
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
I don’t tend to think of my journey in terms of luck. Instead, I think about faith, perspective, and the lessons that come with entrepreneurship.
Owning a business has strengthened my faith more than almost anything else in my life. There have been so many moments—both exciting and incredibly difficult—where I’ve felt that something bigger than myself was guiding the journey. There have been opportunities that appeared at exactly the right time, challenges that ultimately led us in a better direction, and doors that opened when I couldn’t have planned them myself.
One experience that has stayed with me was meeting with a business owner who had successfully run his company for more than 30 years. I assumed that after decades in business, he had reached a point where everything was stable and figured out. Instead, he told me he was restructuring and adapting because his industry was changing.
That conversation changed my perspective. I realized there isn’t a point where entrepreneurs simply “arrive.” Business is always evolving, and so are we. There will always be new challenges, new opportunities, and new seasons of growth.
That realization has made me appreciate the journey instead of constantly chasing the next milestone. It has taught me to trust the process, remain adaptable, and believe that every challenge has something to teach me. My faith has given me the confidence to keep moving forward, even when I couldn’t yet see the outcome.
Looking back over the past 20 years, I don’t see a series of lucky breaks. I see a journey of growth, perseverance, and countless reminders that I’m not walking it alone.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://simplyclearmarketing.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/simplyclearmarketing/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SimplyClearMarketing/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lanicolhouer/
- Other: https://www.linkedin.com/company/simplyclearmarketing
