Founder and Creative Director at Truly Creative, a San Francisco Bay Area based strategic brand and package design firm specializing in building consumer brands that stand out on-shelf, connect emotionally, and leave a lasting impression.

Clients have included Williams-Sonoma, Traditional Medicinals, Eggland's Best, Jovial Foods, Ajinomoto Frozen Foods, Annie Chun's, ConAgra Foods, Alexia Foods, Mommy's Bliss, So Delicious, Kalmbach Feeds, and Alex's Awesome Sourdough.

Specialties: 
-Brand Development (Strategy & Positioning, Naming, Identity) 
-Package Design (Structural Design, Package Design, Brand Extensions)
-Marketing Materials (Promotional Materials, Corporate Collateral, Product Literature)
-Environmental Design (Point of Purchase, Trade Shows, Signage)

Carrie Dufour

Next week I’m heading to the Annual Meat Conference and I can’t wait.

I’m especially excited to see our client Farmer Focus debut three new fully cooked, fully awesome products:

🌶️ Harissa & Honey Sausage
🍃 Parmesan & Herb Meatballs
🧀 Southwestern Style Cheddar Sausage

Seeing our designs come to life is always rewarding. Getting to sample the finished product is a nice bonus!

I love meeting LinkedIn connections in real life, so if you’ll be at AMC, send me a message and let’s “meat” up (had to be done). 

And definitely stop by booth # 825 to be among the first to try these deliciously bold new flavors.

#MeatConference #MeatIndustry #2026AMC #PowerofMeat #Protein

Congrats to our friends at Farmer Focus 🎉

Out of 1,000+ innovative products entered, their Parmesan & Herb Chicken Meatballs were one of just 40 winners selected for a 2026 NEXTY Award.

I had the chance to see the team earlier this week at the Annual Meat Conference and experience some of their newest products first hand. It’s exciting to see them expanding in ways that help consumers get a high-quality dinner on the table even faster. 

Our Truly Creative team is proud to have played a small part in bringing this product to life. Huge congratulations to the entire Farmer Focus team, and congrats to all of the NEXTY Award winners and finalists pushing the natural products industry forward. 👏

Check out all the winners here:
https://lnkd.in/gsRuKM4r

#naturalproducts #nextyawards #expowest New Hope Network

Feeling pretty lucky that this counts as work.

Tomorrow I’m heading to Future Food-Tech in San Francisco for 2 days of digging into what's shaping the next wave of food trends and innovations.

I’m especially curious to see...

✺ how AI is actually being used to develop products from concept to shelf.

✺ how brands are simplifying ingredients and moving away from ultra-processed foods.

✺ how functional foods, GLP-1s, and wellness trends are shaping what we eat next.

From a branding lens, I’m also interested in how companies are translating all of this complexity into products people understand and trust.

If you’ll be there, let’s connect!

#FutureFoodTech #CPG #FoodInnovation #BrandStrategy #FutureOfFood

From the land of meat, tallow… and hot dog hats, here are a few takeaways from this year’s Annual Meat Conference.

1️⃣ Grocery and restaurants are mixing

The cost gap between eating out and cooking at home keeps widening, so more people are cooking at home. But they’re tired, short on time, and cooking fatigue is real.

Brands and retailers are responding with pre-marinated or fully cooked items, meal kits, and in-store quick-serve concepts like H-E-B’s BBQ counters.

Consumers want restaurant convenience… at grocery prices.

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2️⃣ Value doesn't always mean low price

For Gen Z and Millennials, “lower cost” actually comes after quality and appearance.

Value is increasingly tied to the experience: flavor, cooking confidence, meal inspiration, and lifestyle fit.

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3️⃣ Production matters

Younger consumers care deeply about how food is produced:

• Animal welfare
• Raised in the U.S.
• Grass-fed
• Regenerative agriculture
• Environmental impact

What happens before the meat hits the shelf matters more than ever.

------------------------

4️⃣ Blending is trending

Consumers love the best of both worlds.

One example: Crossover Meats protein blends like chicken + beef that combine the flavor and iron of beef with the lower fat and environmental footprint of chicken.

Another: The Better Meat Co.’s mycoprotein (fungi) ingredients blend with beef, boosting umami while lowering environmental impact.

I think we’ll see more hybrid products that balance nutrition, flavor, sustainability, and affordability.

------------------------

5️⃣ Hispanic flavors keep gaining ground

Chorizo. Birria. Carnitas. Tacos.

As consumers recreate restaurant experiences at home, Hispanic cuisine continues to lead the way with bold flavor, familiarity, and versatility across proteins.

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These themes extend well beyond the meat category. It’s about protein, convenience, transparency, flavor exploration, and helping people cook better meals at home. Hot dog hats optional. 🌭


Farmer Focus Konopelski Meats Gleezy Dog Tender Belly Rastelli Foods Group, Inc. Snake River Farms #MeatConference #MeatIndustry #2026AMC #PowerofMeat #Protein

This is what I love about our industry. Success, then generosity.

When I first started, Expo West and big trade shows felt impossible.

Not because I didn’t want it badly enough to be in the room with potential buyers. 

But because early on, everything is a trade-off.

You’re choosing between:

Paying for inventory
Keeping the lights on
Or flying across the country to meet one buyer
…hoping that one conversation changes everything.

Sometimes it does.

Sometimes one conversation rewrites the next five years.

Back then, I couldn’t justify the cost, the risk, or the optics.

Now, I finally can.

My business partner Zelka Ridjosic Traikos  and I have a few Expo West passes to give away (≈ $4,000 value each), and I want to pay it forward.

If you’re building something —

quietly, imperfectly, with more doubt than certainty —comment below! 👇

what you’re working on
and why being in that room would matter

No pitch deck.
No polish.
Just honesty.

We will pick a few founders and help get you in the room. 🤍👊


#ExpoWest #Founders #CPG #BuildInPublic #PayItForward

Will you be at AMC next week? Let’s meat!

I’ll be walking the show scouting trends and innovations in sustainable packaging, product formats, flavor, and of course branding and design.

If you’ve got something new and noteworthy (or just want to say 👋), tell me where to find you. I’d love to stop by.

#MeatConference #MeatIndustry #2026AMC #PowerofMeat #Protein

Courtney Smith Design

Research, develop, and present large strategic projects from brand creation, visual strategy, package design, photography and illustration direction, through retouching, final production and execution. Manage schedules and deliveries under tight deadlines. Coordinate with account management teams, printers, and vendors on all aspects of project development, print production processes and client presentations.
San Francisco Bay Area, CA Clients: Redbud Brands, Astor Chocolate, SmashBrand, Truly Creative Design, Navitas Organics, Plum Organics, Deutsch Design Works, Sterling Becker, Tesser, Guideboat Co, Mez Design, Williams-Sonoma Inc, BBDO West, TBWA\Chiat\Day

New York, NY Clients: Sterling Brands, Wallace Church & Co., Dragon Rouge, Anthem Worldwide, Landor Associates, Cornerstone, Rogers Eckersley Design (RED), COLANGELO, R-Pac International Corporation

Freelance Senior Designer & Production Artist

Ross Valley Nursery School

Board of Directors Member

Southern Marin Mother's Club

Pro Bono Designer for The SMMC Crier

Plum Organics

Executed large strategic projects from research and concept development, to final presentations, proofing, and press checks. Directed photography and managed photo retouching. Coordinated with Brand, Research and Development, Innovation, and Marketing teams.

Senior Designer

Murray Brand Communications

A senior member of the creative team, with key responsibilities that included design research, visual strategy, concept creation, directing photographers and illustrators, and final client presentations. Areas of specialization included brand theory, color psychology, typography, and brand identity.
Clients: Perdue Farms, Foster Farms, Cott Beverages, Hearthside Foods, Winebow, 
Reser’s Fine Foods, Barr & Barr Attorneys

Paxar Americas, Inc. (Bought by Avery Dennison in 2007)

Directed and executed innovative apparel identity programs, client presentations, and trade shows with global production facilities to maximize efficiency. The Northwest Region earned continuous top sales awards in the U.S.
Clients: Gap Inc, Levi Strauss & Co., Mervyn’s, Nike, Adidas, REI, Columbia Sportswear, Kmart, Dillard’s, Eddie Bauer, Guess, JCPenney

Regional Designer

Innovative design leader with 25+ years of experience delivering high-impact branding solutions for top brands. Proven track record of driving business growth through creative and strategic design. Expert in graphic design, packaging, branding, and production design. Proven ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams, streamline production processes, and deliver exceptional results. Holds a deep understanding of print production and file preparation, ensuring seamless execution from concept to completion.   

DESIGN SPECIALTIES: Package Design, Brand Identity, Brand Guidelines, Brochure Design, Advertising, Marketing Materials, Typography, Color Theory

CREATIVE SKILLS: Design Direction, Ideation, Illustration, Photo Retouching, Infographics, Visual Research, Mood Boards

PRODUCTION SKILLS: Concept Line Extensions, Production Design, Problem-Solving, Printer Relationships, Quality Control

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