Why Spotlight Monkey?
Spotlight Monkey’s mission is to help businesses form authentic connections with customers that go beyond sales, ensuring they feel like valued participants in the brand’s journey, purpose, and long-term success.
Throughout her career as an Emmy award-winning storyteller, owner Joan O’Connor transformed television brands by creating narratives that do more than entertain—they build genuine, lasting connections with audiences. Motivated by a desire to create a more peronsal legacy, Joan founded Spotlight Monkey, where she now helps others realize their dreams by crafting brand narratives that drive success.
Wondering about the name? Spotlight Monkey originates from an embarrassing early childhood experience involving a circus, a spotlight, and chimpanzees. This “humoriliating” tale (see below) taught Joan that truth, in all its glory and horror, is what makes us unique, relatable, and interesting.
Extraordinary messaging guided by values & principles.
IMAGINATIVE: No sheep here. Original thinking in a bold, creative way that makes your brand unforgettable.
RESOURCEFUL: Always finding innovative ways to craft a unique story that lands in the spotlight of your customers’ memories.
CURIOUS: Continually questioning, learning and staying in-the-know ensures your brand is relevant and resonates with your audience.
ATTENTIVE: Listening with all senses and hearing what you don’t say allows room for intuition to identify nuances that make your story impactful.
COMPASSIONATE: Kindness & empathy aren’t attributes; they’re a given at SM and are key to identifying your brand’s heart.
RESPECTFUL: Integrity, honesty, and respect make everyone feel valued and more open to taking risks with ideas.
Clients are the heroes in Spotlight Monkey’s story.
Here’s what some have to say.
Robert Ghobrial, Founder of Rooted Promise
"Joan (Spotlight Monkey) is a storytelling and copy writing genius! I was using AI to create my branding and copy for my website and packaging because I thought a company is all about the product and functionality. But then Joan brought Rooted Promise to life giving it a voice and personality more beautiful than I ever imagined would be possible.
Joan has also given me a greater appreciation for perception and that how you say things makes a huge difference. She helped me create a name for the company that works on several meaningful levels. We’ve seen a 125% growth in sales since we introduced the new brand and story. More than sales growth though, we now have a solid foundation to build upon. Without a strong brand foundation, future growth, if it ever happened, would be like building a house on sand. Now we have strong concrete foundation to begin growing and scaling our business growth and impact.
I am so glad our paths have crossed and will continue to rely on her as my company grows.”
Shelley Gupta, Founder of BaKIT BOX
"Working with Joan really helped us hone in on our product’s true value proposition and emotional connection the founders have to the brand. Joan challenged both my partner and I on why we felt our product was important to launch and how we wanted to make customers feel. Joan also helped us come up with a fun branding theme of "travelling the world with BaKIT Box" and the concept of a baking passport which drew more excitement around the brand identity."
Meet Spotlight Monkey’s Storyteller
Joan with chimpanzee pal circa 2000
“Storytelling is the air I breathe. I am grateful that I can share my gifts to help others succeed and shine as brightly as they should.”
— Owner/Storyteller, Joan O'Connor
Introduction
At a startup pitch event for entrepreneurs hoping to obtain funding, I discovered my brand storytelling calling while witnessing the impact that NOT telling a compelling story could have on capturing attention and securing investments. Since then, my journey has been dedicated to helping business owners shape compelling brand identities.
When telling a Venture Capitalist friend about the event’s heartbreaking pitch wrecks which lost funding opportunities, he shared that most entrepreneurs don’t understand the need for an engaging brand story identity and asked if I would be interested in consulting with some of his founders. Without hesitating I said, “Yes!” The notion of using my expertise to directly help companies succeed was thrilling and Spotlight Monkey was born.
Flashback
My storytelling journey began in Hollywood, CA where I became an Emmy Award-winning producer whose goal was to positively affect people’s lives. As a writer, director, and producer for non-fiction programming, I enjoyed connecting with viewers through engaging infotainment that provided laughs and educational takeaways.
First act break
My role as the Supervising Producer on the launch of A Baby Story, the groundbreaking series featuring labor and deliveries, showcased my ability to relate with viewers on a profound, life affirming level. As part of the senior team on Big Brother 2, I played a pivotal role in transforming the show into a thriving multi-million-dollar franchise.
Midpoint
As Co-Executive Producer for Starting Over, a daily syndicated one-hour series dedicated to empowering women, I helmed the story and post-production departments. Steering the creative direction, I helped shape more than 175 episodes each season leading to an Emmy award and a subsequent nomination. In an odd twist of fate, we lost the second Emmy to A Baby Story which I developed and produced years earlier.
My proudest moment came when our dedicated editors, who I closely supervised, clinched their own Emmy, a testament to our unwavering commitment and artistry in accomplishing what seemed impossible.
Second act break
When the lines between reality and scripted in non-fiction TV began to blur, I lost interest in the genre. Needing a new challenge, I returned to my hometown, Chicago, where I joined O’Connor Casting eventually becoming a partner, and member of the Casting Society of America (CSA). Casting was invigorating because performance is an exciting way to tell stories.
Transitioning from television to casting allowed me to explore the world of branding more intimately. Collaborating on iconic campaigns for north star brands like Apple, Coca-Cola and Disney deepened my understanding of the synergy between storytelling and brand strategy.
Epiphany
When I found myself sitting at that investor’s pitch event, I realized I was craving a more meaningful way to use my storytelling talents to help people. With Spotlight Monkey I enjoy one-on-one collaboration and infusing my hallmark reputation for having fun while creating inspiring, quality content. I have an enormous amount of respect for business owners because I understand just how much hard work is required to create something remarkable.
Personally, I am happiest when laughing and spending time with family and friends surrounded by nature and animals. My favorite pastime is creating fun YouTube videos, advocating for reducing single-use plastic consumption, and sharing stories on stage at NPR’s The Moth.
I believe in empowering others to achieve their dreams and have mentored numerous women and disadvantaged students. I live by Margaret Fuller's words, “If you have knowledge, let others light their candle in it.”
