I've never been able to walk past a problem and leave it there.
Not in a restaurant, not in a hotel, not in a boardroom. If something could run better, feel better, or serve people better, I noticed it. And more often than not, I did something about it, whether it was my responsibility to or not.
That instinct has followed me through two decades of working inside other people’s businesses, from hospitality in Winnipeg to sales and business development across some of Canada’s most competitive industries. And in every environment, the same pattern showed up.
Some businesses had what they needed to grow. Others, regardless of size, were missing something harder to name: someone invested enough in the outcome to look at the whole picture, ask the uncomfortable questions, and stay until it was actually better.
What was missing wasn’t more ideas. It was the right person in their corner.
The thing that drives me.
An experience can feel average or it can feel elevated.
Back in the early 2000s at Winnipeg’s Fort Garry Hotel, the standard of care began before guests ever reached the door. I brought room service to Robin Williams, Shannen Doherty to the roof to watch fireworks, and collected a story about Kirstie Alley that’s better told in person. What that environment gave me is a standard I’ve never been able to shake - for what genuine care looks like, and what it produces. Businesses that operate at that level don’t have to chase clients. They attract them.
Experience is strategy. It’s one of the most overlooked competitive advantages a business can have. I want to bring that back. And it starts with someone who will truly get invested in your vision.
In 2018 I was referred into my first consulting engagement. By 2025 I made it my full focus and MTTE BLLK Agency Inc. was born.
I won’t hand you a strategy and wish you luck. I’m here to build with you.
- Kelly Abesdris, Founder + Creative Strategist
When I decided to pursue music seriously under the name Kelly Besd, I started with nothing but the idea. I built the story, the socials, the website, made the right connections - including garnering the attention of legendary engineer Eddie Kramer, whose credits include The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and Led Zeppelin. The Alberta Foundation for the Arts grant followed. Then the EP, Back to Me.
I started collaborating with local artists - connecting with their communities, building relationships, expanding my reach one partnership at a time. That led to Our Love, a project I created with over 20 Calgary artists during the early days of the pandemic. It was about community. It was also a strategy. It landed me on CTV News at Noon.
I brought on a PR person, reached out to radio, and told the right story. Four YYC Music Awards nominations. Three Canadian Independent Music Video Award nominations. Features on CBC Radio.
It’s a different stage than business. But the same approach.
Different Stage, Same Standard
