Hillary Lyons of Syntropy on AI-Ready Brand Systems for SaaS

Please share a brief introduction and your business:

I’m Hillary Lyons, founder of Syntropy. We’re brand strategists, copywriters, and context engineers for B2B SaaS. Anyone can prompt. We interview your team, extract the tribal knowledge that makes your brand distinct, and engineer that context into systems so AI reliably writes in your voice and runs a coherent content strategy across channels.

Did you always know you wanted to be an entrepreneur?

Not at all! I love order & structure so I sought that from employers. I always felt like an imposter, or like I was missing something, because most of the companies I worked with as an employee were chaos. Only now do I realize that this is something most businesses struggle with, and a superpower I can share to sherpa orgs through the difficult work of operationalizing their tribal knowledge.

Take us back to when you launched? What was your marketing strategy?

I'm very much in the "cobbler wears no shoes" camp: I love marketing for others and hated doing it for myself. Switching from a personal brand to a standalone has made all the difference. Suddenly, I'm not marketing myself; I owe it to the business to do this work. I am finally launching my new site and plan to kick off marketing in earnest next year. I'm very excited.

What accomplishments are you the most proud of to date in your business?

3 years ago, around the time I realized I needed to scale beyond myself, I started working with a contractor named Eileen. Looking back, I was drowning. I had tried collaborating with other writers, but the people I could afford created more work (not less). Eileen changed that. She was so curious and organized that I could immediately breathe a sigh of relief. That working relationship has become the single most valuable in my career. Not just because she makes my work easier, but because she challenges me to learn and grow. And I take immense joy in mentoring her so she can avoid the pitfalls and mistakes that I made. Eileen has been my confidante, co-creator, colleague, "work sister," and best friend. No one else can appreciate my professional journey or the work that went into building this company because she has been with me every step of the way. Today, she is Syntropy's GPT Wrangler and AI Integration Specialist and I couldn't be more proud (or grateful).

What is one thing you wish you had known when you started your Entreprenista journey?

Set firm boundaries from day 1. If a client can't respect them, good riddance. No project is worth sacrificing your well-being (or sanity).

When hiring, what is your go-to interview question?

“Tell me about a time you improved a process no one asked you to improve.” I want people who think in systems, who notice friction, and who take initiative without being nudged. Those are the folks who thrive in a small, creative, tech-forward consultancy.

What did you go before starting your own business?

I started my marketing career working with scrappy startups and nonprofits 15+ years ago. Talk about trial by fire. But it ignited my passion for storytelling and consumer psychology. I took that experience and decided to start freelancing full-time 7 years ago so I could regain control of my career trajectory. I never looked back.

What made you take the leap to start your own business?

To be honest, I started freelancing out of necessity. I was working a job that was killing me, commuting, watching my bank account dwindle. When I quit my 9-5, I thought it was a temporary measure. But I was hooked on the freedom. Then, about 3 years ago, I finally acknowledged that I'd never reach my personal and professional goals by freelancing as I was and I fully committed myself to building out my systems, frameworks, templates and hiring support so I could scale. That psychological shift – from solo consultant to founder – was the hardest and the most rewarding. Suddenly, I couldn't be so precious or perfectionistic about my work because people were waiting and depending on me. The work is now larger than just me (and the

Do you have any recent wins?

I've been quietly beta testing my "toolmate" offer (custom GPTs branded to your business and trained in your workflows) with new clients these past few months and they have been a resounding success! For one client, we expedited content review by almost 40%. For another, we converted weeks of tedious, manual case study drafting into a few enjoyable hours of riffing with a toolmate that's already up to speed on marketing ops. I'm excited to officially launch my website (and this toolmate offer) next month. Stay tuned!

What's one app on your phone that you cannot live without?

Slack. Since it's connected to my Notion, it acts as an extension of my business brain. Whenever I have an idea/question, I document it in the right channel, then Notion AI periodically scans my Slack to extract new insights, ideas, decisions, and populate the appropriate Notion board or client project.

Who are your customers?

Series A-C B2B SaaS teams. Founders and GTM leaders who recognize your AI is only as good as the data foundation its built upon. I work with teams who recognize that the future of business requires reinventing their systems and ops to maximize both AI and human potential.

What's your top productivity tip?

Notion AI. Hands down the single tool that enabled me to scale as aggressively as I did. It is mind-blowingly powerful, tho the platform can be intimidating at first. Stick with it and the value compounds over time.

What's your favorite business tool?

Lol, you can probably guess from my answers above...

What's your approach to work-life balance?

I LOVE my work. So it can definitely be hard to unplug. Going into an office (in my case, a coworking space) has made all the difference. Now when I go home, I actually disconnect because I already left work at work.

How do you avoid burn-out?

I listen to my body as much as I can. I don't push myself when I can't focus on deep/strategic work. I tap into my body (stretching, going for a walk) when my brain goes into overdrive. Pen and paper is my secret weapon for getting unstuck.

What advice do you have for aspiring Entreprenistas?

Build your business in a way that lets you think clearly. Most of the chaos founders drown in isn’t a character flaw, it’s a systems problem. The sooner you document your processes, automate the repeatable stuff, and get comfortable asking for help, the faster you unlock the work you’re actually meant to do. And don’t wait until you’re “ready” to use AI. Start small, build toolmates that match your real workflows, and let them take the tedious weight off your plate so you can focus on the parts only you can do.

Learn more about the Entreprenista League and join today

‍