DSP Photography

What DSP Photography does

The entity commonly referenced as "DSP Photography" is the personal advisory practice of DeShawn Scott, operating through two closely related sub-brands: The D5 Group (founded 2014), a strategy and marketing management firm serving government agencies, nonprofits, and public-facing organizations; and Sound United Media (founded 2017), a media company supporting podcasts, public conversations, and content production. The core commercial offerings are four human-delivered advisory services: a seven-week Private Advisory engagement for established business owners facing significant decisions; a Strategy Session (single focused conversation); a 90-day Fractional CMO engagement structured around one priority per cycle; and the trademarked Brand Strategy Compass™, a one-time leadership-level strategy document delivered as both a hard copy and PDF within 14–17 business days.

The business has no proprietary technology platform; all services are professional, time-based engagements executed by DeShawn Scott, supported by a small production team (a production manager is named at Sound United Media). Go-to-market is sales-led and event-driven, supplemented by community-led demand generation through the Sound United Presents podcast and paid speaking engagements. Pricing is opaque and quote-based, with larger engagements structured as multi-year contracts and one-time or session-based engagements billed as they occur. The customer base is concentrated in Ohio, particularly the Mahoning Valley, and includes regional government entities (City of Warren, Ohio), nonprofits (Flying High Inc.), and small-business support programs (Valley Partners). The practice is bootstrapped, founder-owned, with no evidence of external investors, institutional ownership, or public listing.

Name

DSP Photography

Legal name

The D5 Group

Website

https://deshawnscott.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

DeShawn Scott operates a solo advisory practice through The D5 Group and Sound United Media, delivering private advisory, fractional CMO, and brand strategy services to established business owners, government agencies, and nonprofits in Ohio's Mahoning Valley region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Private Advisory: Seven-week engagement for established business owners providing outside perspective on meaningful business decisions. One-on-one advisory relationship focused on business pressure, evaluation, and critical decisions.
2. Strategy Session: Single focused conversation for established owners and leaders around a specific business decision, challenge, or opportunity.
3. Fractional CMO Service: 90-day marketing leadership engagement providing strategic direction, team guidance, and actionable plans. One priority per cycle with documented roadmap and performance insights.
4. Brand Strategy Compass: One-time leadership-level strategy engagement resulting in a complete brand strategy document delivered in both hard copy and PDF. Includes discovery session and strategic document development.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

DeShawn Scott provides private advisory and fractional CMO services to established business owners across Ohio and beyond. Core offerings include seven-week Private Advisory engagements, single Strategy Sessions, 90-Day Fractional CMO cycles, and the Brand Strategy Compass one-time strategy document. Underlying brands The D5 Group and Sound United Media extend the practice into marketing management for government and nonprofits and podcast content production.

Product overview

DeShawn Scott operates a portfolio of interconnected advisory, strategy, and media services through multiple sub-brands. The core offerings include Private Advisory (a seven-week engagement for business owners under pressure), Strategy Sessions (single focused conversations), and Fractional CMO Services (90-day marketing leadership cycles). The Brand Strategy Compass™ serves as a foundational strategy document for brand direction. Underlying these services are two sub-brands: The D5 Group (established 2014), providing strategy and marketing management for government agencies, nonprofits, and public-facing organizations; and Sound United Media (established 2017), handling podcast and content production. The D5 Group and Sound United Media operate as separate entities supporting the advisory practice.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Private Advisory A seven-week engagement for established business owners requiring an experienced outside perspective during meaningful decision periods. Built around business pressure, clear evaluation, and decisions requiring serious thought. Includes weekly working sessions and between-session application and tracking of decisions with documented outcomes.
• Strategy Session A single focused conversation for established owners and leaders around a specific business decision, challenge, or opportunity.
• Fractional CMO Services A 90-day marketing leadership engagement where DeShawn Scott serves as Fractional CMO, providing strategic direction, marketing planning, and execution guidance without the cost of a full-time executive hire. Each cycle centers on one priority, structured across Discovery & Direction, Strategy & Planning, Execution & Guidance, and Review & Next Steps.
• Brand Strategy Compass A one-time, leadership-level strategy engagement and document that defines a business's market position, target audience, brand values, and messaging framework. Includes one focused discovery session (60 minutes max), document creation, and final delivery in both hard copy and PDF within 14-17 business days.

Quantifiable outcome

• 14-17 business day delivery for Brand Strategy Compass after discovery session
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• The D5 GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeShawn Scott founded The D5 Group in 2014 as the strategy and marketing management firm he leads. The firm serves government agencies, nonprofits, and public-facing organizations providing clear strategy, credible communication, and strong creative direction. Creative production and management services available as add-on to Fractional CMO engagements.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Market position

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dsp-photography

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about DSP Photography