Charlie Mulan Intelligence

You can't build the future with yesterday's frameworks

Cultural shifts are outpacing strategy. Most leaders are building for a world that's already gone…

Charlie Mulan is a future-forward creative intelligence agency supporting mission-driven founders, brands, organizations, and creators seeking intellectual partnership to articulate a distinct point of view in oversaturated markets that are continuously changing.

We blend cultural foresight, human-centered analysis, and creative intelligence to help you design strategies that meet people where they're actually going. We operate at the intersection of philosophy & futurism, creativity & human potential, and community & cultural design.

The strategies that worked before aren't landing anymore. While you're busy executing, creating content, serving clients, and building products, the market is shifting underneath you.

AI is disrupting your industry. Consumer behavior is evolving. Cultural norms are changing. Your competitors are moving in new directions and your favorite social media platform just released another update.

By the time you notice the shift, you're already reacting to it instead of leading it. Strategic decisions are starting to feel like expensive guesses.

You don't need more tactics. You need research specifically developed around your brand, business, and organizational vision that will help inform the strategies required to reach your North Star.

Let’s design a path forward.

Meet Charlie Mulan.

  • For the Future.

  • Charlie Mulan is a strategic intelligence agency built on the simple belief that culture is the compass for understanding the future. By tracking signals across industries, from AI and social platforms to consumer behavior and cultural movements, we identify patterns that reveal where markets are headed.

    But observation alone isn't enough. That's why we developed The Charlie Mulan Method, a proprietary framework that transforms cultural signals into strategic clarity.

    The Method combines three practices:

    Cultural Foresight | We track signals across industries While your competitors watch their own sector, we monitor AI developments, social platform shifts, consumer behavior changes, cultural movements, and policy innovations across multiple industries. This wide-angle view lets us spot patterns and opportunities sooner rather than later.

    What you get: Early visibility into shifts before they're obvious, so you can move while there's still white space.

    Futuring Frameworks | We map multiple possible futures Instead of predicting one outcome, we use scenario planning and horizon scanning to prepare you for various possibilities. This removes the paralysis of uncertainty and gives you confidence to act.

    What you get: Strategic clarity even when the future feels unclear, you're ready for multiple outcomes.

    Creative Intelligence | We turn insight into action We don't just hand you research and walk away. We translate foresight into positioning strategies, messaging frameworks, and implementation roadmaps you can execute immediately.

    What you get: Actionable intelligence, not a report that sits in your drive, but a strategic roadmap you implement.

    Why this matters for how we work:

    The Charlie Mulan Method is at the center of our approach to every project. We're not trend-chasing or copying competitors. We're conducting original research, identifying emerging opportunities, and building custom strategies.

    We're not reporting on what happened last quarter. We're researching what's emerging now and mapping where it could lead, so you can position strategically.

  • You're likely a fit if you're:

    • A founder or CEO navigating a pivot, rebrand, or market repositioning

    • A brand strategist positioning clients in competitive or rapidly evolving spaces

    • A creative agency leader looking to differentiate your approach with strategic intelligence

    • A thought or innovation leader tired of reacting to societal shifts and ready to spread your own methods, frameworks, and philosophies

    • A small business owner in a traditional industry (wellness, beauty, law, real estate, healthcare, events) committed to staying relevant as consumer expectations and cultural norms evolve

    What makes someone a great partner:

    • You value strategic foresight as a competitive advantage

    • You're willing to explore what works for YOUR North Star and not blindly follow what's working for others

    • You're making decisions that will shape the next 1-3 years of your business

    • You understand that clarity comes before execution

    You're not the right fit if:

    • You're looking for quick hacks or viral tactics

    • You want to blindly copy what's working for competitors

    • You're not ready to differentiate or explore evolved paths

    • You're not willing to invest in strategic clarity

    Our mission is to empower leaders, creatives, and organizations to move from reactive to proactive, to see what's coming and position for it.

  • While you're running your business, Charlie's Agents are tracking what's shifting in your market.

    They're the researchers immersed in your industry, the cultural analysts monitoring social platforms and consumer behavior, the strategists connecting patterns across disciplines, and the futures thinkers mapping where today's signals might lead.

    Charlie's Agents are specialists in strategic intelligence:

    • They conduct the ethnographic research and stakeholder interviews in your Charlie Intelligence Brief

    • They track cultural signals across industries that most brands miss

    • They build the scenario plans and opportunity maps that show you multiple possible futures

    • They translate complexity into the clear strategic recommendations you can act on

    What makes them "agents": They're not passive consultants. They're actively investigating, observing, researching, synthesizing, and strategizing. They bring both analytical depth and creative intuition to every project, fusing rigorous methodology with imaginative foresight.

  • We turn intelligence into action by translating what we discover into the creative frameworks, positioning strategies, and implementation roadmaps you need to act.

    Using The Charlie Mulan Method:

    We analyze the signals

    What's shifting in your industry, how your audience is evolving, where your competitors are moving, and what cultural expectations are changing.

    We map the opportunities

    Research-backed pathways for differentiation, positioning, and strategic activation, building toward the emerging future, not clinging to outdated structures.

  • We’re currently partnering with community organizers, mission-driven orgs, creative founders, and small businesses on social campaigns, community ecosystems, and brand strategy that push culture forward.

    Now Accepting New Clients

Explore our service suite.

Whether you need clarity on where your market is headed, a personal brand that reflects your leadership, or a partner to help your business stay visible and competitive, choose the support that fits where you are.

EXPLORE

 FAQs

  • We're a strategic intelligence agency that helps founders, strategists, and organizations position for what's emerging. Using The Charlie Mulan Method (our proprietary framework combining cultural foresight, futuring frameworks, and creative intelligence), we deliver custom research and strategic direction so you can move proactively in fast-evolving markets.

    Our signature offering is The Charlie Intelligence Brief, a research-backed strategic forecast customized for your industry and market.

  • We work across industries because cultural shifts don't respect industry boundaries. That said, we have deep experience in:

    • Wellness & beauty

    • Creative services & agencies

    • Professional services (law, real estate, healthcare)

    • Tech & innovation

    • Creator economy & media

    • Consumer brands

  • The Charlie Intelligence Brief (CIB) is a comprehensive, research-backed forecast customized for your specific brand and market. It's not a generic trend report, it's strategic intelligence built specifically for you.

    You receive:

    • Emerging Shifts Analysis – What's changing in your market right now

    • Opportunity Mapping – White space before competitors see it

    • Scenario Planning – Multiple possible futures with strategic playbooks

    • Consumer & Stakeholder Intelligence – Research on what your audience actually cares about

    • 6-12 Month Forecast – Predictive intelligence on where your industry is headed

    • Strategic Recommendations – Specific positioning moves you can make now

    • Trend Analysis – What's real vs. hype

    • Early Warning Signals – Shifts to monitor

    • Content Strategy – How to show up in culture authentically

    • 6-Month Rollout Plan – Phased implementation roadmap

    Delivered as:

    • Beautifully designed 12-15 page PDF

    • Interactive presentation deck (Google Slides)

    • Video walkthrough of key findings

    • 90-minute strategy session (optional)

    Timeline: 3-4 weeks from kickoff to delivery
    Investment: $1500

  • Generic trend reports tell you what already happened and what everyone else already knows.
    The CIB (Charlie Intelligence Brief) tells you what's emerging in YOUR specific market before it's obvious.

    Traditional consultants give you a deck, bill you $50K+, and disappear.
    The CIB gives you actionable intelligence you can implement yourself at a fraction of the cost.

    DIY research means you spend weeks trying to connect disconnected data points.
    The CIB delivers the research, pattern recognition, and strategic synthesis, you get the clarity.

    The CIB is custom, actionable, research-backed, forward-looking, and done-and-delivered (no ongoing dependency).

  • Discovery Call (60 min) – We discuss your industry, challenges, and what you need clarity on

    1. Research & Analysis (2-3 weeks) – We conduct custom research using The Charlie Mulan Method

    2. Your Custom Brief (Delivered digitally) – Comprehensive strategic forecast with all deliverables

    3. Deliverable Walkthrough (90 min, optional) – We present findings and answer questions

    Total timeline: 3-4 weeks from kickoff to delivery

  • Your Charlie Intelligence Brief is delivered as a premium intelligence package:

    The Brief (PDF) A beautifully designed, confidential 12-15 page strategic forecast. Clean, sophisticated, built for both reading and sharing with your team. Includes data visualizations and references.

    Interactive Presentation Deck (Google Slides) An editable slide deck summarizing key findings, perfect for presenting to stakeholders. Fully customizable with speaker notes.

    Video Walkthrough A recorded walkthrough highlighting the most important findings and implementation guidance.

    Private Intelligence Portal (Notion) Access all deliverables, resources, and book your 90-minute strategy session through your custom portal.

    Optional Premium Add-Ons:

    Implementation Coaching

    Monthly strategy sessions over 3-6 months as you execute, think of us as your advisory board helping you implement with confidence.

    Strategic Intelligence Retainer

    Ongoing partnership for continuous intelligence, strategic guidance, and real-time support as your market evolves.

  • Our research combines multiple methodologies:

    • Signal tracking across industries, platforms, and demographics

    • Ethnographic research and consumer/stakeholder interviews (when applicable)

    • Competitive analysis and market landscape mapping

    • Trend analysis using proprietary frameworks

    • Scenario planning and futures mapping

    • Cross-industry pattern recognition

    We conduct original research and synthesis specifically for your project.

  • We use AI tools strategically to enhance our work, never to replace human judgment, creativity, or intuition. Here's how:

    Where we DO use AI:

    • Research aggregation and initial data synthesis

    • Pattern recognition across large datasets

    • Administrative tasks (scheduling, transcription)

    • Rapid prototyping of frameworks

    • Efficiency in production tasks

    Where we DON'T use AI:

    • Original strategic thinking and recommendations

    • Cultural analysis and interpretation

    • Client-facing insights and conclusions

    • Creative direction and positioning decisions

    • Any work requiring nuance, context, or lived experience

    Our ethical commitments:

    • Human-led always – Every insight, recommendation, and strategic decision comes from our team, not AI

    • Transparency – We're clear about where AI is used and where it's not

    • Quality over speed – We use AI to work smarter, not to cut corners on depth or originality

    • Cultural context – AI can't understand culture the way humans can, so our cultural intelligence is always human-driven

    • Client ownership – Your intellectual property is yours; we never feed client work into public AI models

    The Bottom line: AI helps us work more efficiently on administrative tasks, but your strategic intelligence is created by human researchers, strategists, and cultural analysts who understand nuance, context, and foresight in ways AI cannot replicate.

  • We don't:

    • Copy what worked for someone else just because it worked for them

    • Chase trends after they've peaked

    • Give you a deck and disappear

    • Use templated frameworks

    • Rely on AI for strategic thinking

    We do:

    • Conduct original research specific to your market

    • Identify opportunities before they're saturated

    • Deliver intelligence you can implement yourself

    • Build custom strategic forecasts using The Charlie Mulan Method

    • Combine cultural foresight, futuring frameworks, and creative intelligence

  • We work with a limited number of clients at a time to ensure depth and quality. Currently, we're accepting new projects with a 4-week lead time.

    If you're interested in working together, we recommend scheduling a discovery call soon to reserve your spot.

  • Yes. We work with clients globally and all services are delivered digitally. Discovery calls and strategy walkthroughs happen via video call.

  • Yes. We offer several support options:

    • Strategy Walkthrough (included): 90-min presentation and Q&A

    • Implementation Support: Monthly check-ins for 3-6 months to guide execution

    • Strategic Creative Support: We help translate intelligence into positioning, messaging, content strategies, and campaign frameworks

    • Retainer Options: Ongoing strategic partnership for continuous intelligence

    We can customize a support package based on your needs.

  • We recommend starting with:

    1. A discovery call (30 min) – We'll discuss your challenges and whether we're a fit

    2. A Brief Encounter (free newsletter) – Experience our thinking every Monday

    We only take on projects where we're confident we can deliver meaningful value.

  • Step 1: Schedule a discovery call by filling out form on this page
    Step 2: We'll discuss your needs, timeline, and fit
    Step 3: If we're aligned, we'll send a proposal and timeline
    Step 4: Kickoff within 1-2 weeks

    Or email us directly at Hello@CharlieMulan.com with your project details.

  • The Charlie Intelligence Brief currently starts at $1500 for our standard package.

    Pricing varies based on:

    • Depth of consumer/stakeholder research required

    • Industry complexity and competitive landscape

    • Timeline and urgency

    • Implementation support needs

    We provide custom quotes after a discovery call.