Today we’d like to introduce you to Grace Kathleen Burns.
Hi Grace Kathleen, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
When I was in school I was a member of many extracurricular activities like theater, dance, choir, band and more. When I was in middle school, I was given the opportunity to advertise my school’s spring play through social media. There I realized that social media marketing was something I was interested in. Throughout high school, I took on bigger projects and got experience in many different avenues of advertising. I made a few commercials/documentaries, built websites, and did many photography sessions.
In 2021, I attended Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, Florida. In 2024, earned a Bachelor’s of Arts in Video Production and a Bachelor’s of Business Administration in Marketing (with a concentration in advertising). While I was in school, I was the Founder and President of a networking club called “The Film Stop”. (In photography, an f-stop is a measure of light.) Faced with the need in my community, the F Stop connected creative young professionals in all artistic disciplines. I also wrote and directed a television pilot, Peach Wine. It is available on YouTube, and you can find it on my website!
Right after college, I spent a while as Director of Marketing for a Production company in South Florida. There, I was able to strengthen my creative skills as a filmmaker.
In May of 2025, I moved back to the Eastern Shore of Maryland. In August of 2025, I founded Burned Media! I have been building my business ever since! We are coming up on one year in business in August!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Thankfully, the road has been relatively smooth. Growing a business in any capacity is difficult. However, it is fulfilling work, and I enjoy doing it. I always call them “growing pains”. Of course, owning a business is great because you get to make all of the decisions. The flip side of that (which no one tells you) is that you have to make mistakes first to know which decision is right. At first, I struggled with organizational tasks. For instance, which project management software do I prefer? How did I like to visualize my tasks? Unfortunately, I had to find out which ones I didn’t like before I found one I did.
While I have over a decade of experience in my craft, this is my first time running a business. I earned two Bachelor’s degrees in three years, demonstrating strong time management. However, when it is all on you, there are a lot more factors that go into decisions than I realized!
One of the other biggest challenges I have faced in my business is delegation. There are so many opportunities around, and I want to jump in on all of them. Sometimes, I need to remind myself that I am only one person.
As you know, we’re big fans of Burned Media. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Burned Media is an all encompassing private marketing firm. Our mission is to support small businesses and non-profits by providing high quality, sustainable marketing strategies.
My business works in 3 pillars. Consulting, Photography/Videography, and Teaching.
Consulting is my biggest pillar. We basically step in and assist in any area of marketing that is keeping a business from their goals. We step in at any point and support in as many ways as possible. I work with clients who are still in the brainstorming phase of their business. On the other end, I have clients who have been in business for 30 years, and want to have someone else do their posting. There are incredible advantages to both and I love every part of business formation.
I can handle digital marketing, social media, websites, logos, and everything in between. When I am onboarding a new client, we will have a one-on-one meeting to discuss where the client is in their business, where they want to be, and the limitations that they have. I then build a custom strategy that will support the client to their goals. Then, I have different levels of involvement that a client chooses from. If the client is content, they can have the strategy and be done. If they would like assistance, I provide a variety of levels of my involvement to best support them.
The second pillar is photography / videography. I provide a variety of services like professional headshots, business, family, graduation, portrait, lifestyle, and more. In terms of video, I can create commercials, social media ads, podcasts, sizzle reels, website openers, documentaries, and more!
The last pillar is teaching. I host a series of workshops titled “Burning Questions”. These workshops answer all of the burning questions about small business marketing, to social media, SEO, ROI, and more! I (try to) host two workshops per month. The first one is “What the HECK is Marketing?!” This workshop goes over the very basics of marketing and how to identify your business using the correct terminology. The second workshop rotates every month to a different category of my choosing.
I make a very conscious effort to push my comfort zone and learn as much as I can. Through my curiosity, I was able to earn many practical skills that set me apart in my career. For example, when I was in high school, I worked part time at Kent Island Scuba. While I was there, I moved throughout the diving ranks and reached a Dive Master position. With this promotion, I was able to teach students scuba techniques while they were in high stress situations. This experience made me a better teacher and communicator. In addition, I was better able to strengthen my empathy and skills to understand people deeper. On a more practical level, I have two University Degrees. My marketing degree helps me with the psychology of consumer behavior. However, my film degree gives me the advantage of understanding advertising in the production sense as well. Not only can I advise clients about marketing strategies, but I can also assist them in the production of these campaigns.
I am so incredibly proud that my brand and mission is based on community support. I absolutely love pouring back into my community the same way that it pours into me. One of the BEST parts of my job is seeing a small business thrive after receiving the support that they need.
What do you like and dislike about the city?
I love the Eastern Shore! I actually live closer to Chesapeake College, but I work in Easton! I consider Talbot and Queen Anne’s County my “city”. The Eastern Shore is absolutely my home! One of my favorite parts about it is the variety. You can go from farm land, to water, to Ocean City business, to small town charm, all in one day!
My least favorite thing is the beach traffic! Don’t get me wrong, I love that people are visiting Ocean City and Delaware beaches. However, I don’t like sitting in traffic to get to the grocery store on Sunday night!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.BurnedMediallc.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/burnedmediallc/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BurnedMediaLLC
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@gracekathleenburns
- Other: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94SX5MtT6d0
