We didn’t start Charleston Tartan to build a consulting empire. We started it because the way we work – how we think, how we serve, how we show up – wasn’t something we saw reflected in the traditional consulting world. We wanted a better model, so we built it.

Charleston Tartan is a husband-and-wife consultancy offering two very different but very complementary services:

• Federal funding, Government and Strategic consulting
• Administrative and Management consulting

One of us is a defense and tech strategist with a few too many federal budget documents bookmarked. The other can spot a broken workflow at 20 paces and fix it before you’ve finished explaining what’s not working. Together, we’ve supported startups, small businesses, scaled contractors, and helped executive teams move from overwhelmed to operational.

We don’t come with a big firm name. We come with real experience – and the kind of personal investment that’s hard to find in this business.

Why Charleston Tartan?

It’s a name that reflects both where we are rooted and how we work:

Charleston is our home; it’s where history meets hustle and where relationships still matter.

Tartan symbolizes threads woven with purpose. In Scottish tradition, every tartan pattern tells a story of origin, identity, and craft. That idea of thoughtful structure – distinct pieces coming together to form something stronger – resonates deeply with how we approach our work.

We’re not here to give advice. We’re here to help clients build something that holds.

What You Can Expect from The Weave

This blog isn’t just for news or announcements. It’s a place to share ideas, offer clarity, and invite conversation. We’ll be writing about:

• Trends and insights in federal funding, innovation programs, and defense priorities
• Practical strategies for startups and contractors navigating growth
• Administrative systems that actually save time (and sanity)
• Tools, templates, and hard-won lessons from our work behind the curtain
• Occasional musings on work, leadership, and building something on your own terms

If you’re a founder trying to keep up with opportunity, a team leader managing too many moving parts, or a contractor trying to navigate the fog of federal funding: this space is for you.

Why We’re Excited

There’s a certain kind of client we love working with: mission-focused, sharp, and serious about doing good work. You don’t need a flashy slide deck and bloated billable hours. You need clarity, structure, and partners who care enough to get the details right.

That’s who we serve – and why we’re excited to grow Charleston Tartan the way it was always meant to be grown: one relationship at a time, with a lot of intention and zero pretense.

Thanks for stopping by – we hope you stick around.

Melanie & Nathan Clark
support@chstartan.com