Give me all your excitement, passion and purpose. I’ll turn it into copy that connects.
When I launched my freelance career (read this post for more on that), I wasn’t sure where it would take me. I’m a generalist as a communicator. I’ve managed teams and worked on everything from strategy, to media relations, to crisis communication and issues management, to event planning, and, of course, content marketing.
Within a year of working with my clients, it became clear that content is what I enjoy most and it’s a place I can truly help. Here’s why:
- I’m quickly ignited by someone else’s passion.
- I can put myself in the customer/client’s shoes easily.
- I immediately start constructing stories in my mind.
I help you implement your content strategy
I discovered many of my clients have a strategic communications plan or content strategy, or, in some cases, I wrote a strategy for them, but they were stuck on implementation. A strategy is only as good as the implementation. And you won’t change your communication overnight. Like anything, it’s about creating new systems and habits to move you closer to an ideal future state.
There are a few reasons I believe people get stuck:
- FEAR. Oh gosh, this is huge. And it’s natural. Fear is always going to be there. So often though we nitpick and are trying for perfect so we never get going. I recommend creating the most viable product (
mvp ) and then improving on it. Don’t go from skateboard to Cadillac in one move (a colleague in IT used this analogy with me before and it stuck.). - Lack of resources… or perceived lack of resources. Sometimes we’re hanging on to legacy activities. Things we’ve always done that feel safe. Or, we’re wasting time on tasks that might be better suited for someone else (ahem, outsourced)
because they’re not our strength or what we’re most driven to work on. - Where to start… the thing is, you’ve already started. You’re communicating daily, so whether it aligns with your strategy as written or not, you’re doing something. Stop saying you need to start. You want to evolve.
More on how I work
I help make complex topics clear
Something clients appreciate is my ability to grasp concepts and make them clear for general audiences. Since I don’t work in your world every day, I’m not prone to industry jargon. I can translate your complex information into language your audience (likely not experts like you) will understand.
I’m curious and make connections between ideas
One of the reasons I quickly grasp complex information is because I’m curious by nature. I take courses regularly, read a lot and follow thinkers like Adam Grant, Brené Brown and Seth Godin. I like to ask questions. I make new connections and draw on various disciplines when developing solutions.
At my core
Purpose
To make things better for those who come after me and to evolve to my greatest potential (can I have two?)
Current mission
To improve society through helpful and positive communication
Vision
An open, just and free world (not that I dream big or anything)
My beliefs
- Being open and honest is always the right approach.
- Helping people is the best way to help ourselves.
- What we say matters, but what we do matters more.
- Internal communication is critical.
- Try new approaches — sticking to the same old ways is not how we’ll stand out .
- Simple is best.
My core values
- Openness
- Freedom
- Relationships
- Contribution
- Optimism
The personal stuff
I share a glimpse into my life on my Instagram. You’ll discover we live in a chalet in the woods in Simcoe County, Ontario. I’m married to another communicator and all-round happy-go-lucky guy, Scott. We have three wonderful kids, Anna, Etta and Morley (yes, we’re Vinyl Cafe fans).
My credentials
I have a diploma in public relations and a degree in political science. I’ve also completed the following courses:
- Intro to Programming Nanodegree, Udacity
- Data Foundations Nanodegree, Udacity
- Inbound Certification – Hubspot Academy
- Online Donor Acquisition and Retention – CanadaHelps
- Direct-Response Copywriting Specialist – Digital Marketer
Okay, enough about me, I want to know about you
When you find a great mechanic, you don’t let them go. It’s the same for communicators. Sure, there are a lot of us out there, like any industry. The key is to find a person who can get as excited about your purpose as you are. Someone who you can trust to provide quality work.
And for me, I look for clients I believe in. I want to work with people who are providing value to the world and who care about what they do. It’s not all about the money. It’s about impact.
Bottom line, we both need to want to work together for the relationship to thrive. And when there’s a match, magic happens.
If I sound like someone you might be interested in working with, I’d love to hear from you. Please get in touch.