My first book was published at the age of five to sparkling reviews. Of course the cliché tale of damsels in distress was crafted in the crudely shaped, pencil letters of a kindergartner, on lined sheets of paper awkwardly stapled together; but nonetheless it was a hit. And if the adoring approbation of your parents is an indicator of success in the writing world, then I was certainly on my way up. Telling stories has been a passion ever since.
My understanding of the storytelling process has since segued into a more sophisticated handle of audience, positioning, and persuasion (not to mention sentence structure) from exposure to those concepts through my coursework and professional experiences. My course load at Northwestern University focused heavily on communication and integrated marketing communications. It was one of my classes on persuasive writing that convinced me to pursue content creation professionally.
After graduating I started a career as a Copywriter for a small e-commerce company that sold ID card printers. I know more than I ever wanted to know about printing technology. At the same company I later transitioned into a more general marketing role, learning how to tell stories with the data we were getting from our customers. I later moved to a digital marketing agency where I worked as the Marketing and Content Manager.
Being successful in marketing inherently relies on being able to merge well-crafted content with the goals of an organization, and keep on top of an industry where technology continually changes the forms of that content. Through the Strategic Communications program, I’m hoping to bolster my passion for writing with better-defined strategies, tactics for measurement, and management experience. I’m looking forward to a great two years.
I love to hear of other people’s begrudging experiences with copywriting. I too know far more about the Canadian diamond industry than any non-bejeweled human being ever should. However, the experience did help me with the process of altering my normal storytelling techniques for a niche market. Did you feel you gained a similar degree of experience with your printing work?
My dad worked for thirty years as a mechanical engineer for HP, so we can commiserate over that overdose on printing technology. And yet, my printers still never work properly…
Wishing you all the best in this exciting chapter of your professional development. Here’s to a great two years of expanding your skills, gaining insights, and creating even more impactful stories! 🚀📝