Marketing and Writing

The following is a sampling of projects I have undertaken at previous places of employment. From managing, developing and delivering communications to writing and other creative support throughout the creative process in marketing, advertising and social media, see how my range and can help elevate your organization.

NativesOutdoors

NativesOutdoors is a Native-owned creative and athletic collective with a mission to empower Indigenous communities through our products and storytelling for a sustainable world.

I redesigned their website and streamlined user experience by visually showcasing more work and making the navigation more intuitive to find past projects the organization has done. I advised the organization on how their brand identity could be better expressed through their website and digital channels at their disposal, including already existing social media and proposed plans for other communication avenues such as newsletters and even podcasts.

For their social media, I created a calendar for strategizing out each month’s goals, a review of the last month and planning individual posts and their channels. Then, I concepted every post, its captions, hashtags and relevant alt-text, and once approved proceeded to create, design and produce all the content for the month. The first month will focus on organic growth, without boosting, as we study the pages’ performance under a steady social media plan. Analytics from every post will be gathered and presented at the end of the month to inform the strategy for the next month, including post types, channels and boosting opportunities.

Samples of work to come! Visit natives-outdoors.org to learn more about the organization, and follow them on Instagram @NativesOutdoors.

Williams & Helde, Inc.

WH is a full-service marketing and PR agency in Seattle. My job as marketing copywriter entailed a little more than simply writing, as our team was small and nimble. Over my tenure, I wrote and edited social media organic and boosted copy, press releases, article pitches, advertising campaigns, video scripts, email newsletters, website content, headlines and product look books for several clients, including Philips Sonicare Pro, Philips Home Living, Duraflame, FORE WINDS/Iwatani, Elevate Outdoor Collective, Danner Boots and 10Barrel Brewing.

I helped brainstorm, ideate and plan posts for the various social media calendars, and with approval from creative director and account managers also directed the creative for some of these posts and series. Additionally, I introduced and helped implement guidelines on including alt-text on social media posts, as well as provide support on representation on the accounts WH manages.

Analyzing market data and brand performance indicators over the last two years, I also helped update and execute new brand directions for two clients as well as propose a new visual language for a future iteration of the brand.

Internally, I partnered with the creative director, design team and the senior copywriter to begin implementation of a new file sharing and documenting system for copy and department resources, including templates, style guidelines and common assets.

Duraflame (@duraflame) social media posts and 50th Anniversary marketing material published on web, social media, grocery store catalogs and monthly newsletter.

FORE WINDS portable stoves (@forewindsoutdoor), by Japanese company Iwatani. I helped design the bespoke, luxury visual language style and brand voice. Directed video direction in the first post featured here, to resemble more of a luxury car brand advertisement. I also wrote internal communications releases for high-profile hires and product descriptions for look books which I am unable to link here.

Social Media posts for Elevate Outdoor Collective brands K2 skates, Atlas and Tubbs Snowshoes.

Press Releases (links open in new window)

For Elevate Outdoor Collective, I wrote press releases announcing major personnel and C-suite leadership acquisitions, all of which I cannot link here.

Elevate Outdoor Collective Announces Josee Larocque as New Chief Operations Officer, February 2023

For Duraflame, I wrote the press release announcing the company’s 50th Anniversary celebrations and campaign.

Celebrating 50 Years, Duraflame, One of America's Most Iconic Brands, Brings Back Retro Packaging and Launches 'Fired Up for 50' Sweepstakes With a $50,000 Grand Prize, September 2022

For Helly Hansen, I wrote 5 press releases documenting polar explorer and filmmaker Caroline Côté’s historic record-breaking solo autonomous trek across Antarctica to the South Pole. Helly Hansen was Caroline’s gear sponsor. Three of the press releases are linked here, reach out to me if you want to see all five.

Polar Explorer Caroline Côté is Breaking Records to Raise Awareness, September 2022
Polar Explorer Caroline Côté Makes Way to Hercules Inlet, Antarctica to Launch South Pole Expedition, December 2022
Polar Explorer Caroline Côté Reaches South Pole in 34 Days, January 2023

Delta Dental of Washington

At Delta Dental of Washington (DDWA), I partnered with several departments in the company on content geared for dentists in our network, who we called provider partners. Whether I was creating the content or merely providing feedback, any content to be seen by a provider went through me at some point in its journey to a provider’s desk.

I standardized the look and cadence of the provider newsletter, Word of Mouth, setting performance expectations, image, font and content guidelines and adhered to in-house and corporate brand guides and styles. With a robust data integrity focus, bounce rates fell 50% and open rates were maintained at 40% or more by the end of my tenure, well above industry standards. I was also part of the company communications committee, advocating for providers in other projects, initiatives and marketing campaigns.

I also created long-form content in the form of informational blogs and website content. With a department goal of transparency guiding the overall communications strategy, simple language and innovations in content were necessary to open our processes to providers. I created a blog series named Tech Talk to provide background information, step-by-step instructions and visuals of upcoming website changes and enhancements that would impact the user experience. I also prepared the back end for these updates and served in and outside work hours if issues showed up as needed.

Other materials I oversaw included miscellaneous emails, conference logistics and deliverables and digital media support. I also oversaw the creation of new and updates on annual technical policy manuals and booklets, from content curation and creation, standardization, design and style adherence, exporting and publishing.

*Due to the legal and proprietary content of some of these projects and materials, I’m not able to show samples of some of this work at this time.

Talent Plus, Inc. ®

As copywriter, content creator, digital media manager and communications manager, my role at Talent Plus has grown and encompassed several areas of focused writing including white papers, website copy, ghostwriting blogs, press releases, ad copy, email marketing and product booklets. I worked in close partnership with the branding director and the creative director to strategize vision, copy tone, visual style and content direction. Please contact me for samples of these and other pieces.

Mid-America Union Conference Outlook

On the Road

Stories from the Road: In Search of Mid-America is series of articles published in the Outlook in the June and July-August 2018 issues, spotlighting churches, schools and camps throughout the nine-state region the Outlook covers.

News Features & Articles

A monthly news magazine and website covering a nine-state region with print circulation of 28,000, Outlook articles feature stories about people, events, news and the occasional book review.

Blogs

Since the Spring of 2016, I wrote about how millennials (read: me) deal with the subjects of racism, gender equality, LGBTQ+ rights, climate change, the news cycle, wars and mortality.

Featured pieces

LOVE IN THE TIME OF DIVISION: OR, WHY THE EVENTS OF CHARLOTTESVILLE, VIRGINIA, DIDN'T SHOCK ME
Blog, August 14, 2017

". . . Then, I noticed it. Something I hadn’t really been able to put my finger on for a long time, but especially since the last election cycle. I realized then that the way I experience race is at an entirely different level from even the most “woke” of my white friends . . ."
Read more

NORTHSIDE St. LOUIS CHURCH
June 2018 Issue

"About 15 miles due North by Northwest of the Gateway Arch in St. Louis there is a church by a busy road. The sign advertising the large, brown building’s presence reads ‘BIBLE BASED POWERHOUSE PREACHING | EVERY SAT 11 AM | WED 7 PM’"
Read more

LOVE IN THE TIME OF A NEGLECTED HOUSE
October 2016 Issue Cover Story

"Let’s take action against those who seek to profit off our losses. Let’s take action to clean our spills, waste and the air we breathe—let’s clean the house for each other, for the children that come after us."
Read more

Union College Integrated Marketing and Communications

"Penny Wars" to raise money for Tiny Hands International,
January 28, 2014

“Penny Wars,” sponsored by the Amnesty International/Tiny Hands club, will raise money for Tiny Hands International, a local organization that has made it its mission to rescue girls in Nepal and other Asian countries from sex trafficking . . .

JOB Ministries: More than a Job,
February 26, 2014

“Okay, what’s your name, ma’am? Mhm. So you need help moving?” A pause. “When do you need our help?” Another pause. “Okay, ma’am, and your telephone number?” She repeats the number out loud as she writes it down. “Okay, I will pass this on and we will have students out there helping you. Mhm. Yes. You’re very welcome! You have yourself a good day!” . . .

Anonymous donor gives Union $1 million,
March 26, 2014

This is the first time Union has received an unsolicited gift of this scale. However, Union College has a rich tradition of philanthropic support from alumni, friends, church organizations as well as the Lincoln community . . .

Union students named heroes by American Red Cross,
May 2, 2014

For students in Union College’s new Red Cross Club, being a hero doesn’t always mean committing acts of selfless bravery such as rescuing someone from a burning building or raging river . . .