Good ideas start with empathy

For the audience. For the client. For each other.

When we ask questions, listen with compassion, and double check to make sure we hear things quite right—a whole world of creativity becomes possible. So that’s what I try to do each day at my kitchen table pandemic office. I bring curiosity and joy to my work crafting first impressions, telling compelling stories and helping strangers take action.

If that sounds like somebody you’d like to work with, please give me a shout.

Good execution starts with experience

I’ve spent more than a decade helping Fortune 500 companies, small businesses, and tech startups—working at agencies, in-house, and freelance—building brands, strategies, processes and culture. Here’s what that looks like as a set of bullets.

Strategy

  • Creative, channel, and brand

  • For clients like Charles Schwab, Chase, and CNA Insurance

  • And proposed in a wide variety of new business pitches

Digital

  • Website rebuilds, information architecture, UX copy, social and email campaigns

  • For clients like PwC, Boston Scientific, Charles Schwab, and Novo Nordisk

Creative

  • Consumer, business-to-business, employee-engagement, and public service campaigns

  • Building and maintaining brand voices

  • Through web, social, TV, radio, out of home, live events, and sales collateral

  • For clients like Google, Marriott, Herb Pharm, and the City of Chicago

Awards update:

The Side Show—celebrating the best side projects each year by advertising professionals—has awarded a Silver in the Social Good category to my work on the Edison Street Mural.

The project is a 336-foot Black Lives Matter mural that explores my own street’s role in 200 years of systemic racism in Portland. The mural raised more than $16,000 for local anti-racist nonprofits, drew thousands of visitors and marchers, and earned media coverage in print, on TV and on Instagram.

You can view the project for yourself at EdisonStreetMural.com.

Resume

AHA, Vancouver, WA (May 2018-Present)
Senior Writer and Editor
Clients: Chase, Google, PwC, Charles Schwab, VMware, The Standard, Boston Scientific
Media: Web, Email, Video, Social, Print, OOH, Direct Mail
I help major corporations find their voice in the world of purpose marketing.

Herb Pharm, Portland, OR (2016-2018)
Senior Copywriter
I worked on a long-running rebranding project with an herbal supplement company in Portland.
I ran our efforts to build a brand voice and connect on social media. 

Freelance Copywriter (2015-2016)
Agencies: closerlook, Sandbox, Pinnacle Marketing
Clients: Novo Nordisk, Astellas, Baird & Warner, Rust-Oleum, Ford (dealerships), GM (dealerships), Argonne National Labs, Sasser Family Holdings.

Magnani Continuum Marketing Chicago, IL (2012-2015)
Senior Copywriter (Promoted 2014)
Clients: Marriott, Siemens, CNA Insurance, Molina Healthcare, @ Properties, Delk (CPG), St. Joseph Regional Medical Center, New Business.
Media: TV, Web, Print, OOH, Radio, Direct Mail, Social
Specialties: Concepting, brand campaigns, bringing out best in young creative colleagues

Emmi Solutions, LLC Chicago, IL (2006-2012) 
Marketing Communications Specialist (Promoted twice)
Copywriter for all major corporate communications at healthcare technology company including: sales decks, press releases, podcasts, blog posts, web copy, whitepapers, speeches, op-eds and other marketing collateral. 

Managed dozens of projects across creative, sales and account teams. Coordinated executive input on projects large and small. Juggled projects and deadlines in a small marketing team to improve the client experience. 

Chicago Board of Elections Chicago, IL (Sep 2006- Nov 2006) 
Lead Technical Trainer
Trained more than 1,300 students how to avoid accidentally throwing Chicago elections.

A Van in New Zealand (Aug 2004- Aug 2005)
Vagabond
Almost killed a sheep by hand-feeding it an apple.

Grinnell College B&S Grinnell, IA (Aug 2003- May 2004) 
Co-Founder/ Editor-in-Chief
Created humor magazine from scratch: writing, hiring, budgeting, and getting paid to be funny. 

EDUCATION

Grinnell College | Bachelor of Arts, History | 2000 – 2004

The Second City | Training Center Sketch Writing Program | 2012