Lived Experience Is Expertise

When it comes to marketing, I don't consider myself an expert.

I consider myself very knowledgeable and qualified, but I haven't had formal education on marketing or business, and most of the knowledge I use in my day to day life is stuff I've learned from fucking around and finding out.

I knew I was a good writer from my school work, and I enjoyed writing, so I got a gig as a freelance blog writer to bring in extra cash. Fifteen dollars an hour. From there, I learned about SEO and how keywords help blogs and articles rank on search engines. Then, the client wanted social media posts to promote those blogs, and I learned about how to write for different social platforms. I learned how to vary the length of captions, to choose photos that led to more clicks and engagement.

I got better at writing blogs and social media captions. I got more work as a freelancer. I raised my rates to $20, then $25, then $40.

I got a full-time marketing job as a copywriter. I learned to write product descriptions, website copy, email newsletters designed to make people click through and buy something. My copy sometimes came back with red pen, and each question mark or simple "no" in the margins from my boss felt like a call to the principal's office.

I learned to get snappier, quicker, right to the point with minimal fluff. I wasn't going for word count. It wasn't a research paper with a minimum page length for grad school. Writing for marketing is about precision, about telling you everything you need to know in the fastest way possible because people's attention spans when they're reading an email newsletter are not here for long-winded, getting-around-to-it essays.

I wrote Google Ads and banner ads and magazine ads. Ads are not my favorite. If you want an ads expert, go to someone else.

I started to be involved in brainstorming new brand concepts and product names. I wrote flyers and promotional posters for store windows. I got a promotion and became a content specialist. I wrote pitches for the company president's speaking engagements and panel opportunities. I went to trade shows and talked about our brands and products. It was at this job that I first wrote a blog post in a coworker's voice and she said it sounded exactly like her.

I learned to leverage my knack for people's mannerisms and speaking styles into my writing. This meant I could hold onto multiple brand or "customer avatar" voices in my head. I learned how to write for an ideal client and speak directly to them.

I became a content manager for another company and immediately was tasked with promoting a study the company had done with a local university. I learned to write media pitches. I wrote more blogs, more social media posts, more website copy. I also wrote press releases, and magazine articles, and did interviews with the press. I met with PR professionals to learn company talking points and how to circle back to the company's core values.

I quit that company on a huge leap of faith and became a freelancer again. I applied to be a program coordinator for an environmental nonprofit and they were so impressed with my application and proposal that they made a position just for me as an outreach coordinator. I wrote emails to state and local government officials and school district leaders to promote a climate action project for students. I wrote the emails to the student participants. I wrote comments on students' social media posts encouraging them to keep going.

This writing was so charged with humanity and passion. I loved it. I loved being the voice of an organization I believed in. After my contract ended, I focused on my coaching practice and worked with writers on their books and blogs. I launched a 90 day "work on any goal" program and found that all my students were writers.

The nonprofit hired me again the following year as their communications coordinator. I managed a team of interns and taught them everything I had learned about social media content writing, blogging, and brand voice. I developed the visual identity of that year's challenge and learned the basics of graphic design. My boss would give me feedback like "This is ugly" and I had to not take that personally. It was trial by fire - I didn't have any education in graphic design. I started to get a feel for the balance between color, visuals, and text. Soon the graphics were no longer ugly.

I learned to lean into the knowledge of those younger than me. High school and college students were the target demographic for the annual challenge. My interns had the knowledge that would help us reach them, not me in my thirties. And they were not brand or marketing experts. They were students. They were young people. And they were ESSENTIAL to this process. Other jobs had taught me that seniority is the highest factor in decision making. My own experience taught me that wasn't true.

Lived experience IS expertise, if we allow it to be.

In 2021, I was asked to write an article for The Buckeye Flame, a queer online publication focused on LGBTQ+ Ohio news. I had never done "journalism" per se, and especially not Solutions Journalism, an approach with strict standards. But I did know one thing: I am a writer. I interviewed a few members of the voice clinic, and the staff. I wrote the article. I got editing feedback and already knew it wasn't personal. I revised. I tightened up. I stayed on point, because people don't have the attention span for my tangents.

The article was recognized and promoted by the Solutions Journalism Network. I had nailed it.

I wrote more articles for the Buckeye Flame and continue to be a regular contributor. As the publication has grown, they've hired a new editor, who absolutely shredded some of my articles. And I once again had to learn that it wasn't personal. And then I had to really admit that the stories were better, and edits became fewer and fewer the more I wrote and worked with this editor.

I learned that editors and writers work together to help each other create the best outcome.

When my clients hire me as their marketing coach, they are not hiring an "expert." They are hiring someone with experience, a LOT of it. And they trust me to help them find their voice and the authentic, human ways they want to connect and collaborate with their dream clients and partners.

I'm a fucking good writer - BECAUSE I have been shaped by experiences, mentors, and partners who want to tell the best story possible. And that's what makes me a great marketing coach. I don't think one blueprint fits everyone's needs. We have to connect and communicate about your message, your impact, your values, and then I hold the space for your vision when you're doing the uncomfortable work of getting out of your comfort zone.

Interested in working with me on your marketing? Book a discovery call and let's see if the vibes are good!