clear and creative
I can always count on Gail to write in a clear, creative and grammatically correct style. She always goes the extra mile and offers options. She never misses deadlines and is just a joy to work with. —M.D., Corporate Communications Director
above expectations
As usual your work is wonderful, way above expectation. Well done! —Dr. K.J., Business Owner
moved and impressed
I've gotten so many comments and compliments from staff, community members and long time friends about how moved and impressed they were with the videos you've created. —H.K., High School Vice Principal
radiate and shine
I wanted to acknowledge your beautifully edited script, you are like the diamond cutter making a simple stone radiate and shine, thanks so much. —L.L., Community Media Director
go-to person
Gail is my go-to person for technology issues and whenever I have a creative idea I want to explore. —L.S, Business Owner and Creative Director
Case Studies
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Writing Process
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Branding The Brand
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Rethinking Organization
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Beautifully Simple
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Plays Well With Others
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Writing for me is more than stringing words together well. It's a creative process that weaves threads of ideas into a cohesive, directed, meaningful communication. The uniting principle of all my work is:
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A program for people who are homeless started in a church basement in Dayton, OH. Because it's where people went after they left "The Shelter" each morning, the program became known as "The Other Place." By the time TOP became the city's largest program for people without homes, the group had a branding problem. "The Other Place" didn't tell anyone what the group was about. And it didn't convey the deep commitment TOP had to "be there" for people who are homeless, no matter what. (The Other Place had adopted the corporate vision of a world without homelessness.)
But the program was invested in its historical name, as were the clients. So the question became, how can TOP keep the brand they've established with their service population while making it clear to potential donors what the group was about? I suggested adding four words to be used with their name. This short tag line would do many things: (1) articulate the vision (2) make sense of the organization's historical name (3) explain what the program did (4) convey a sense of caring about clients while refusing frame the work as a people problem (as saying something like "helping the homeless every day" does, covertly). The Other Place. Until there's no homelessness. |
This case study shows something about my creative process and thinking, because writing, organizing and strategizing are creative processes and inform each other.
A veterinary clinic wanted to reorganize its staff. Thinking traditionally and hierarchically didn't suit the clinic owner, who really wanted to promote sharing of responsibility and tasks among her staff, many of whom worked part time. I created an organizational flow I call "Circles of Influence" instead of thinking in terms of departments. The main circle is pictured below, then each individual area of influence has its own circle of related tasks (not pictured here). In the actual clinic plan, people are assigned within these circles — sometimes their name shows up in several different places as they are assigned according to their strengths. This allows the staff to flow to jobs and tasks that they are passionate about doing. |
Non-profits in particular need communications that are clever enough to engage the audience but simple enough to show good stewardship of public funds: Every worthy non-profit wants as much of its resources as possible to go to the cause. This piece accomplishes that: It looks good as an email or as a mailing piece, but it's only one page of plain paper and took just a short while to write and design. Although it comes off as a few easy words, conceptually it offers a lot: The format can be used over and over again, it puts donors in touch with the students they wish to support, and connects all parties in gratitude and purpose
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A fair amount of time I'll have entrepreneurial clients who need a professional web presence and don't have web skills — but they want to self-manage their web content as a way of controlling ongoing costs. One of my skills is helping them identify what tasks they actually can do and want to do— and what they want to contract out. Based on this understanding, I design a site, HTML email or presentation on a platform that works for them and teach them how the technology works "under the hood." I've worked with many different platforms such as Wordpress, Squarespace, Wix, Silverpop, Mailchimp, Constant Contact... and of course PowerPoint and Prezi.
One client's reaction when her website "went live:"
"LOVE it!!! I'm so happy!! Thanks again for all your fantastic help. I really like the way it's turned out so far." — J.P.
One client's reaction when her website "went live:"
"LOVE it!!! I'm so happy!! Thanks again for all your fantastic help. I really like the way it's turned out so far." — J.P.
Bright Ideas from Spark StudioI'm an accomplished writer who has served large, national accounts—and solo entrepreneurs. I've worked in tech, medicine, education, the arts, and non-profits. With decades of comms and change experience, my skills are extensive. I write, design, and produce content in all media, thanks to stints as an agency copywriter, TV producer, and webmaster. I create, clarify, and lead change as a creative strategist, certified change manager, and accredited coach.
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