Over the past three years my life has been in the process of complete renewal and expansion. From overworked to fully burnt out to a complete world shift by way of pandemic and so many other life-altering changes, I somehow managed to emerge stronger and clearer than ever before. That’s the art of letting go and turning inward. Don’t get me wrong, it was absolute “dark night of the soul” territory getting to the other side.
What I’ve learned is this: Accepting change in all its forms as a lesson to release and move forward is the only way through to finding greater alignment in life. I learned a lot of other things too but this is where I’ll focus for now. And finding that greater alignment is all about getting clear on our purpose and values so that we know what will help us grow versus what might make us shrink. It doesn’t have to be a forever lifetime purpose, but having a purpose in what we do with our daily lives gives us direction, lights us up, and helps us see ourselves in a more loving way.
Defining purpose has been a cornerstone in my career for more than 15 years. My focus as a copywriter and content strategist has been branding and identity work. I've helped major brands and fresh new startups determine their purpose, mission, and values as a way to structure their business and guide the strategy for their products, services, and long-term decisions. It seems like a bit of a stretch but all the tools here can be applied to each of us as individuals to help us find our focus, too.
With this in mind, one day I did an assessment of my own purpose. This was the proof I needed that I can take all I know about helping companies find their purpose and values and use the same framework to help people create their own brand strategy. I also realized that it was time for me to take all that I've learned from my 50+ clients and employers over the past two decades and use it to help people understand how these places operate. As a certified career coach, I’ve gone through the training I needed to confidently provide the support people need as they face big changes, blaze their own trails, or make the best of wherever they are right now.
It has long been my mission to help others find better paths to fulfillment and more happiness in their work. My copywriting and content strategy consultancy (drow, inc.) is focused on B2B (business-to-business audiences) for technology clients as well as HR programs (such as training and continued education within major corporations). I was drawn to doing B2B largely because I feel like that kind of copy is normally so cold and technical, and I’d rather make people see how technology can make their lives at work a little easier. By writing about the benefits tech can deliver to specific professionals, I’m saving someone the pain of having to push through boring text and make sense of jargon—and I’d like to think that makes their work day a little better and brighter.
But my interest in professionals and their careers goes back much further than that.
My first internship was for the career center at my university and my first job after college was as a resume writer. Later, I went on to become lead copywriter at the Ladders (a high-end job-matching service) where I led social media and learned from the best in HR and recruitment. As I stepped into management, I used those skills to hire, mentor, lead, and provide guidance for my wonderful staff.
Taking what I’ve learned from all of these experiences has helped me see the power in my path and to recognize that same power in everyone around me. Understanding your own unique journey and how it relates to what you really value will show you the path best suited for your talents and desires. It is my absolute pleasure to be here now to help others gain a clearer view of all they have to offer to employers, to clients, to the world, and to themselves.
In sessions with clients, I often share my own output of the Professional Branding Exercise I came up with to help people identify their purpose, values, and unique offerings. It feels good to revisit and revise these while being able to say that I’m accepting change and finding greater alignment in my work, in my life, and in myself. I hope to continue helping more and more people find this kind of peace and freedom in their career and beyond.
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