The year? 2001. The place? My bedroom.
I'm staring at my open closet like an old Hollywood starlet trying to decide what to slip on for her big movie premier.
Only, instead of feather-edged robes and beaded purses, there's a much more eclectic wardrobe in front of me. A Little House on the Prairie style sunbonnet. A pink lace dress with crystal buttons. A sleek black leather jacket and sunglasses.
After careful deliberation, I selected the sunbonnet but PAIRED it with a heavy winter coat. After all – there's no way I was going to attempt to get my wagon across the Sierra Nevada mountains without the appropriate layers.
Please. Like this was my first time settling the west.
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It should go without saying that I had been reading, watching, and writing a lot about The Oregon Trail, starting with a Dear America novel I bought with my hard-earned chore money.
And props to that writer (Kristiana Gregory, for the record). She had made the world of the 19th century pioneers so vivid that I could practically taste the wild-caught game on the open prairie, and feel the terror as our wagon forged a river.
Between the covers of my favorite books, I learned early on --
When a story is told compellingly, simply reading it isn't enough. You want to be a part of it.
And if the story belongs to your brand,
I want your customers to feel that way too.
Don't worry, I'm qualified.
Following my promising start in amateur book reading and dress-up, I moved on to professional book reading and dress-up – a major in English, and a minor in drama.
That's where I learned that storytelling is just a rich web of mental associations and feelings.
When we read, watch, or experience a narrative, we make connections that give us feelings. And feelings are extremely powerful.
Even if they don't make all of our decisions for us, our feelings push us towards (and away) from things, 24/7.
In fact, we all know that a brand is really just a feeling.
Actually, more like a collection of feelings.
A collection of feelings stacked on top of each other.
Wearing a trench coat and a fake moustache.
So when you're looking for the right person to help you write your brand's story, you're going to want someone who can use the lush canvas of the English language to shape that customer sentiment.
And I don't know if you've noticed, but English has changed quite a bit in the last… always. (No cap fam, say less.)
Your ideal client's mind is the ultimate Pinterest board.
It's a delightfully messy collection of the media they've consumed, the experiences they've had, the other brands and people they interact with, filtered through their own unique emotional and psychological makeup.
There's a LOT of source material to choose from. So helping your brand evoke a specific feeling is a tricky business. And using words to guide them towards a decision is an even trickier one.
It takes analysis, strategy, artistry, empathy, research, and diligence.
And as luck would have it (luck, read: a great deal of work) those are exactly the skills I've spent the last 15 or so years building. However, you shouldn't necessarily believe me.
You should believe the people who have already worked with me.
I would pick to work with Zoie on as many projects as humanly possible.
She works diligently, and accepts feedback as a delightful challenge. Her flexibility, compassion, and candor make her an irrevocably valuable investment
Christina-Laurin, Studio Owner
Unorthodox Perspective
Working with Zoie was so amazing. My only regret is that I did not hire her sooner!
She is very attentive, organized, and communicative. Her passion for her work was obvious during our meetings. I loved her energy and zest for life.
Brooke Happe, Product and Lifestyle Brand Founder
Working with Zoie was incredible! She is great with coming up with new concepts and can harness a brand voice that doesn’t feel cookie-cutter copywriter. swag.
If anyone could speak like me but better, it's her: educated but with swag.
Maria, Artistic Director
Things have changed quite a bit since I last braved The Oregon Trail
(we didn't even touch on the years that I spent at the heart of a multi-million dollar software company. More on that some other time)
I still love being part of a story. And my favorite roles are the ones I get play when I slip into character as my clients. Developing and speaking in the voice of your brand is not a privilege I take lightly.
I know from experience that when you shape your messaging with artistry and care, it transforms into more than a passing feeling – it becomes an experience.
And frankly? Your brand is ready for that.
