My writing story

Every career has a journey — here’s mine:

Journalist, interrupted

Straight out of college, I moved to Florida and started my career as a journalist working for city magazines. My dream was to right wrongs, shine lights, and help fight corruption. But after a few years, it was clear there wasn’t an appetite for that where I was living. So I quit my day job and worked in sales for a bit. Soon, a friend who worked in the commercial printing business invited me to his enormous warehouse. He showed me practically endless stacks of brochures and other collateral.

“See all this stuff?” he asked with a smirk. “People write it. They’re called copywriters.”
The letter

I took the hint and sent a letter to all of the ad agencies in Orlando (there were 26 at the time) asking if they were interested in hiring a freelance copywriter with a journalism background. It turns out some were — and right away, to my total surprise. It was a medium-size market and they had recognized me from my bylines.

So I literally had to run to the bookstore to buy everything I could find on “how to be a good copywriter” before my first meeting. I studied hard, worked hard, drove myself hard, and by the time I moved to Atlanta the next year, I had a portfolio I was proud of.
Next stop: Atlanta

I didn’t know anyone in this new city so I went to an Atlanta Ad Club networking event. I met a freelance designer there who introduced me to a couple of his direct marketing agency clients. In a matter of weeks, I was sitting at conference tables with those clients’ clients, developing concepts and writing copy to help them grow their businesses. I worked like crazy. My portfolio grew. I was having a blast.

I worked as a team with that designer for many years (he’s a teacher now) and with other great designers. I still work with one of my first clients from those early days. She was an account executive then and is now a principal at a successful marketing firm.
Greater meaning, please

As fun as it was to write pieces that reached so many people — millions, sometimes — after a while, I wanted my daily work to better reflect my values. So, I began to focus exclusively on nonprofits. In time, I wrote for governmental offices and soon learned that when businesses, nonprofits, and government agencies work together toward a common goal, the results are significantly better.

I then began writing for clients involved in cross-sector collaboration and sustainability, and along the way, I became G RI Certified.
Entrepreneurs

Being a “creative” and having started my first business when I was seven years old, I’ve always been drawn to making something from nothing. Whether it’s a piece of writing, a big idea, a good mood, a new service, a bigger kitchen, a photograph, a campaign, a project rollout…whatever the “something” is, the creative energy that drives it captivates me.

Entrepreneurs have that energy for their ideas. And they think big. Today, almost all of the people I work with are entrepreneurs, and the rest have an entrepreneurial spirit.
Partnership model

After doing more and more work for two specific clients, I became not only their go-to writer and content strategist but also a trusted advisor who helped drive communication and marketing decisions. The partnership model is excellent for small to medium-sized businesses that need consistent, high-quality content development and advice from a seasoned strategic communications professional.
Specialization

Today, for new clients, I provide the services described on this website — content packages, dynamic long-form content, modernize + refresh, and C-suite thought leadership — plus creative concept development for campaigns (because I love it) and website refreshes (if you can talk me into it). I enjoy this highly engaging and challenging work, and I believe my experience can set me apart in the results I deliver. I also enjoy continuing to partner with the agencies I’ve worked with for so long (you rock!)
No better way to spend the workday

I’ve completed more successful writing projects than I can count since I sent that first letter to the ad agencies. It can be an intense experience at times, and sometimes my eyes burn from staring at the computer screen for so long. But I can’t imagine a more interesting and fulfilling way to spend my work hours.

I look forward to tackling the next opportunity — maybe it’s helping you.

“Nikki joined our group of green startups one afternoon for a workshop on ‘How To Make Your Website Work For You’, and her sharing of her expertise made this a very successful event. Our entrepreneurs really appreciated learning from an expert who obviously was speaking from much experience “in the trenches” and was able to answer their questions with concrete, practical advice.

Nikki was not just giving us recipes to follow but demonstrated how, and why, the message can be crafted so that our web presence brings results. Many thanks, Nikki!”

Bernie Burgener
Executive Director, Greenhouse Accelerator, Green Chamber of the South

My writing story

Every career has a journey — here’s mine:

Journalist, interrupted

​The letter

​Next stop: Atlanta

Greater meaning, please

Entrepreneurs

Partnership model

Specialization

No better way to spend the workday

Let’s talk about your project!

The letter

Next stop: Atlanta