How I Work

Wearing sequins. (Obvi)

In order to rise above the din, every single piece of writing you create must do one (or all) of the following:

  1. Be enjoyable, interesting, thought-provoking, and/or entertaining.
  2. Make the reader (i.e. your potential client) consider a different perspective, learn a new thing, and want to keep talking about what you said.
  3. Make 'em laugh. Or at least smile. Your audience is are so much prettier when they smile! 😏
  4. Let people know what to do next, whether it's a small action they can take themselves, or hiring you to do what you do.

And in order to do all THAT, a great copywriter (such as myself badum-tsss) has to be intensely zeroed-in on who your ideal customer is, how you serve them in ways that no one else can,  and what they care about at any given moment—in their OWN words.

This is called Positioning Strategy—

...but in my world it's called the
Cult of Personality Kool Aid™ Method.

If you've ever worked with a copywriter who just "didn't get it," it's probably because their process didn't include Positioning Strategy.

Positioning Strategy is the reason why clients say stuff like this about me—

"Nobody gets my voice like she does."

Nobody gets my voice like she does, and she immerses herself in your business at an insane level. Sam's commitment to integrity in marketing drove an overall messaging strategy that contributed to multiple high-6 and 7-figure launches, including a recent campaign that brought in nearly $175k in sales." 

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Danielle Leslie
Founder

Course From Scratch

"Like Domino's—fresh, hot, and timely."

"Sam made me cry—period. She got me! She got my team! She. Nailed. It. I finally felt like being 'me' WAS professional, that authenticity was the key to getting my business where I wanted it to be. 

I've also seen Sam in action for various clients that we share and she delivers like Dominos—fresh, hot, and timely."

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Crystal Dove
Website Designer & Marketing Strategist

Founder, Marketing Queen

"Feels like it came straight from my own mouth"

"Sam helped me to create an authentic and engaging script on the web, that feels as if it came straight from my mouth. I get compliments on my website copy all the time, my practice is full to bursting, and I have Sam to thank for that. I would hire her again in a heartbeat."

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Dr. Sara Norris
Naturopathic Doctor

Women's Health

The Cult of Personality Kool Aid™ method has been honed over nearly a decade of experience and experimentation.

It started as a Frankenstein patchwork of the all the methods, tips, tricks, "secret sauces," and research hacks I picked up in my early, wide-eyed, "I'll write anything for a buck" days.

In those days, I was just trying to gather the information I needed in order to write the copy. Like anyone would! Or so I thought... I was wrong.

Then I thought, maybe this stuff will be useful to the client! 💡

And that's when I started folding it into my pricing, and creating the deliverables you see below. The process has changed and gotten more refined over the years, but it still serves the same purpose, which is to NAIL your brand voice, and speak to your customers the way THEY want to be spoken to.

I've used a variation of The Kool Aid™ Method for clients like:

  • Moraa Onyonka, a Fractional COO who works with mission-forward small businesses to get their sh*t togehter (and who has a really cute dog)
  • Victoria Jenn Rodriguez, a Career Coach who helps high-powered women transition out of corporate, found & grow their own companies, and secure government and corporate clients
  • Laura Ball, who runs Facebook Ads for B2C clients like a pet photographer, a sex educator, and an artist (who also has a very cute dog)
  • Anika Gandhi, a DIY educator who teaches beginner woodworkers how to use their power tools and build their own furntiure and home dĂŠcor
  • Dr. Michelle Àlvarez, a therapist and course creator who helps white therapists build more culturally competent practices

The Kool Aid Method™ is founded on a single, uncompromising principle:

Excellent writing above all.

A-HA! But one person’s “excellent” is another’s “watching paint dry.”

So how do I determine what to say to whom (and when, and in what way, and how)?

And how can we incorporate effective calls to action that convert, feel sincere, and don't leave you feeling like you need to take a shower?

The Cult of Personality™ Kool-Aid Method

Brand voices that bust through walls

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THAT’S how.

Every new client starts with Positioning Strategy (aka Kool Aid™), which I like to think of as my “research montage.”

(Me, in a darkened library. Towering stacks of books surround me. Maps, spread across the table. Scrolling through microfiche, drinking vending machine coffee. Figuring! Shit! Out!)

As I do this, I'll be pulling together the following key assets >>

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Customer Insights

A deep but verry specific peek into  your ideal customer's psyche— what they want, how they speak about it, daily experiences, and a few other tricks I like to do.

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Comparative Analysis

A clear-eyed comparison of your competitors and peers (or whatever you like to call them), and what YOU offer that THEY don’t.

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Voice, Vibe, Personality

A mood board, brand personality traits, voice, key messages / POV, and all the fun colorful things you're actually excited about right now.

Hi,I’m Sam.

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Sam Highly Sensitive

I'm a Positioning Strategist & Copywriter who creates powerful brand personalities and compelling marketing copy for founders, visionaries, service providers, and activists.

I'm known for my ability to truly capture my clients' voice and craft messaging that makes THEIR clients feel seen, safe, and excited AF to get to work.

My clients include a few high-profile thought leaders (👀), ethical ecommerce companies, intersectional therapists, and the company that makes those RBG action figures.

One time I worked up some brand messaging, product descriptions, and website copy for an inclusive athleisure company... and we ended up on Oprah’s Favorite Things!!

Since 2015, I've worked on tons of launches, from my own little $5k affairs to one or two actual million-dollar campaigns—which were only *partly* because of my strategy and copy work, but sure, I'll take that credit. 😉

In that time, I've worked with with SO many different messaging strategies, platforms, and personalities... and I've written more emails and landing pages than I can count.

After playing in the cool kids' rose-gold sandbox for several years, I stepped away from large-scale B2B launches to help B2C businesses clarify their brand positioning and own their badassery, so they can reach and impact the people they're here to serve.

Interested in working together?

When you know your voice and lean into the unique expertise and point of view that ONLY you possess, your brand will become inimitable. One of a kind.

Your ideal clients will see you as a source of inspiration.

They’ll try to adopt some of your philosophies. They’ll talk about you at caftan parties.* They’ll wonder what YOU would do next time they're in a difficult situation.

And when it comes time to invest in the kinds of products or services you offer?

You’ll be the first person—the ONLY person—they think of.

*That's when you get together and everyone wears a caftan. Highly recommend.

FAQ

Emails for cult thought leaders.

(Personality included.)

Want to learn how to craft emails that inspire action and engagement WITHOUT the “tried and true” (cough: patriarchal) norms we’ve all been taught?

I’m doing it, and I can show you how to do it, too.

(But sometimes, I also like to write about the books I’m reading, or the creative process, or the entrepreneurial experience, or why I hate Steve Jobs, or how I met my BFF. I’ll send you emails like that, too.)

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*Just kidding. It’s only an email list.