Work
I’ve spent over a decade telling stories, shaping brand voices, and building impactful experiences for award-winning organizations on both coasts.
Airbnb
FEB 2018—JUNE 2021 | PRODUCT CONTENT STRATEGIST
I make transactional touch points more human. From messaging frameworks to complex UX flows, I've built scalable strategies used by teams across the company. I was hired to launch Airbnb Luxe, partnering with Marketing and Creative to envision a brand narrative that could flex from button to billboard. For Airbnb Plus, I conducted extensive content audits, created comms strategies to educate hosts how to meet Airbnb standards, and changed the way guests review hosts. Today I'm focused on building experiences for Airbnb guests—how we welcome, educate, and guide them throughout the product.
I’m flexible
To prepare for the travel rebound of the century, Airbnb created a more flexible way to plan a trip. Watch Brian’s 2021 keynote introducing I’m Flexible, a new way to search on Airbnb.
Measuring quality for Airbnb Plus
Guests wanted to know the difference between Airbnb and Airbnb Plus. Hosts needed help meeting guest expectations. So we created new quality criteria for determining what makes an Airbnb Plus stay unique. We used that to build new host tools to educate and support them, plus a completely reimagined guest review flow for measuring the perfect Airbnb Plus stay.
Criteria
To help hosts meet the Airbnb Plus standard, we created new quality criteria. We recruited many interior designers and tested all kinds of home goods. We then made host manuals to pilot our new approach on the field with real hosts in real homes.
Principles
I led a cross-functional workshop to rethink how we talk to hosts. Together we identified our biggest communication gaps and opportunities. I used those to create 9 content principles to keep in mind when writing new host education.
Mapping
To implement our quality criteria, we created a suite of new host tools: updated dashboards, performance emails, and a guest review flow. My content map was used as a control panel to stitch it all together into one seamless ecosystem.
Rethinking luxury travel
There’s no denying the magic that happened when Airbnb met Luxury Retreats. But it didn’t happen overnight! We spent years building and rebuilding the brand you see today: Airbnb Luxe. From stylizing a team of Trip Designers and a suite of ops tools, to the actual bookable listings and the logistics behind every Luxe stay—this is transformative travel at its finest.
Vision
So much vision and strategy is required when creating such a seamless travel experience. We looked at every touch point and use case across the end-to-end journey and built a messaging framework we could follow from button to billboard.
Standards
When Airbnb acquired Luxury Retreats, we needed to evaluate the inventory to ensure each place was meeting the level of luxury we were promising the world. We tapped interior design and architecture experts to define the high bar of excellence for Luxe.
Listings
Every part of the Airbnb Luxe stay can be designed unique to you. We wanted to find a way to integrate that anything-is-possible mindset into every part of the product. And that’s just what we did with everything from the information architecture to the stories we told.
thredUP
JAN—NOV 2017 | EDITORIAL MANAGER, SENIOR WRITER
I led a team of three Senior Writers to oversee brand voice impact at every touch point. I consistently provided strategic solutions for digital and print brand marketing campaigns that exceeded expectations, including the 2017 Earth Day campaign that generated over $2 million in three days. I also led an editorial revamp thredUP’s brand voice and guidelines, infusing copy with bold personality. By partnering with Design, Brand, Analytics, Product, Engineering, Ops, and Customer Service, I was able to concept and test new storytelling formats that consistently beat prior versions of monthly emails, social posts, and data-driven direct mail and direct response ads. In addition, I strategized and helped create content for three store openings, a curated box launch, maintaining 12-month paybacks on Facebook DR ads, and a winback email campaign that generated over $30,000 within its first month.
Elephant
AUG 2016—JAN 2017 | SENIOR COPYWRITER
I was the copy lead on a long-term platform project for the experiential design agency’s main client, Apple. Key responsibilities included creating an editorial style guide to help streamline content production, increase readership and improve click-through rates using SEO copywriting, and help build effective teams by assisting in the creative hiring process. I also helped strategize content and position copy for some of the top brand pitches for the agency in 2016, including writing digital marketing ads for Comcast’s exclusive online streaming series that generated a 40% mobile lift month over month.
Sephora
JULY 2014—AUG 2016 | CREATIVE WRITER
As a Creative Writer, I was responsible for creating and streamlining editorial content for omni-channel marketing campaigns, product launches, and frictionless user experiences. I supported editorial leadership to create innovative storytelling moments for two of the beauty retailer’s top-performing campaigns of 2016, Color Correcting and the SEPHORA COLLECTION rebranding. Partnering with Design, Marketing, Merchandising, Production, Engineering, and outside vendors, I strategized brand messaging for monthly campaigns, weekly site updates, promotional emails and landing pages, 100+ brand boutique pages, print and digital ads, and innovative in-store digital experiences, including the Beauty Workshop's interactive Beauty Board and self-guided iPad tutorials.
Yahoo!
SUMMER 2014 | FREELANCE WRITER
I contribute freelance brand copywriting and content strategy for clients both small and large. When I travel the world, I enjoy sharing my experience with travel publications and eCommerce companies. One highlight over the years? Writing smack talk taglines for an OOH subway campaign to promote Yahoo!’s Fantasy Football app. Like I said, there’s a story to be told, no matter the subject matter.
Virgin America
SEP 2013—JUN 2014 | SENIOR COPYWRITER
The California-based airline hired me as a Freelance Senior Copywriter to write and develop weekly A/B-tested content for a growing email audience of 1.5 million. I liaised with Email, Digital, Legal, and external business partners to write and edit B2C copy and provocative branded content for multi-platform marketing campaigns and promotions. Most noteworthy is the 2014 Shorty Award for Video I won with my team as the brand copywriter for Virgin America’s reimagined in-flight safety video.
Jetsetter
SEP 2010—APRIL 2013 | ASSISTANT EDITOR, EDITORIAL PRODUCER
As an Assistant Editor and Editorial Producer at this eCommerce travel company, I wrote weekly travel features and hotel reviews for Jetsetter’s 20 million members. I worked closely with Marketing, Sales, and Engineering to create compelling copy for promotions and new digital product launches—including writing, editing, and producing content for a member-inclusive iPad magazine. When I first started as an intern, I established fact-checking guidelines for the flash-sale and retail production. Four months later I was hired as an Editorial Producer to support a small team of editors to assign and edit work to a team of 200 correspondents.
Journalism
2008—2013
Music, film, and art have long been a source of inspiration for my work. During my formative years at the Missouri School of Journalism, I’d spend many late nights typing away in dimly lit corners to realize my dream of being a music journalist. That’s a fantasy I lived for many years before my career in commerce and tech. There were several interviews, articles, features, and even a podcast for various internet blogs, ALT weeklies, and indie mags. Here are some favorites:
