Hello.
My About page not enough for you? Maybe you’re wondering, like most people I work with, how I ended up in Thailand. Or why. And what actually it is that I do.
Good questions.
Originally from the Pacific Northwest, I have a degree in public relations (fun fact: I also double majored in history) and worked as an account manager at a boutique PR firm in Seattle handling accounts for start-ups that produced consumer-facing goods and services. Between constantly writing for both communications and history in college then immediately jumping into daily drafting press releases, media kits and messaging frameworks, I’ve been honing my copywriting skills and ability to craft and position messages for a long time.
I lived and worked in London briefly after graduating from university and knew that I wanted to live abroad again. After visiting Thailand for a two-week holiday, I knew I needed to spend more time there and made a plan to make a move. At first, I thought I’d stay in Thailand teaching English (one of the few jobs open to foreigners) for six to eight months then travel through Southeast Asia and make my way back towards Europe. I quickly learned that I was not cut out to teach (I hated it) but I loved the northern town of Chiang Mai and wanted to spend more time there.
Those six to eight months turned into nine years, all based in Chiang Mai. Wanting to do something more in line with my professional experience, I launched a travel blog, Paper Planes, and spent several years growing my audience while starting to pick up freelancing writing work. I took some pretty random jobs but it taught me to shift my writing style and voice quickly to meet different needs and, even now, I can trace many of my current clients back to connections I made years ago.
Still living in Thailand, it was time to take things more seriously and I opened up a Thai business so I could work more with clients in Thailand. The hospitality industry is close-knit everywhere but especially in Thailand and, to a larger extent, Southeast Asia and soon I found I was mainly working for travel, hospitality and dining clients. Between being the corporate marketing team’s English language copywriter at one of the largest incoming tour operators in Asia, spending several years as the PR manager for a collection of Asian-based boutique hotels, editing a luxury Thai travel magazine and working as a freelance copywriter for several of the region’s leading hotel brands, including Minor, Anantara, Avani and Hotels G, I know the industry well.
In 2020, I made the shift to spend my time between Thailand, Seattle and Europe. Most of my services, however, can be offered from anywhere and to brands anywhere…so get in touch!
Copywriting
My specialty is making copy sound like a real person wrote it. It’s conversational instead of corporate-y. While I’ve written for a wide range of clients and projects — from luxury hotels to a website selling church pulpits, residential architecture firms to training manuals for Australian airport procedures (I can’t make this up!) — I mainly work for travel, hospitality and lifestyle brands. Website content, blogging, marketing materials, email campaigns, social media posts…I’ve got you covered.
Brand Messaging
One of my favorite ways to work with clients is through designing brand messaging guidelines and voice style guides. Whether you’re just starting a business or going through a rebrand, nailing down the way your brand sounds and comes across to others is part art, part science and part patience all while being crystal clear on who your audience is. It’s good to have someone to talk to about these things and offer outside perspective as well as copy best practices. That’s what I do.
Editorial
While working for clients is my main gig, I’ve been lucky to pick up travel writing commissions — often sharing my Thailand travel tips emphasizing art, culture and cuisine — with outlets such as Lonely Planet, National Geographic, The Michelin Guide and HuffPost.
Brand Photography
What started as a hobby for blogging has turned into a service that complements my writing. I typically shoot for editorial and social media content, capturing shots that illustrate the story or show a brand’s unique details to be multi-purposed across different platforms.
