Chelsea Paige Blahut
Copywriter / Content Strategist
Nob Hill, San Francisco, CA
www.chelseablahut.com
twitter @chelseablahut
instagram @chelseablahut
Q What do you do?
“As a copywriter and content strategist, my job is to strengthen brand principles by educating an audience on a product or solution.”
I shape user experiences by crafting approachable text to nurture user journeys so they can easily complete tasks while using a product. Through collaboration with other teams, such as research, design, and product, I contribute to creating unique platforms while working on behalf of the user.
Q What steps did you take to get to where you are now?
I graduated with a degree in English with a concentration in Professional Writing. I didn't know it at the time, but I was fascinated by the intersection of technology and society, and, to that end, the ongoing relationship between those two worlds. I also studied Journalism and Art History, which helped me to better understand cultural narratives and being able to craft a story.
I later cut my teeth at a publishing firm where I wrote original content. At first, this included long- and short-form stories, newsletters, and social media, and eventually evolved to interactive editorial projects, short-form editorial videos, and website landing pages website. I eventually moved on to an international architecture firm where I managed its digital presence. Since then, I regularly freelance for creative agencies and tech companies, where I develop strategies and strategic copy for marketing and product teams to create brand campaigns, product web and mobile app pages, and experiential campaigns.
Through these collaborative efforts, I have realized writing is a form of design and user experience and keeping that ethos at the forefront of my work when thinking about how I can creatively solve problems with my teammates.
Q How do you stand out in your field?
I like pivoting between left and right-brained writing from storytelling to systematic thinking. Strategically tapping into qualitative and quantitative data to formulate language is a fun challenge that entails overcoming constraints while delivering a solution tailored to user needs and drives success. Similarly, analyzing data as a result of these initiatives is key to understanding the impact of strategy and design decisions.
Q What are you working on right now?
We are working on some fashion and beauty editorials that I am extremely stoked about.
Q What’s your style?
Simple is best, and brevity is the soul of wit. Superfluous design aesthetics and repurposed language that is repeatedly duplicated or recycled--or misused--turn me off and make me think that the company has not taken the time to get to know its audience.
Q Out of all your slashies, which one do you wish you could do more often?
I used to sketch a lot and create illustrations for my pieces while writing for my school newspaper. I think telling fun, succinct stories with visuals is deeply underrated.
Q What is frustrating you right now?
The lack of context and details clients provide. To create a truly comprehensive project, you need to delve into the research and understand the user value and needs.
Q If you could hire someone for $20/hour, what would you have them do to make your day easier?
Send emails requesting content or fact-checking.
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Q What do you wish you could have told yourself, when, and why?
If I could turn back time, I would tell myself that big risks have greater rewards.
Q If you could talk to an expert to gain more insight on something, what would it be about?
I would ask how they optimize processes with cross-functional teams and confidently acquire stakeholder agreement.
Q What kind of opportunities/projects are you looking for?
I would love to work on collaborative projects with product, marketing, and design teams throughout an entire lifecycle to help craft UX copy and tone and voice.
Q Describe your ideal job/client/collaboration.
All creatives need time and space to work while still feeling the excitement from the pressure to create something innovative. I think the balance of creative freedom, deadline-driven environment, and respectful collaboration is pretty dreamy.
Q How should someone approach you about working together?
Contact me by simply sending an email or a note through my Squarespace site. From there, I'll go ahead and send you a project brief that outlines timelines, deliverables, research, and creative considerations. From there, we'll meet and have a conversation structured around the brief to understand the next steps.
Q Oh! and… how do you stay creative?
Reading books and news. Listening to podcasts. Exploring my city and new places. Staying open to new experiences.
This member profile was originally published in April 2021