Kaitlin Mae Palma
Q What do you do?
“From tone of voice to content strategy, I help both up-and-coming and established brands craft new identities, solidify values, and connect them to customers that’ll keep comin’ back.”
Q What steps did you take to get to where you are now?
Get ready for a ride. In 2012, I started a photography business with my best friend to make a little extra weekend cash. Thanks to Instagram, this became a full-fledged creative business that lead to multiple photo publications with companies like Junebug Weddings, The Knot, Green Weddings Shoes, and more. This momentum lead to writing several op-eds for various wedding and beauty blogs, which then established further connections in the creative field.
In 2019, I graduated with an MA in Literature, Composition, and Rhetoric. While studying, I taught at my university as an adjunct professor while still growing the photography business, and I continued to do so for a year after graduation (you know what comes next). In 2020, universities started cutting adjunct budgets, so I had to pivot and exercise a little more of my writing skills to, well, find work. Enter: copywriting.
Since then, I've been fortunate enough to create a vast network through freelance and full-time in-house copywriting, establishing work in several industries including fintech, beauty, food/bev/grocery, and wholesale apparel. Helping brands shape their voice and market presence is something I've not only come to champion, but something I see myself doing for years to come.
Q How do you stand out in your field?
When it comes down to it, I love making friends and getting sh*t done. One of the best things about working in the marketing sphere is how human everything needs to be in order to get people to notice. I feel that's where I shine - making people feel heard and seen with however many words it takes.
Q What are you working on right now?
Currently crafting a brand voice and digital identity for the second largest wholesale apparel company in North America, and helping craft product descriptions for a growing small-maker, big-city bodega brand.
Q What’s your style?
I look for brands that marry the cool and collected demeanor of a friendly conversation with the comforting, encouraging manners of a compassionate educator, and brands that never skimp on fun. Brands that champion inclusivity and stand alongside positive systemic change are immediate green flags for me. I love what Vacation is doing to convey a wildly fun voice through a familiar yet specific time capsule, what Omsom is doing to include flavors of the Asian diaspora in everyday bites, and what Julie is doing to forward accessible healthcare when we need it most.
Q Out of all your slashies, which one do you wish you could do more often?
More brand voice initiatives!
Q What is frustrating you right now?
Emerging into industries I don't have a lot of experience in.
Q If you could hire someone for $20/hour, what would you have them do to make your day easier?
It's worth more than $20/hr tbh, but content creation is something I'd love to hire work for. Also daily client outreach (and maybe even grocery shopping - or rather someone to limit me in the snack aisle).
Q What do you wish you could have told yourself, when, and why?
I wish I could tell 2014 me to stop rushing towards graduation and take the extra time off to invest in passions rather than taking, and paying for, more summer classes all because you're unsure what degree you want to graduate with (excuse the run-on sentence).
Q If you could talk to an expert to gain more insight on something, what would it be about?
Traveling on a budget (I'm so serious, pls help)
Q What kind of opportunities/projects are you looking for?
Brand voice initiatives, email marketing (copy for drip series campaigns and product highlights), and website re-vamps.
Q Describe your ideal job/client/collaboration.
My ideal job would include collaboration that's a) TRUE, cross-creative collaboration, b) open to a brainstorm sesh of only "what ifs" and, c) stays on schedule.
Q What is your rate?
$2000/project (ie. Brand voice construction, email drip series, or website re-vamp), or $75/hr with a 20 hr multi-project minimum.
Q How should someone approach you about working together?
Q Who is a creative you admire?
Copywriter and Designer are two extraordinary creatives that I love collaborating with!
Q Oh! and… how do you stay creative?
Stay on your hobbies.
This member profile was originally published in May 2023