Ryan Ortego
Q What do you do?
“I work with brands to help them discover their why, establish their voice, and activate people.”
I love chatting it up with a brand owner, founder, or enthusiast to get to know their quirks and turn those felt nuances into verbal expression. That might look like drilling down a manifesto, a video script, a social campaign, a pitch deck, or [insert preferred deliverable here]. But it always starts with a first date full of questions. Curiosity is always the driver. I ask first, write later, and edit waaaay less.
Q What steps did you take to get to where you are now?
I've been a career writer. I've done it for non-profit orgs, small retail shops, satcom legacies, and tech innovators. The most valuable skill I take into my work is my winding journey through all kinds of roles. No matter what work I was doing, I was deploying strategy through copy. My target was always to land sticky sentiments, but it was all developed through a ton of relational equity. Can we just kick it? Can we get to know each other well enough to articulate the felt needs in a way that's honest and compelling?
Q How do you stand out in your field?
My approach is personal and immersive. Teams want me in the room because I live in a constant exploration of the cultural moment and personal nuance.
I’m always getting to know people. I ask questions like it’s a first date. And I sift through cultural movements for throughlines that move us. Digging into the gritty details exposes the why behind the words, but it also builds trust. Each layer we peel back invites the possibility of new narratives, unexpected storylines, or different angles that cut through to a felt experience of the world. And that’s where the magic starts to emerge.
Q What are you working on right now?
I’m always writing brand identities and website copy, but I’m often chopping it up on campaign concepts, technical process documents, Substack entries, and personal prose.
Q What’s your style?
I’m a firm believer that copy has a rhythm.
I lean into that rhythm to land sticky statements and clear messages.
Great copy is like great music. It moves. It fills the beats. And sometimes it breaks the cadence to capture attention on a detail that matters. Strategy is similar, because humans like patterns and structure. But we pick up on disruption too. Both are valuable in a strategy – the pattern provides reliability; the disruption demands our attention.
Q Out of all your slashies, which one do you wish you could do more often?
Campaign development. I love conceptualizing a variety of ideas and seeing one of them all the way through to execution. If I could do that by itself, I’d be in.
Q What is frustrating you right now?
It’s frustrating that I don’t have more margin to share my work. I want to be consistent on social and networking platforms, but sharing work is like managing another 10-hour contract.
Q If you could hire someone for $20/hour, what would you have them do to make your day easier?
Mow my lawn.
I love doing it. Something about the strain is oddly refreshing. It’s very demanding and very isolating in the most beautiful way. But it’s one of those pesky tasks that slips down the list and nags me til I have a minute to start the mower.
Q What do you wish you could have told yourself, when, and why?
"You’re not wasting your time."
When I found myself bouncing between non-profit, retail, satcom, and project management roles, I thought I was aimless. But I was just building a throughline. I was identifying the thing that was true about me no matter what environment I landed in. I wish I could have told myself that all that change wasn’t a waste – it was an opportunity to learn and soak in all the stuff that sets me apart.
Q If you could talk to an expert to gain more insight on something, what would it be about?
The future of data center development. Modern society is running into an interesting dilemma. We're dependent on digital real estate, and that digital space has implications on the physical world. It's incredibly compelling. What's the physical plan for an increasing digital scope?
Q What kind of opportunities/projects are you looking for?
Brand & Content Strategy, Verbal Identity, Campaign Concepting & Development. Any and all execution opportunities for heavily technical products and services. Complexity is my sweet spot.
Q Describe your ideal job/client/collaboration.
Big, conceptual beginnings that need granular, tactile clarity.
Q: What is your rate?
I typically scope projects and provide a package number that encompasses all required work and deliverable needs. This usually boils down to somewhere between $100-$150 per hour.
Q How should someone approach you about working together?
Send me an email. Bonus points for including a slappy playlist.
Q Who is a creative you admire?
Dan Nelken
Miruna Talpas
Phillip Rosendahl
Q Oh! and… how do you stay creative?
I’m always writing new songs or melodies. Oh, and haiku’s for BDAY cards are usually my most creative expression.
This member profile was originally published in April 2026.