New Launch!
Check out the new Rohrer.com, just launched this week.
Copywriting, courtesy of… me!
I really enjoyed working with Rohrer Corp. — a great company with workers wholly passionate about what they do. I’m totally proud of the final copy, so I wanted to share this new piece of my portfolio with you.
Goals are Goals are Goals. And meeting those is awesome.
Shortly after beginning the process to start my own writing business, I decided to finally take the leap and start training for roller derby. I considered it a few times over the last few years, but my social anxiety and time constraints with my prior career prevented that from happening.
It’s an amazing thing, watching success unfold in more than one aspect of my life — what rewards you reap from hard work and passion. Today, after nearly six months of training and skating with a local recreation league, I joined the professional league. Now, I still have three months to prove I am worthy enough to the league, but I am better, stronger and more passionate with every practice.
Much the same with PURSUIT, my writing business.
I keep learning every day on the job. My writing skills and voice have both strengthened. With every new client and each completed project, I am more passionate. I love what I do. I enjoy making a flexible schedule that allows me the opportunity to explore additional passions. I’m even making a decent living. I have the work/play balance that I desire, and I feel I can finally be myself.
Bruises and all.
What is your passion? How are you creating the life you want — in either work or your free time?
A Rant: why Content Sites anger me…
I was notified of this link through a sister derby league via their Facebook page: The Odd Sport of Roller Derby
First things first… odd? What’s “odd” here is your review of roller derby. You’ll see by the several dozen “thumbs down” and comments from other passionate roller derby ladies that I am not alone in feeling angered about this article.
I have so many problems with this article and the writer — and perhaps even the site for publishing such a weak story. It is borderline enraging! This article is entirely contradictory and factually incorrect. I finished reading this article, scratching my head and wondering if this person had even bothered to look at a video (seriously, all over YouTube) or watch a bout live.
Besides having little or no knowledge of the sport of roller derby, this author obviously never bothered either to do any research. I write ALL THE TIME about topics or things in which I am unfamiliar. But you would never know from the result, as I take every measure to ensure I know the most I can about a client, a product or a service before I start writing. A simple Google search would have given this author much-needed information for scoring, basic play and the rules — and what is most definitely NOT allowed as part of the sport.
Search engines would have also supplied our author with a link to WFTDA (Women’s Flat Track Derby Association), the “governing body” of our sport. On that site, there are several downloads and pages for rules and regulations and general contact persons for scoping stats or information about roller derby. There ARE rules — athletes cannot do “anything” (including throwing elbows and starting fights) solely for audience entertainment. And the comparison to professional wrestling, I’ve heard before, but can we seriously stop this nonsense? Sure, we may have alter egos and witty announcers, but this is most certainly not fake.
Our sport is so much more than skating around in circles — there is a definite amount of skill (and balls) necessary, as the writer has mentioned, but even more so the constant strategizing and commitment involved. It’s mental, physical and highly emotional (the female hormones, you see). The object of the game, Lou Ambers, is not “simple.”
If you want to know about roller derby — the sport, the ladies, the game play — contact me. I’ll be more than happy to be a source of information or point you in the right direction. Before I give you my own hip check.
Vacation Notice
For my clients (and people stalking me): I will be on vacation from Thursday, July 22 through Monday, July 26. During this time I will have access to emails via iPhone for any important matters, but will not be “on the clock” for projects during this time. Please understand that I will not have access to my server or its documents and relative work files while I am away. Any projects currently under a deadline for those dates will be completed before my departure.
I will return to my “office” on Tuesday, July 27.
And if you have any suggestions or things to see for my first trip to Boston — besides the duck tour, people — please email me!
Mobile Apps and the Fashion Clueless
One of my recent Web content projects was for a mobile application to protect consumers from the hazards of high radiation levels emitted from your cell phone.
Yeah. Let’s just say, after researching and writing a few articles about the dangers of such, I no longer sleep with my iPhone underneath my pillow.
Note: Radilert app not available for iPhone.
Speaking of the iPhone, I was one of the lucky 600,000 who were able to purchase the new model on its initial release date. But not after 12 hours of trying. How frustrating! It looks as though the second release date has been pre-sold completely as well (Yay, me!). I’m not much of an early adopter, as I’m still using the original, first generation. Since my contract expired nearly six months ago, and the screen has a multitude of stripes across it from being dropped 4,397 times, it was a good time to upgrade. This is the fun aspect of living in a loft with concrete floors. That, and watching the cat slide around in circles.
One of my favorite new mobile apps is called “Feather Report” (Fashion + Weather). Glory, Hallelujah, I have been saved from being Fashion Clueless! I own WAY TOO MUCH clothing that I embarrassingly cannot put together properly to make an outfit. This app detects my location and gives me an idea determined on my current weather (with links to purchase the ultimate in cute stuff!). As much as I love wearing comfy clothes while working, it’s nice to know that I can pick out an outfit at the beginning of my day for those “just in case” moments (eg: client meetings, liquid lunches, Taco Tuesdays, walk my cat). Also, it is great for planning ahead: date nights, happy hour, girls night, etc. That said, I have no reason to buy new stuff, when I can just use the app’s ideas and shop my own closet.
So far, so helpful!
Although today, I may have been a wee bit overdressed just to get my oil changed.
What are your favorite iPhone apps? Did you pre-order a new iPhone 4?
Oooh, Channel 5!
Yesterday, I had the delicious pleasure of being invited by the Cleveland Indians on a media tour for Taste of the Ballpark at Progressive Field. Go Tribe!
My stomach was ready. In all, we sampled: pulled pork sandwiches, flavored popcorn, chicken wings from Cleats, fried Twinkies, Funnel Cake Fries (with powdered sugar, of course), Subway sandwiches, the original ballpark hotdogs, carving station beef, eggs & lyonnaise potatoes, more hotdogs… perhaps it was an italian sausage sandwiches — I passed since I JUST ATE ONE!
Then, we were served a buffet meal in the Champions Suite — courtesy of Chef Majors and partnered with the Food Network: buffalo chicken macaroni and cheese, short ribs, blue cheese mini-wedge lettuce salad and something like a “pig in a blanket” but with a giant sausage in pretzel bread.
Of course I am never one to skip dessert — Pierre’s ice cream has a stand inside the Terrace Club, where we enjoyed chocolate malts — and others bananas foster. A small group of us stuck around to watch the afternoon game on a gorgeous day in Cleveland. While the Indians put up a good rally at the bottom of the ninth inning, we lost by one.
Channel 5 News (ABC affiliate WEWS) showed up to film me stuff my face:
Here’s the story. Yes, once again my name is misspelled in the story, but correct in the broadcast. (I’ve been dealing with that my entire life). Unfortunately, they ALSO misspelled my business name. ARGH.
Excuse Me While I Drool Into This Copy
I was recently contracted for a seriously fun copywriting project — an online handbag retailer. I’ve completed already the front page copy and will finish up the FAQ and Services pages this week. Next up, the shop inventory. The writing comes so easy with (one of several, mind you) personal obsessions. While I’m no “label whore” exclusively, I LOVE accessories, no matter the brand. A lot.
Drool. Drool. Drool. *pulling out credit card* Drool some more.
I’ll have to promise myself not to spend my earnings on purses after each and every product description.
Other items to add to my Copywriting Bucket List:
Roller Derby — the newest entry on the list of obsessions. I just started training for the local league in March. Tryouts this Fall.
Cheese — any variety. No, seriously. Anything. I will sell cheese back to your goat or cow
Craft Beer — the import and distribution to Ohio does not an alcohol-friendly state make, so this makes traveling even more adventurous: finding the hot independent brewers.
Coffee — I like mine dark n’ black. And iced, on occasion.
Dark Chocolate — the stranger the creation, the more awesome in my mouth… please, no choco-covered crickets.
Outdoor Adventures/Activities (eg: camping, kayaking, hiking, white water rafting)
Vintage jewelry — I love old rhinestone necklaces and Etsy artists who make neck wear from found and refurbished pieces of history. Especially keys.
Drool List & Inspiration
I’m often inspired by the copy of others — in all mediums. Any article, Web site or post promoting cheese, sandwiches or beer, meanwhile, finds its place on my Drool List. For all those vices, I counteract with a lifestyle comprised of local foods and healthy eating, of course. OF COURSE.
The Cheesy Fast-Food Breakfast – from The Washington Post
Cheese & Burger Society. This copy (both audio and visual) kills me. Naming and describing burgers should be my full-time job. Or cheese. I can do cheese too.
Well-written copy shouldn’t end at job posts either. Oh, the irony, after having one of the most fantastic eating experiences of my life at Graham Elliot this weekend in Chicago.
What I’m currently working on:
A couple sales letters for a translation company
Blog posts for Patient Surveys
Articles for an educational supplier
Article and Web copy for mobile application
Research for said mobile application
Rewrites of relationship and dating articles
A LOT of random editing and proofreading work
Personal essay about roller derby (Pitch, perhaps?)
A much-needed break from my laptop…
But I’m still packing it.
To my current or prospective clients, I will be spending a long (and by my hectic schedule, well-deserved) weekend in Chicago. My return to the corner office/apartment will resume at the beginning of next week.
Expect a wonderful city exploration post upon my blog reappearance. I love vacationing in Chicago, and I’m already stockpiling massive amounts of caffeine and candy (and passengers) for the drive.
I’ll be checking emails regularly for any and all updates on your projects:
melinda.c.urick@gmail.com
Guest Blog on Downtown Living
I wrote a guest post this morning for Extraordinary Observations, based on my current living situation downtown (after hopelessly navigating the suburbs). The piece was was also picked up by the Streetsblog Network.
Rob (the owner of EO) writes engaging posts from the perspective of a soon-to-be college grad. He endlessly searches for a city and job with a balance to his important forward-thinking priorities. While moving through the still-shaky local job market, he challenges his audience to bigger ideas about not just Cleveland, but urban life, especially with the misconceptions of its recreation.
As a young professional, what are you thoughts on urban and suburban life?