1. Tell us about your role at Tellwell.
As the head of marketing, my role is multi-faceted. I lead and manage Tellwell’s digital and content marketing, book marketing as well as work directly with authors. This means I create and optimize our ads, landing pages, value offerings, manage our social media accounts, blog, and newsletter. I also lead our wonderful book marketing department, where we help authors promote and market their books. I do work directly with clients as well. I really enjoy the variety in the role and working with my talented colleagues and authors.
2. What did you do beforehand?
I had a career as a journalist prior to Tellwell. I worked as a television reporter, video-journalist and anchor for CHEK News, CBC and Global News. I not only reported but also filmed and edited my own stories. Before that, I worked in various marketing roles in both the non-profit sector and the private sector.
3. How would you describe your personality?
I am a happy and positive person who is self-motivated. I believe attitude is everything, and being mindful of our thoughts and emotions is crucial. I’m extroverted and enjoy playing in the abstract.
4. What inspires you?
People who are living their optimal life, especially people who have overcome tremendous obstacles to achieve success.
5. What do you enjoy most about your role at Tellwell?
I enjoy the combination of creativity and analytics. I have a lot of opportunities to develop creative materials, write, and think outside the box, but I also enjoy studying the numbers to see what is working and what can be further optimized. I appreciate working in a startup environment where ideas quickly turn into action. I also enjoy working with authors and staying on top of trends in the publishing industry.
6. Describe your approach to working with authors.
My goal is to provide as much value as I can to authors in our time working together. This means discussing book marketing strategies that will be the most beneficial to authors but also realistic given time and budget constraints. I am friendly and a good communicator and pride myself on the strong relationships I’ve built with our authors.
7. What marketing advice do you have for authors?
If you are not familiar with Goodreads, familiarize yourself with the platform and claim your author profile. Listing your book for a Goodreads giveaway is the easiest and most affordable way to generate reviews on Goodreads.
More generally, book marketing is another beast you have to take on and become an expert in if you want to be a successful self-published author. Approach book marketing with the same passion, dedication, and rigor as you did in writing and publishing your book.
8. What are you most proud of? Biggest accomplishments?
I left a stable corporate job to go back to school for broadcast journalism and am proud of the work I accomplished. I worked in large and small cities in Canada for various television stations and learned an incredible amount. I’m also proud of creating the opportunities to work and live abroad in Latin America and Turkey.
9. What do you enjoy doing outside of work?
I love being creative, working with video, and photography. I appreciate fashion and style. I also enjoy consuming excellent content including television, podcasts, books, and news. Exercise is an important part of my well-being. I practice yoga, play volleyball and occasionally run. And, of course, developing meaningful relationships with the important people in my life😊
10. What are your favourite books to read?
I go through phases. Right now, I’m enjoying popular books which appear on the bestsellers list, but I also enjoy reading indie authors who I usually discover on Goodreads. I went through a major fantasy phase and developed a love for high-fantasy. I also enjoy reading well-told tales of major tech companies such as Netflixed and Hatching Twitter. For fantasy, I would recommend The Name of the Wind, and Daughter of the Forest.
