Brand storytelling · Powerful Words

Helping changemakers, I can be a changemaker

BforBirgit

Recognising the power of words and ‘remembering’, as I often like to put it, my talent to craft powerful words has been without doubt one of my most pivotal moments, not least as I pivoted my career – from digital project and change management to content strategy and copywriting; from employment to self-employment; and from diligently working to implement someone else’s dreams to pursuing my own mission.

However, it wasn’t until I worked my way through a myriad of copy and content crafting specialisms (killer, sales, badass and SEO copywriter; content marketer, strategist and writer to name only a few) and until I linked my talent with my passion for personal development and my beliefs about copy and content (quality) as driving force for change, that I felt the greatest sense of purpose and clarity for my work yet: namely, to dedicate my word crafting, optimising and transforming services specifically to empower big-hearted, purpose-driven and change-making work, causes and businesses.

So, in today’s post I wanted to contemplate in more detail on the type of change-making clients I’d like to work with: who they are and what drives them … as well as how, in a world of plenty of talented wordsmiths, I may stand out as a content crafter specifically for changemakers.

What is a changemaker?

A first look in various online dictionaries found me well surprised as the only ‘changemaker’ definition offered by most of them seems to be related to a “device that mechanically supplies change in coins of desired denominations upon the operation of the proper levers or keys.”

That’s clearly not what I expected or was hoping for. Instead of attempting my own short and sweet definition though, and inspired by two main literature sources as quoted at the end of this post, I came up with a set of characteristics and attitudes as I see them fit with my picture of a changemaker and the business of change-making:

  • Purpose – far beyond money-orientated and technology-driven goal setting, changemakers get meaning and purpose from people-centred and humanitarian goals such as peace, health and overall culture of wellbeing – whether it’d be for individuals, organisations, wider society or also for the environment.
  • Results – rather than counting leads, profit, and getting high on big wins and instant results, changemakers measure the support, engagement and impact their work is driving, and they believe in growth from within and in small changes adding up over time to create transformative and long-lasting results.
  • Values – guiding principles and values can be tricky to establish and nurture, they are unique to each organisation and they will evolve over time. However, what all changemakers’ values have in common is a human-spirited core. Think empathy, integrity, authenticity, leadership, community and teamwork.
  • Approach – in line with these values, changemakers focus first and foremost on leading, inspiring and empowering (people) as opposed to managing, directing and controlling (events, tasks, resources), and when it comes to rating success, they know it’s a team sport.

Who are changemakers?

Considering the above points and agreeing with Ashoka’s* statement that “a changemaker focuses on solving a social problem for the greater good” – a short and sweet definition after all – I’m inclined to categorise into four types of changemakers:

  • Internal communications, HR specialists and organisational leaders – I believe that organisations have a responsibility and are agents of change for wider society.
  • Copy, content and communications specialists – I also believe that both, technical and strategic excellence of messaging is a vehicle for driving change.
  • Third sector and charities, public sector – this is self-explanatory as societal and individual wellbeing is at the heart of what these organisations do and why they exist.
  • Solo business owners, consultants, coaches, trainers and educators – dedicated to bringing about positive change and transformation for individuals and society as a whole – also self-explanatory.

[*Ashoka is a global social entrepreneurship organisation credited with coining the term changemaker]

Helping changemakers (with words), I can be a changemaker

Like I said in the introduction, dedicating my own work to helping changemakers translate their brand propositions and heartfelt messages into powerful words really feels like the magic link between the things I’ve learned, I believe in, I’m good at and I’m passionate about.

  • Skills and qualifications – Communications degree, Marketing and Project Management qualifications, Content Experience Design and Copywriting training.
  • Professional experience – 10+ year corporate career focused on digital development and often large-scale organisational change programs; 6+ years entrepreneurship.
  • Life experiences – I’ve moved abroad; transitioned career; overcome trauma, hired coaches, taken part in personal development programs and experienced breakthroughs myself.
  • Personal values and interests – in a nutshell, the changemaker’s characteristics and attitudes as I described them above, sum up my own guiding posts perfectly.

Hopefully, all of this qualifies and promotes me as an ideal crafter of change-making words! Ultimately, for me, helping changemakers with their words is also a way of planting seeds of positive change and transformation not just for limited, i.e. target audiences, but for the world and all of humanity. Last but not least, it’s a way of using my skills as a force for greater good and to build a worthwhile legacy :)

“By helping changemakers (with their words), I’m a changemaker.”

Whether it’s developing the proposition for your new venture or refreshing your existing brand story, and translating it into an effective website structure, or whether you need help writing or editing brand building content such as blogs or case studies, I will be delighted to contribute my content crafting fingers to anything that’s aimed at touching hearts and transforming culture, performance and wellbeing for individuals, organisations or society as a whole.

Literature sources

Need help with your brand, marketing and website words?

I combine brand and content strategy, content writing and copy editing, and particular website expertise as well as a general passion for content quality – whether online or offline – to make brand propositions and stories, web pages and blogs, marketing and print materials, business documents and everything and anything that relies on words to connect, engage and win over an audience, more powerful. If your words need more power, please get in touch!

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