Lois McKenzie

Up Club

In May, I’ll finally be opening the doors to a course which will be a live teaching & coaching of a curriculum I’ve been developing for, literally, 5 years (not one to rush things 🤣).

My deepest desire is that this will be the least wanky and most practical course you could ever possibly take for your writing. Yes, it will be a copywriting course. But more than that, I want to help you really rebuild your relationship to writing and the written word.

The curriculum has been developing for 5 years, yes. But it’s also based on an almost 17 year (!!) career flinging ink for everyone from Fortune 500s to best selling authors. From writing taglines for $500 hairbrushes to defining the most important thought leadership of industry-shifting personal brands. We going deep (we just will not be diving). 

We’re going to activate fresh thinking, cultivate your breakthrough ideas and learn how to express them, all through your writing.

Sweet Talk is an 8 week copywriting, messaging & writing course that will teach you how to write copy so good that brands, clients and customers will be tripping over themselves to sell their ideas TO YOU.

Because when you know how to write really, really good copy it feels less like selling people and more like offering an invitation into a world they already want to be a part of.

This course is perfect for you if

❤️‍🔥 You're a creative, entrepreneur, founder, service pro, coach, marketer who wants to master copywriting for your own business...

❤️‍🔥 You love writing but struggle with wrangling that creative energy for long enough to write copy that you really cannot wait to share.

I’m not claiming to be some gate-keeping, untold-secret-holding, answer-to-all-of-your-prayers, genius word guru (although that does have a ring to it). But I will teach you the tools I've learned to generate $10m in sales & $4m in capital as a top conversion copywriter over a decade.

Send me a DM if this tickles your fancy. Spaces are extremely limited.

Copy & Messaging Consultant & Copywriter

Elaina Ray International

Content Coach

Marketing Director

Do It Marketing

Sales Director

Copywriter

Various

I didn't always want to be a copywriter. I just wanted to write.

I would be nose-deep in books, fantasising about one day toiling away at a desk in dungarees with a pencil in my hair (I was an Enid Blyton fan, OK) and writing things that people would be utterly enamoured by. 

Life happened. 

And over the years, I heard things like, 'starving artist', 'nobody makes any money writing books anymore' and 'you can write, but you also need to make money'. 

So, I did what any self-respecting creative would do. I went into advertising 😬

I started writing headlines for a daily print news cycle, moved on to writing website copy for restaurants at a local 'digital marketing' agency, when nobody even really knew what that word meant. 

Then I started writing taglines and headlines and product names for startups for an agency in New York. From $500 hairbrushes to Beef Jerky, my job was making things sound good. 

I honestly thought I'd hit peak career and imagined myself moving to New York and swanning about in cafes, this time the vision was a little more refined. Perhaps a pencil behind the ear. 

But, life happened again. 

When I got pregnant with my daughter I knew I didn't want to live as a slave to fast-paced advertising agency life... so I set out on my own (lol why did nobody tell me that would be even worse).

Since then, I've ghostwritten two best-selling books, I've written sales pages that have sold 7 figures. I once wrote an email that got a 66.2% Click Through Rate and generated 6 figures in revenue overnight (true story).

In all of this time I've done everything possible to only work with brands who's values I can get behind. While, I am aware copywriting is hardly the Lord's work, I try to make an honest living. 

Now, I spend most of my time educating business owners on how to do these kinds of things with their own words. Through coaching & workshops, and now a new course I'm launching in May 2024.

If you read all of this, come say hi.

Freelance Writer

Bolt Digital Agency

From working with every possible different brand as a freelance writer to becoming the Head Copywriter at Bolt Digital Agency, my career evolved significantly over the years. 

With Bolt I had the pleasure of being back in real, fast-moving, digital agency life. It was exciting. Every brand something new and different. 

My role was to write high-converting stories for our high profile clients -- lots of VC backed start ups that secured multi-millions in funding after we were done: dating apps, luxury hotels, global fintech startups, and even granola bars. 

Each assignment was a masterclass in articulating unique brand messages, appealing to diverse audiences, and launching or scaling businesses effectively. 

As Head Copywriter at Bolt, I also hired and mentored other writers, and if you've ever taught a subject, you'll know that's the real key to deepening your expertise. Figuring out how to help someone else articulate something, and then letting go of the reins was a whole new education in copywriting. 

It was also amazing to be hiring writers from earlier on in my career -- I have such a good idea of the market on both sides of the coin that has helped me serve clients immensely.

Head Copywriter

Blackpool Gazette, Johnston Press

As a fresh-faced 17 year old who had life-long dreams of becoming a writer, a decidedly green idea of what that might actually take but filled with ambition, I found my start at the Blackpool Gazette as a junior advertising copywriter. 

I caught two buses to get to their head office and asked to speak to the editor -- if I could go back and speak to myself now! The receptionist was a little amused and didn't expect her to let me in. But, for some reason, she did. She appreciated my tenacity and instead of giving me some spicy hot story to get out and report on (which is how I'd imagined it would go in my head) she suggested I join the advertising team writing headlines. 

It wasn't quite my Vogue fantasy, but it was a start. So I took it and jumped in. 

Turns out coming up with headlines under 10 words for high-pressure advertising sales reps is a good education – a proper crash course in advertising and copywriting and I was fortunately quite good at it. 

Learning the art of writing sticky 10-word headlines for high-stake clients, I discovered the heart-thumping pressure and invaluable advertising lessons of a daily print news cycle. These experiences sparked my lifelong love for concise, persuasive copy that remains both my arch nemesis and my best friend.

Junior advertising copywriter

Million-dollar verbal carpentry | Copywriting & messaging strategy that has earned our clients $8M+ in sales and $4M+ in capital.

Growing up my Mum had books everywhere.

All over the house.

Instead of a bedside table she had a leaning tower of books.

Cups of half-drunk tea perched perilously on the edge of whichever one had landed on top.

One slight wrong move or sharp turn with the bedcovers, and cold, long-forgotten tea would spill everywhere.

Which, of course, happened often.

Because she was always lost in one of three or four or five books she was reading at any given moment (she likes to start a few at once, so "you never finish one too soon").

We had two huge bookshelves that still weren’t even enough to house all of the books

-- and of all of the furniture we bought and sold and lost and broke over the years, those two, gargantuan wooden beasts survived until the day she moved to live on a boat (that’s a whole other story but thankfully the Kindle was invented).

There were piles of books on top of the shelves, beside the shelves, next to the couch.

Even in the kitchen.

My childhood friends still to this day remember our book-furniture house.

This all-consuming love-of-stories is something I got from her. I never realised it at the time. But, this is one of the greatest gifts my Mum ever gave me.

We didn’t have loads of money growing up. But we had stories.

We had whole other worlds to escape to.

The perfect medicine for any kind of affliction of the soul.

And this is what stories do.

This is what good narrative has the power to do. They are medicine. A literary apothecary.

You can transform someone's life, heartache, dreams.
You can help people change their mind about love, about pain, about money, about potential.

All with a well told story.

How does the world ever change?
How do you get people to pay attention?
How do you connect with the right people?

It starts with stories. It always starts with stories.

Storytelling has become such a huge part of my life and my work and my way of thinking. I've helped people & brands make millions of dollars telling stories.

No matter what your business is, if you can get better at one thing -- let it be telling stories. Let the most important conversations you were put here to lead be the thing that everyone loves about you.

If you need help, I can do that in 3 ways:

🔥 1:1 copy coaching
🔥 Hire me to write your web copy
🔥 Copy Club: like a private members lounge for creative founders & storytellers
🔥 Sweet Talk: a copywriting course that will teach you to write in a way that feels like art and sells like hot cakes

If you love stories as much as I do, drop me a DM and share one with me :)

Founder

We’re known for creating content that looks, feels and sounds like you. Content that builds authority, brings more eyes to your work and shines a light on your mission. Content that positions you as the expert that you are and gives you the platform you need to drive change.

In short: content that positions you as the obvious choice.
 
We're the secret ingredient to leveraging your expertise so that you can increase your impact, visibility and authority without needing to increase the time you spend online.
 
...and without your message losing its authenticity and integrity.

What we do: ghostwritten authority and thought leadership content, web copy, copywriting & strategy and LinkedIn VIP days.

Matt Thomas 🥁

Writing4Robots

Perfect Prose Writing & Editing

📌 I’ve been a professional writer so long that when I started my business, the iPad hadn’t been invented yet…


For the past 14 years, I’ve been a self-employed consultant across multiple industries. 

My biggest strength as a writer/editor is my ability to ask the right questions to capture your story and expertise, then deliver it in a way that speaks to your audience. 

Here’s a quick list of some of the things I can help you with: 

• Copywriting for your website, business, product, or LinkedIn bio
• Technical Writing / Documentation 
• Comprehensive review of your website and feedback on your site copy, any errors, and usability/navigation/user experience feedback
• Professional Editing (Structural, Stylistic, Technical) and Proofreading
• Writing Courses / Training material

Owner

ATCO Group

• Worked with ATCO SMEs to develop Salesforce Trailhead modules and training content for ATCO’s Home Happiness Advisors 
• Organized 160 units into modules and prioritized them, based on impact to advisors
• Updated older ATCO documentation to align with new processes and procedures in Salesforce
• Collaborated with key stakeholders to develop training plan and prioritize training content development

Salesforce Training Content Developer

Parkland Corporation

• QA Lead/Technical Writer/Editor, for the National Learning & Development team at Parkland Fuel Corporation 
• Worked with SMEs to develop eLearning courses, reference documentation, and training materials/programs 
• Performed QA review/editing for all work produced by a 10-person team
• Reviewed all eLearning courses and provided writers and eLearning developers with feedback/changes to be made
• Reviewed and revised course exam questions and knowledge checks 
• Ensured that all material developed and released to the organization by our team aligned with all internal standards and had a consistent ‘voice’ 
• Designed instructional methods and activities for Parkland’s internal training programs and courses 
• Developed training, courses, and provided QA support to other departments and projects, as required

QA Lead/Technical Writer, National Learning & Development

ENMAX

• Technical writer on Phase 1 of ENMAX Power Corporation’s Outage Management System (OMS) project
• Developed all software documentation and reference materials for the implementation of General Electric's ALSTOM e-Terra Outage Management System (software used to manage all electrical distribution and system outages for the whole city of Calgary)
• Worked with subject matter and technical experts to capture and document system operator processes and procedures
• Created iOS software documentation for CLEVEST Workbook (mobile workforce management iPad application)
• Developed training questions, exercises and answer keys
• Managed document control, distribution, and revisions for all OMS documentation

Technical Writer, Outage Management System Implementation, Phase 1

Jiva Consulting

📌 A job I didn’t want to take led to opportunities I never imagined…

• Developed internal eLearning courses for TransCanada Pipelines from an initial outline to finished courses working closely with subject matter and technical experts 
• Performed QA reviews and revisions to a number of TransCanada online courses 
• Developed and implemented consistent templates and standards for formatting and style of TransCanada documents

Technical Writer/QA Reviewer

Sanjel Energy Services

📌 At Sanjel, I transformed chaos into clarity.

When I joined this oilfield services company, their documentation was in disarray. 

They lacked any:
* Templates
* Folder structure
* Document control/revision processes
* Idea where to start!

My boss, the VP of HSEQ, helped me understand the business’s challenges and needs. 

Then he let me find, develop, and implement the best solution. 

And that’s what I did over the next 2 years. 

Key Achievements:
* Transformed one bulky manual into 36 easy-to-update HSE Practice (HSEP) documents
* Developed templates for all corporate documentation (HSEPs, Corporate Standards, Work Instructions, SOPs)
* Edited and standardized all Sanjel technical documentation, including ERPs, corporate standards, training 
* Provided documentation support to multiple departments and Sanjel subsidiaries

Core Skills:
* Simplify complex info
* Present information in a clear, visually appealing way
* Document processes clearly 

I use all these skills daily creating content and advising others on theirs.

Technical Writer/Editor, Corporate Health & Safety

Cenovus Energy

📌 Get in, get paid, get out…

A short term contract with Cenovus Energy developing project management software training.

Hit the ground running, worked a bunch of hours, and made good money fast, but…

Realized I hated working 12-hour days alone in a depressing, windowless office.

Next, please...

Training Content Developer

📌 ENMAX liked me so much, they hired me twice! 

In my first contract with ENMAX Energy, I:
* Created desktop guides and work instruction for training employees
* Aligned older documents with new ENMAX standards and templates
* Interviewed SMEs and engineers to develop and update business documentation 
* Tracked documents through the development and revision process, updated key stakeholders

6 years later, I’d return to ENMAX in a totally different role.

Technical Writer/Editor

Calgary Zoo

📌 3 species, 4 months, 1 unforgettable gig at the Calgary Zoo.

I was hired to develop a comprehensive set of animal care protocols for three species:
* Lions 🦁 
* Tigers 🐯
* Gorillas 🦍

In this role, I: 
* Interviewed zoo director and senior staff to identify and define documentation requirements
* Shadowed zookeepers and managers to capture and document all animal care procedures
* Created detailed care protocols with visuals and checklists
* Documented safety rules per zoo and provincial standards
* Implemented a document management process to manage updates, document control and revision history

This was my first opportunity to manage an entire project solo and it's still one of my favourite contracts I've had. 😊

Technical Writer, Animal Care Protocols

Lock in your 30% pre-sale discount off my Ultimate ChatGPT Prompting Guide.

ChatGPT was supposed to save you hours a day. 

Instead, you’re wasting more time than ever. 

Because AI hasn’t simplified your workflow – it’s become another task to manage.

One that 𝘣𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘴 more time than it saves.

* Every prompt feels like a shot in the dark. 🤷‍♂️
* You spend countless hours diving down the prompting rabbit hole. 🕳️
* No matter what you try, GPT’s output never matches your expectations. 🤨

The most frustrating part? 

You don’t even 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 what you’re doing wrong! 🤦‍♂️


But it’s not just all that wasted time and effort. 

Or feeling like you’re falling further behind every day. 

It's about the gap between what AI 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 be and what it currently 𝘪𝘴 in your workflow. 

You know there are better ways to harness ChatGPT’s power. 📈

But you’re still struggling with the basics.

____

And it’s not your fault. 

Because prompting is 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘥! 😮‍💨

It’s a delicate balance between multiple competing factors:
* Precision 📐 vs flexibility 🤸‍♀️   
* User intent 💬 vs AI's interpretation 🤖
* Focusing a model’s responses 🔒 vs limiting its creative potential 🎨

Without understanding these nuances, prompting is like trying to fake your way through a conversation in a foreign language. 

If you don’t know the rules, any success is just random luck. 🎲

____

To truly level up your AI skills, you need: 
* A mindset shift. 🧠
* Clear, actionable strategy that cuts through the noise. 🎯
* To understand the core concepts that help you unlock AI’s creative power. 🦾

You don’t need another AI “guru.”
You need a 𝘨𝘶𝘪𝘥𝘦. 

And that’s where I come in…

My unfair advantage?  

12 years’ experience as a technical writer creating everything from software documentation to eLearning courses. 

Over a decade of translating technology to people, simplifying complexity, and distilling abstract concepts into concrete, actionable advice. 💡

____

Writing4Robots: ChatGPT instructional manual

A deep dive into Large Language Models (LLMs) like ChatGPT that covers:
* LLM, prompting, and prompt engineering basics.
* Ways to leverage an LLM’s inherent biases.
* The most effective prompt structures.
* The perfect analogy for guiding ChatGPT.
* A mindset shift to transform your LLM interactions.
* Practical ways to prompt better, faster. 
* Custom prompts across 6 categories (LI, Writing, Editing, Ideation, Productivity, Prompting).


Are you ready for AI to 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 deliver on its promises? 

👇

writing4robots.ai

I’m Matt Thomas, owner of Perfect Prose Writing & Editing. Nice to meet you! 

For the past 12 years, I’ve worked as a self-employed consultant across multiple industries for some great companies. 

My biggest strength as a writer/editor is my ability to ask the right questions to capture your story and expertise, then deliver it in a way that speaks to your audience. 

Here’s a quick list of some of the things I can help you with: 

• Copywriting for your website, business, product, or LinkedIn bio
• Technical Writing / Documentation 
• Comprehensive review of your website and feedback on your site copy, any errors, and usability/navigation/user experience feedback
• Professional Editing (Structural, Stylistic, Technical) and Proofreading
• Writing Courses / Training material

taplio

The Battle

Lois McKenzie

Matt Thomas 🥁

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