Allison Fess

I didn't grow up passionate about writing. I always loved reading. Language was fascinating. But writing was hard, and not very rewarding. Then in sixth grade I found myself poring over drafts of "What I Did Last Summer" and suddenly I was in high school, slogging through AP Lit essays. I finally surrendered and majored in English, landing an internship at a local magazine and eventually getting hired to write words for brands with audiences in the millions. Why? I believe good storytelling is one of our most powerful tools for connecting—and that something as nuanced as verb tense can make all the difference.

Whether I'm brainstorming an email campaign or pivoting to product descriptions, I love figuring out what to say and how to say it in a way that makes people respond.

When brands consistently sound human, they feel more like friends—and who doesn't want more friends? Speaking in a cohesive brand voice benefits business and users alike, and I love helping companies discover what their voice is.

Love your tone? I'm also adept at matching brand voice. Fenty Beauty has arguably one of the most distinct voices in the beauty space, and I quickly learned what the Fenty customer wants to hear. With an eye (and ear!) for detail, I was able to create a series of seven emails for a marketing campaign in the Fenty voice within a week of onboarding.

I do the New York Times crossword nearly every day. Saturday is my favorite because, inevitably, I'll be stuck with a 90% empty grid that only comes together when I take a step back and look at the patterns in a wider context.

Similarly, when I start a new project I take a moment to think about how my copy will work in the bigger picture and how it fits in with the brand story overall. Then even with minimal direction, I have my north star—and I can configure the details to reach those goals.

I completed General Assembly's Digital Marketing program with an understanding that language is measurable—and clear, concise, data-driven messaging is a powerful tool.

Armed with this knowledge, I created an email strategy for a client that resulted in at least one email with a 40% open rate—well above the standard 15% for ecommerce. At TravelPirates, I used data (combined with good content) to yield an average 25% CTR, sometimes exceeding 50%. I love seeing quantifiable results from the words I choose.

My inner editor is in a love/hate relationship with A/B tests that tell me almost exactly what is and isn't working. Is it the CTA button color? Should I call it vegan or plant-based? What happens if I change the banner image? The possibilities are frustratingly and excitingly endless.

I hold myself and my work to high standards. Maybe it's a hint of perfectionism, but I tend to see things as they could be—and slash and burn until I get as close as possible.

At the same time, I'm open to feedback and hearing perspectives I may have missed. A good editor knows when part of the story needs to be reworked.

As the assistant to the CEO of a new streaming music service, I learned to communicate and interact with executives, engineers, PR firms, VCs, and more. I had a front row seat to the entire life cycle of a startup, from funding to acquistion by Beats Music (now Apple Music). I experienced first-hand how important it is to understand how business really works.

Good communication leads to easy collaboration—and both personally and professionally, I believe my greatest strengths emerge in creative and open environments.