About - Kristen Westcott

Hi There! 👋

I'm Kristen!

Strategist + Copywriter

I help online coaches, OBMs, and other service providers set priorities, communicate effectively, and scale without overwhelm because they have a clear vision, copy and a strategy that guides their actions.

I am driven by my passion to help women-owned businesses thrive in an online culture that rewards hustle and “hard work.”

I know it’s possible to have a thriving business that aligns with us (and celebrates emotion and connection) without putting us on the path to burnout.

There are ways we can work together and break through the systems of oppression.

You can read more about that on my inclusive business practices page

But of course there’s more to it than that. It has been quite a journey to get to where I am today (one I’m actually writing about right now - the book is scheduled to be published September 2023).

I grew up in the 80s as the daughter of a single mom. I was driven to “succeed” (aka make more money so I would never go without). From a young age I became aware of privilege (from a child’s viewpoint I only recognized what I lacked, not the privilege I had being white and living in Canada).

My mom was a nurse, and I was drawn to helping others. At first I thought that I would be a child psychologist, then I thought I’d be a lawyer … while neither happened, they influenced my decision to major in sociology at Brock University.

My experience in that program changed my life (and that’s not just a blanket statement). In this program I learned about social justice, privilege, power, systemic oppression and many other concepts that were mind-blowing to a young adult.

I wrote papers on the social construction of youth violence, the discourses surrounding women's experiences in higher education and how the practices of masculinity shape our culture.

My drive to help others, now had purpose, a direction, a cause to fight for. And I attempted to do this in various capacities. As a law clerk, a teaching assistant, and a learning skills strategist.

Then I started my journey into motherhood and experienced severe postpartum depression and anxiety. And it’s hard to fight for justice when you can barely get out of bed in the morning … so I set it all aside (for a few years).

And yet, I still continued on that journey to helping others as I became a health and life coach …

And then certified as a director of operations where I could support female, online business owners in managing the backend of their businesses so they could reduce the number of hours they were working, and get off the road to burnout.

I loved the work, and still LOVE working with female online business owners, but there was a part of me that felt something was still missing.

If you’ve ever read the book The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks you may recognize his distinction between the “zone of excellence” and the “zone of genius” … and I was operating in my zone of excellence when I managed teams, projects and kept the business organized. I was good at systems, but they didn’t light me up in a way that I was passionate about.

I LOVE the strategy side of business, the mentoring and helping the business owner take that vision and create a business that they feel fully aligned with. One that serves them and their lifestyle, not necessarily the model that everyone says they “should” pursue. This is where my genius lies (and I am good at it - even if I do say so myself!).

But there was still a missing piece, one I just couldn’t put my finger on. After some journaling and thinking on it, it finally came to me (perhaps a sign from the universe if you’re into that) … I needed to get back to writing. Not academic writing (that is read only in the walls of the institution), but writing that serves and helps others.

During my time in university, they had a marketing campaign going indicating that they were the school who fostered learning for “both sides of the brain”. As a student, I thought it was really cheesy . But, as I’ve matured I now see how my left and right brain work together to create strategic copy.

I now provide both strategy and copywriting services to businesses who are looking to have their voice heard in a way that doesn’t shame or blame their audience. That doesn’t further engage in systemic oppression of others.

And of course since I’m Type A and have a strategist/systems background … I have a framework for how we do this.

THE FRAMEWORK

The work I do with my clients is grounded in your vision and values, not online trends. Your vision, values and messaging are the foundation on which the rest of your business is built. Forget about knowing your ideal client for just a moment. If you don’t first know your foundation it’s hard to build a business that is aligned with what’s important to you.

Business decisions need to be rooted in strategy (otherwise you’re throwing spaghetti at the wall and exhausting yourself in the process … and making extra work for yourself as you have to clean up the aftermath … metaphorically speaking).

The framework we use focuses on using YOUR voice, not one that imitates a guru (not templated, fill-in-the-blank copy). We use voice of customer research so we can make sure your offer really serves the needs of your clients.

Then we package it all up together by adding your stories to all elements of your business (website and sales copy, as well videos and networking introductions) because I believe that YOU are unique and wonderful JUST AS YOU ARE. There is no need to imitate others, to wash out your voice by trying to fit into a trend. Let’s celebrate your journey (the triumphs and challenges) and connect with your audience without using oppressive tactics or personal shaming.

And then let’s create a simple system around it so you can free up your time to devote to your passion. When it all comes together it can feel like magic … but unlike real magicians I’ll always reveal my “secrets” because I believe in collaboration and abundance.