Rosemary Richings Helps Lifestyle Startups With Their Content Strategy
1. One sentence that describes what you do…
I’m Rosemary Richings, and through my hands-on approach to blog content creation, I help lifestyle startups, and some large brands too such as E-bay and Saatva Mattress Company with their blog & web page writing, editing, and content strategy-focused questions, such as what to write about, and how to use social media and email marketing platforms to attract the right readers over the long-term.
2. The first thing I do when I wake up…
Every morning is basically the same: I turn off my significant other’s alarm and make coffee and breakfast. Then, we watch either a travel vlog or the latest Steven Colbert clip on YouTube while we’re eating breakfast and drinking our coffee. I take one rule very seriously: I never make important decisions until breakfast is over, and the dishes from breakfast are empty/ in the sink.
3. The quote I live by…
I can’t take credit for this one: but it’s one I always go back to from the legendary jazz singer, Nina Simone: “I’ll tell you what freedom is to me: no fear. I mean really, no fear!”
I love this quote because it’s something I’ve always wanted. Because for the longest time I struggled with feeling appreciated and accepted within my peer group. So if I can help someone accomplish that sense of acceptance with the right people, I feel a sense of fulfillment and like I did my job correctly.
I'll tell you what freedom is to me: no fear. I mean really, no fear! Click To Tweet4. My favorite business tools are…
- Trello: for keeping track of everything from my blog, to my client work
- CoSchedule: for saving me hours of time on social media marketing, through automatically posting on all my social media accounts, and reusing/ re-sharing my posts more than once over the long-term.
- Zapier: for handling all the admin and follow up for everything from invoices and professional calls, to emails to mailing list subscribers.
- Calendly: for reducing the back and forth required to figure out peoples’ availability, by showing people exactly when I’m available, and offering a simple method for booking a specific day and time.
- Wave App: for invoicing and receiving direct online payments without processing fees.
5. On my bookshelf, you will find…
- Sylvia Plath’s poetry. I studied her poetry and read her novel when I was in university, and she is one of my favourite writers.
- Being Boss: Take Control of Your Work & Live Your Life on Your Own Terms. Helped me through a rough time when I lost a major client and helped me re-shift my business and the approach I was taking. The exercises are the best bit, because they ask tough but important questions about your work and life.
- Real Artists Don’t Starve: Timeless Strategies for Thriving in the Creative Age: Using a variety of examples, from Michelangelo, to contemporary creatives of diverse specialities, this book debunks the myth that to be a “real” artist you have to starve and suffer for your art. Includes a lot of super helpful examples of what separates the starving artist from the thriving professional artist.
6. Every woman needs to try this at least once…
Mediation. In our society, I think women are under way too much pressure to do a bit of everything, be good at our jobs, and be great moms, partners, and daughters. And sometimes we undervalue ourselves in all areas of our life because of it.
There’s a lot that you can learn about yourself from having half an hour to an hour of meditation. That’s exactly why I think it’s such a valuable way to spend at some of your time.
7. My favorite beauty brands and items…
- Burt’s Bees: I use their scented disposal towelettes on my face, and they’ve done great things for my skin, I love the way they smell, and they’re great for makeup removal.
- Love Bright’s Gel Matte Lipstick: I didn’t discover this one until recently, but my really good MAC red lipstick fell apart, and I found this at my local pharmacy’s cosmetics department. So far, it’s a really good replacement that’s basically the same thing but it was roughly half the price.
8. The best piece of advice I’ve ever received…
A key value that was passed down to me when I was a kid was the idea of taking pride in my appearance, and I think that’s been my most valuable lesson. It sounds like a superficial thing, but really it isn’t. When I’m working from home, taking just a second to pick an outfit I feel good in is a deeply grounding activity.
Because it transitions me from my quiet breakfast routine I often have with my partner, to focus on the next item on my to-do list. When I’m either meeting a client, showing up at my co-working space, or going to a networking event that extra few minutes I took to look and feel good helps me confidently own everything I represent.
Take pride in your appearance!Click To Tweet9. Daily things you do in your business…
I’m still a one-woman operation, so I do pretty much everything in my business. I answer all my client emails and questions, I write my own blog posts and social media messaging, I attend all the calls and meetings with clients, and I do the work on every single blog content creation and content strategy (client) project that I say “yes” to.
10. List all your social media platforms…
- Twitter: @rosiemay_r
- LinkedIn: Rosemary Richings
- Facebook: Rosemary Richings Content Creation & Strategy
- Instagram: @rosemary_richings
- Blog: rosiewritingspace.com
- Consulting Website: rosemaryrichings.com