A creative type with a sound academic background, I’ve been working in media, marketing and PR since graduating from the University of St Andrews in 2001.
Over the past 25 years or so, I’ve built a broad communications skillset across journalism, publishing, PR, in-house marketing, agency account management and freelance consultancy. This varied experience means I don’t approach marketing, content or bid writing as isolated tasks; I look at the wider objective, the audience, the message, the evidence and the role each communication needs to play.
My work is rooted in clear thinking and strong writing. I help businesses make sense of what they need to say, shape the message around the audience, and turn technical or specialist information into communications that are useful, credible and commercially relevant.
I've been freelancing to a greater or lesser extent since 2008, and it's now my sole occupation. My specialisms are content and copywriting (particularly anything complex, technical, or otherwise specialist, including long-form copy for discerning, high-level audiences), and although I can turn my hand to any topic, these days I tend to focus on homes and interiors, property, construction and maintenance, building services, and engineering.
Specialist support, broad experience
My background gives me a strong mix of editorial judgement, commercial awareness and practical delivery experience. I’ve led editorial teams, written for consumer and trade titles, worked across agency-side and in-house PR and marketing roles, managed communications projects, developed marketing assets, supported campaign planning, and written long-form content for discerning, high-level audiences.
I’ve also had three interiors books published in my own name — Happy Home (2012), Everything in its Place (2015) and How We Live Now (2021) and I also co-wrote Space Works (2017). While my work is now much more focused on B2B marketing communications, this publishing experience still informs the way I approach structure, clarity, tone, storytelling and reader engagement.
These days, my specialisms are marketing strategy, content strategy, copywriting and bid writing for complex B2B businesses. I’m particularly strong on anything technical, nuanced or otherwise specialist, including long-form copy, thought leadership, case studies, website copy, campaign content, sales-support materials and quality submissions for bids and tenders.
Although I can turn my hand to most topics, I tend to focus on construction, engineering, property, maintenance, building services, workplace technology, manufacturing and other specialist B2B sectors.
How I work with clients
Clients usually bring me in when they need someone who can quickly understand the subject, ask the right questions, find the commercial thread and turn complex information into clear, credible communication – with maximum efficiency and minimum fuss.
This might be for a clearly defined project: a website, campaign, quality submission, case study, white paper, guide, newsletter programme or set of sales-support materials.
At other times, I work on a retainer basis as a flexible extension of the team. This can be particularly useful when a business needs senior marketing, content or writing support, but does not yet need a full-time hire. It can also help when a role is vacant, recruitment is underway, budgets need to stay operational, or senior staff are simply too stretched to keep every project moving.
In that capacity, I can provide the extra thinking and delivery needed to take pressure off the team. I’m happy working alongside founders, directors, marketing leads, agencies, technical specialists and bid teams – shaping the work, asking the right questions, making sensible decisions and getting things done without needing heavy management.
I’m at my best as a trusted senior support: someone who can understand the objective, spot what is missing, bring structure to the work and deliver clear, credible communications that help move things forward.