“I grew up in a not-so-nice area as a kid, but I know that it has made me who I am today because if I was raised anywhere else, I don’t think I would have as thick of skin today as a mom of three.”
Q: What are you passionate about?
A: My biggest passion has been and still is helping people. I have been a registered massage therapist for the past 13 years and this was my goal when I was in high school as I had taken a course on the body and fell in love with what I would be able to help with.
I am loving what I do and, over the early part of the pandemic, I got my life license. I had no idea what I was going to get out of it, but WOW! I was shocked at all that I learned and now could educate others and help plan/protect their families.
Then I started an online business in the essential services industry. This is where I have been able to provide my customers with better rates on services, they pay for in the home such as natural gas, electricity, internet, mobile, home phone, travel, and health care.
Q: What were your younger years like?
A: My younger years were amazing because I was always out and about playing, or we were at the Boys and Girls Club after school and evenings program where we went on many fun outings and once took a Tim Hortons camp trip to Alberta.
We often traveled back to Jamaica and the US for a few weeks and see family. I played many, if all the sports I could in school, up until high school, as I then became focused on my studies.
Q: What is something valuable you’d like others to know?
A: I grew up in a not-so-nice area as a kid, but I know that it has made me who I am today because if I was raised anywhere else, I don’t think I would have as thick of skin today as a mom of three.
I don’t look at where I came from as a bad thing because I know it gave me humble beginnings and some to look back and see how far I’ve come. Even though many kids didn’t end up in a good place as an adult, I can safely say my siblings and I all went on the great things in life.
Q: What does feminism mean to you?
A: Feminism to means….to be honest, I don’t give it much thought because I teach all three of my kids to not think they can or can’t do anything because of their size and sex.
Yes, the world doesn’t see a woman as equal to a man in some cases, but [it’s important to] know that we can do anything they can do if not do it better.
Q and A with Denise J. from Brampton, Ontario Canada
“I grew up in a not-so-nice area as a kid, but I know that it has made me who I am today because if I was raised anywhere else, I don’t think I would have as thick of skin today as a mom of three.”
Q: What are you passionate about?
A: My biggest passion has been and still is helping people. I have been a registered massage therapist for the past 13 years and this was my goal when I was in high school as I had taken a course on the body and fell in love with what I would be able to help with. I am loving what I do and, over the early part of the pandemic, I got my life license. I had no idea what I was going to get out of it, but WOW! I was shocked at all that I learned and now could educate others and help plan/protect their families. Then I started an online business in the essential services industry. This is where I have been able to provide my customers with better rates on services, they pay for in the home such as natural gas, electricity, internet, mobile, home phone, travel, and health care.
Q: What were your younger years like?
A: My younger years were amazing because I was always out and about playing, or we were at the Boys and Girls Club after school and evenings program where we went on many fun outings and once took a Tim Hortons camp trip to Alberta. We often traveled back to Jamaica and the US for a few weeks and see family. I played many if all the sports I could in school up until high school as I then became focused on my studies.
Q: What is something valuable you’d like others to know?
A: I grew up in a not-so-nice area as a kid, but I know that it has made me who I am today because if I was raised anywhere else, I don’t think I would have as thick of skin today as a mom of three. I don’t look at where I came from as a bad thing because I know it gave me humble beginnings and some to look back and see how far I’ve come. Even though many kids didn’t end up in a good place as an adult, I can safely say my siblings and I all went on the great things in life.
Q: What does feminism mean to you?
A: Feminism to means….to be honest, I don’t give it much thought because I teach all three of my kids to not think they can or can’t do anything because of their size and sex. Yes, the world doesn’t see a woman as equal to a man in some cases but knowing that we can do anything they can do if not do it better.
“Never stop caring, growing for others, and building connections!”
Q: What are you passionate about?
A: As a copywriter for service providers, I’m passionate first about community and second about writing. I founded my business on a love for helping others and a professional background in writing and marketing for nonprofits, sharing stories, and promoting causes that improve and enrich lives. My joy comes from channeling the right words to lift purpose-driven work. I decided to name my freelance business Lehigh Valley Copywriter because what you choose to support can be anywhere–but it starts where you are.
My mission is to serve the Lehigh Valley in Pennsylvania and the communities my clients are building through their work. I offer brand messaging, SEO website copywriting, and sales writing campaigns to help other entrepreneurs grow their voices, connections, and visibility. The kinds of clients I gravitate toward working with are teachers of all disciplines, musicians, artists, photographers, coaches, and service-based business owners like realtors, financial advisors, event planners, and wellness professionals. Most are women. My work is gratifying because my clients’ work is meaningful and intentional, and makes a difference for others. I’m in my first official year of business and growing quickly. Beyond client projects, I’ve been building partnerships through collaborative work, online learning groups, and local support systems of like-minded female entrepreneurs. Freelancing can be isolating if you don’t step back from the work to build relationships. It’s finding a community that makes all the difference.
Q: What were your younger years like?
A: Growing up in upstate New York, I lived in a small suburban town where kids left bikes in the front lawn when visiting friends, swapped Jolly Ranchers for Fun Dip at the open park across from the stony creek and played manhunt across neighbors’ backyards until we were called home by our parents’ silhouettes in windows. It was a genuine community. I’m from the last generation to experience childhood without the internet and also the first generation to grow up fully alongside the internet. My first online writing experience was through the Open Diary website (which I’m stunned is around–go look it up)! AOL chat rooms, AIM profiles, and message boards were all creative outlets for a budding writer. I remember writing “books” and “newspapers” with friends on clunky PCs in the family computer room and the thrill of printing stories at home! The after-school world ignited me as a young person. I attended a public school system rich with diversity, civic engagement, and extracurricular opportunities like Rotary Club, band, writing club workshops, and the school newspaper. I also found meaning in volunteering at nursing homes, homeless shelters, and other service-based agencies with my youth group. Reflecting on those experiences, it makes sense that I found nonprofit work appealing and have taken up freelance copywriting to support community development. I had a healthy support system and the right people as role models.
Q: What is something valuable you’d like others to know?
A: At the end of the year, I get sentimental as I reflect on my learnings. I imagine each year as another draft in my life’s story, scrawled with edit notes and suggestions for improvement. In copywriting, my writing tells the passions and stories of other people. It’s a learning process of hearing what other business owners care about, who they serve, why it matters, and how we can help others discover their offer as the solution to a problem. It’s also a learning process on the customer service end. Much like the writing drafts that sit at the bottom of my Google Docs, the experiences and feedback that I earn with each copywriting project serve as reminders for growth. Never stop caring, growing for others, and building connections!
Q: What does feminism mean to you?
A: Feminism starts with keeping an open heart and leaning into intuition. We live on a spectrum of callings rooted in lived experiences and spiritual identities. We serve ourselves and others best when we pursue what feels right professionally and at home. But our society and economy haven’t made this available to everyone yet. We have to be vocal about barriers and inequities when we see them. Feminist strength comes through knowing other women, understanding their personal and professional desires, being loud about what gets in the way, and supporting each other. I recommend finding a network, tribe, village, community–whatever you want to call it–to build a support system for yourself and others.