Below is a tiny sample of work I’ve had the privilege of completing for companies and clients over the past two decades. While these examples provide just a glimpse into the breadth of my experience, I hope they give you a sense of how my emotive storytelling skills could help you with an upcoming narrative project – or even one that has been gathering dust in the back of your cranial bookshelf.
I am deeply passionate about my work and would love to use my storytelling expertise to help you share your brand or personal stories in an authentic and powerful way. I look forward to connecting with you.
The author, a busy CEO with a demanding schedule, hired me to provide substantive editing expertise. She created the content for each chapter, and I helped her structure the book in an effective way. From there, I did an intensive review of everything from sentence structure to word usage and overall writing style to help the lessons build from chapter to chapter.
I love book editing projects because, like ghostwriting, I get to work behind the scenes to make the author’s authentic voice shine in a way that resonates deeply with their readers. It’s the most rewarding work.
“Jo is an exceptional writer and editor. I’m forever grateful for our partnership during my book writing journey. She did a masterful job finessing my thoughts into perfectly written lessons and stories. The final version exceeded my hopes and dreams for the book.” – Julie
Bottled Up, A Memoir | Author
My debut memoir, scheduled for release in 2025, chronicles my journey through the murky depths of loss and shame at a young age and the wildly powerful effects that had on my life.
In this compassionate yet honest memoir, I open up about the loss of my idyllic childhood at the hands of alcohol addiction and financial turmoil. I reconstruct the impenetrable fortress of lies I painstakingly built around myself for decades to “be okay” and appear “normal.” Behind this fortress, however, festered a growing sense of shame that would manifest in countless harmful ways. Ultimately, this is my story about recovery, forgiveness and acceptance as I learn to release that shame that kept me quiet for so long.
Beginning in late 2024, I will begin releasing chapters of my memoir on Substack. I invite you to walk with me, chapter by chapter, as my story unfolds. This is an unpublished version of my memoir – an insider’s look at a work in progress that will ultimately become the published piece. It is an opportunity to get a sneak peek at a version that usually only the author and editors get to see. More than that, I would be grateful for your thoughts, comments, insights and constructive feedback as I work to communicate my truth in the most meaningful way possible. Lastly, if you want to be a beta reader, please reach out! I would love to include you on that list.
**Working Title Only, Sample Cover
The Most Beautiful Day | Author
Short Fiction Break, 2024 Spring Writing Contest
During a period of intense grief and reflection after losing my mom in early 2024, I decided to step outside of my familiar genre of memoir and write a short fictional story. The process ended up being unexpectedly cathartic and helped me examine the topic of loss in a unique way through this unusual and heartwarming story.
I love the art – and challenge – of writing a short story. Within the confines of a few thousand words, you must draw the reader into the characters’ lives, bring the narrative to a meaningful climax and then elicit a raised eyebrow, a knowing smile or a single tear from the reader with a beautiful ending.
Writing this short story brought me right back to my academic years when that was my first love. Even the longest books are constructed from the building blocks of story stories. Since my first published short-form narrative, I have written over a dozen personal essays, Op-eds and short stories that I will be submitting for publication this year.
“Ah to be the constant, the one who anchors and spreads joy while life swirls and changes around us. It’s a tall order and definitely not for the weak of heart. What a beautiful story! Love it!” – Marianne
MD² website | content creation
I joined MD² to learn and absorb the voice of the brand and ultimately become the guardian of this precious gift. One of my most public displays of affection for the brand was creating the content for the website. My goal was always to draw out the humanity of healthcare and anchor every last word to the sacred bond a physician shares with a patient.
Completing this project felt like the culmination of 8 years’ worth of karate-kid-style brand lessons I had been receiving from both the founder and the CEO of the company. It left me with a profound appreciation for brand strategy and the craft of emotional storytelling.
MD²’s website was a 7-time W3 award-winner + 2024 Webby Award honorable mention | Creative Agency: BORN Group
“Jo is one of the most powerful brand storytellers I have met in my career” – Peter
Other website work: Dream Job Catcher
“Jo did an amazing job writing the content for our website. She created a messaging framework and content strategy, which was incredibly valuable. Jo wrote brilliant copy for every page — reflecting our personality, tone and style. Our site resonates with our audience and has helped us generate aligned clients.” -Mai
Full Circle: 25 Years Later | Creator, Interviewer, Writer
I was faced with a unique challenge. I worked at a company with a founding tenet that relationships are the foundation of all experiences. Camaraderie was encouraged and fostered. Collegiality was not just a buzzword but something that was practiced daily. We were asked to create “wow” moments whenever possible. It was a rare and remarkable place to be. However, as the company rapidly grew, it started to strain the connections that held us together.
Recognizing the threat of disconnection, I realized that our stories were what bound us together. We knew more about one another than our job titles, which helped us understand and care about one another as individuals and not just colleagues.
To preserve this sense of connection, I conducted over 20 podcast interviews and turned them into written pieces that were sent to each employee’s home, so even their families could begin to connect with the group.
This was my way of honoring our company’s history, celebrating each person’s steadfast dedication and inspiring engagement across the group. The impact was remarkable – it united the group and fostered a shared pride in being part of our distinguished company, even as we grew apart geographically.
Jo has been essential to the heart, soul and voice of MD². When we read any of her communications, we read clarity, warmth, generosity and greatness. She has a special gift. – Shari
It would be my honor to capture the humanity of your brand or company through oral and written stories. Let’s chat.
Instagram: MD² Concierge Medicine | Content Strategist, Content Creator
Creating a social media presence for a company is always challenging, inspiring and hugely rewarding in a “Dang! Did we just do that” sort of way. I was so proud to craft the stories and content for the MD² concierge medicine stream and grow both our organic followers and paid digital marketing inquiries.
Whether I am creating SEO headlines and descriptions, or snippets for Google paid ads, short-form content demands a solid understanding of brand guidelines, a well-defined target audience, a formulaic structure and then as much creativity as you can muster! I’m always up for that challenge!
Wine Label – OATH | Content Creator
This wine label was designed to celebrate 25 years since the founding of our company and the living legacy of the brand. Crafting emotional brand content is my calling card as a brand storyteller.
“Our Oath. It is our heritage and will be our legacy. There is no higher covenant; no bond that is more sacred. It is at once a tribute to an honored past and a vision for an ideal future, beautifully intertwining the richness of both to produce something that is unmatched in its caliber. It lives and breathes through each of us, with every hand we hold, every word we speak, and every promise we keep.”
When it comes to brand storytelling, I specialize in creating unique expressions that communicate the heart and soul of a brand in a truly authentic way. From corporate manifestos to wine bottles, I strive to inspire camaraderie and brand love in unexpected ways.
Client Acquisition Brand Piece | Content Creator
Premise: Welcoming a new client into a high-end medical practice should feel like a handshake into an elite club. It should be special and elevated.
Solution: An elegant coffee table “welcome” book that was as beautiful to touch as to read. We structured the book as an emotive narrative that highlighted the familial relationship a patient shares with their personal physician. By threading together a series of true, heartfelt stories about care that goes beyond traditional medicine, we planted seeds of trust that would foster lasting relationships between doctor and patient.
My role: I worked with the founder of the company to tease out the core elements that make MD² so unique and special for patients. I distilled those into messaging pillars and interviewed physicians to include stories that laddered up to those pillars. The experience is the sum of the stories and the stories are the sum of shared relationships.
It became a hallmark piece of the MD² experience.
Does your brand need a hallmark piece to elevate your experience? Let me know! I’d love to brainstorm with you.
Ghostwriter | Content Editor | Storyteller
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