I began working with Martina Hodges-Schell, transformation coach, consultant, and principal of Northshore Studio in January 2021. Martina believed that creating written content on a regular basis was essential to her business, but found herself always putting writing at the bottom of her to-do list.
Since we’ve started working together, Martina no longer has to worry about finding time to write. She brings her ideas (and sometimes her rough outlines) to our conversations and we work together to decide on the best structure and flow to turn them into concise pieces of writing. It feels only fitting to work with a transformation coach on transforming ideas into polished prose. But let’s hear what Martina has to say about our collaboration!
What was your life like before you started working with Melissa?
I knew that I needed to write content. For years and years this had been at the top of my goals list. I’ve been in this industry over 25 years and I had never developed a writing or content creation practice. This is such a shame—I feel like there’s so much interesting stuff that I could have created over time. And I found the whole situation particularly frustrating because I co-authored a book, but I was still struggling to make writing part of my day-to-day practice.
Was there a particular trigger or moment where you decided you needed help with content?
When I set up my own business, I felt like I really needed to create content to market my consulting and coaching. Thought leadership content helps people to know that you exist, but more importantly, it also communicates what you stand for.
Thought leadership content helps people to know that you exist, but more importantly, it also communicates what you stand for.
What made you decide to work with Melissa?
I had a couple of friends in my peer network who had already been working with Melissa and when I asked for recommendations, her name came up several times. During our introductory call, I liked that she was already familiar with my topic area since she’s been working in the space for several years now. And I also loved the content she’d been creating with my peers Teresa Torres and Petra Wille—I could tell it matched the style and tone of voice I was looking for.
How would you describe working with Melissa?
I absolutely love it! I find it really fun and effortless. I’ve gone from content creation being a chore that I never managed to make stick to the polar opposite.
I’ve gone from content creation being a chore that I never managed to make stick to the polar opposite.
I really look forward to our monthly catch-ups. When we have a conversation, it’s very collaborative. Whether I have a really clear idea or just a jumble of unorganized thoughts, I know Melissa will help transform it into a well-written piece of content. And it’s impressive how she’s able to do this every time!
What results have you seen since working with Melissa?
There are a couple of things:
- I’ve gone from wanting to have a regular content practice but not making much progress on my own to having a regular, predictable cadence.
- We’ve been slowly and steadily creating a library of content. This is extremely helpful for handling FAQs from current or prospective clients. I don’t have to reinvent the wheel or come up with a response on the fly every time I get a question—I can just point them to resources we’ve already created.
- Because I’ve started blogging more regularly, I now have a way to create awareness about my new offerings and generate interest and buzz. When I launched workshops and retreats earlier this year, for example, it was so easy to publish an update on my blog.
Who do you think could benefit from working with Melissa?
Two types of people come to mind—people who don’t have the time and people who find that writing is not their forte. Anyone who needs an extra push when it comes to accountability and execution.
Any final thoughts to share?
Finding someone to help with content is a pain point I come across quite often in my field. I’ve heard from several peers that it’s really hard to find someone they click with, someone who gets what they’re trying to say and can say it in a way that feels authentic. That comes so easily with Melissa, so I seem to have lucked out in that sense!
Interested in working with me? Fill out this form or email me at melissa AT melissasuzuno DOT com to explore how we might be able to partner on a project!