It all started with a bag of peanut M&Ms and a stash of Betty & Veronica comic books.
My older sister and I were camped out in her room, doing one of our favorite things. Eating lots of candy and reading Betty and Veronica comic books. Except, I was only 4 years old and couldn’t read. I just leafed through the pages, looked at the pictures and horded most of the peanut M&Ms.
At one point, my sister, who was 9 years old and had been reading for years, looked up from her comic book and said, “Won’t it be great when you can read so you’ll actually know what’s going on?”
That was the moment when my love affair with words began. My sister’s offhand, rhetorical question lit the first spark of a lifetime passion and respect for the power and beauty of words, their ability to tell a story, relay information, evoke feelings, stir memories, ignite desires and ideas, and change lives.
It’s no wonder that almost every career I’ve had has centered around creating communication and connection. I’ve had long, successful careers in public relations, marketing and sales, ghostwriting, and fund development, and throughout each of these careers, the one constant has been my love for creating words and experiences that make something happen, inspire action, offer a new perspective, reveal a hidden truth, ignite ideas, inform, impress, seduce, charm… and, yes, entertain.
Then came the Internet, and I fell head over heels for this seemingly limitless vehicle for powerful, highly creative communication and personal connection. I dove into the strange new ocean of Internet marketing and social media and learned everything I could about how to use this magical medium as a marketing and communications tool. And today, I’m still swimming in the ever-rising high tide of new innovations and communications that floods the Internet.
I learned Internet marketing from the best: Alex Mandossian, Tom Antion, Lorrie Morgan-Ferrero (my all-time favorite copywriting mentor), Jeff Herring, Sandi Krakowski and blogging genius, Andy Wibbels. I applied everything I learned to my business at the time. Soon, friends and colleagues were calling me, asking me about how to build their email list or set up a shopping cart or start a blog. Colleagues hired me to write their websites, sales pages and email campaigns… and they loved the results! They kept referring other entrepreneurs to me for copywriting and Internet marketing mentoring.
As one of my clients once said, “Pay attention to what people are asking of you. It will lead you to your greater purpose and reveal the work you were meant to do.” I paid attention.
I started Firecracker Communications so I could do the work I was meant to do: make it simple and easy for creative entrepreneurs to use credible copy and the creative tools of the Internet to effectively and authentically communicate the value of what they offer, connect with the clients they were meant to serve and build a wildly successful business online.
