• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content

Content Mastery Guide

Editor and Ghostwriter

  • Visit LD Editorial

Content for Clergy: How Val’s flagship content is changing the landscape of ministry

June 4, 2010 By Linda Dessau

When Coaching4Clergy founder J. Val Hastings and I started working together, he was a Content Starter who had been publishing a newsletter for several months and wanted to make a bigger difference with his writing.

He has gone on to write a very bold and provocative e-book, "The E3-Church: Empowered, effective and entrepreneurial leadership that will keep your church alive." In it, he challenges ministers and other church leaders to make a series of crucial mind shifts and is very upfront about the consequences of keeping the status quo (on his website he states, "6 out of 10 churches will close over the next 10 years").

And he didn't stop there! We've also taken the handouts from his successful coach training program and turned that into a stand-alone print book, The Next Great Awakening: How to empower God's people with a coach approach to ministry, which will have a much farther reach than the people who attend Coaching4Clergy's live coach trainings.

When I asked Val about the difference it's made to work with a Content Mastery Guide, he had this to say:

J Val Hastings "Wow! In the last six months I’ve written six newsletter articles, received Master Author status on several ezine article sites, composed an eBook and just completed my first print book. I’ve accomplished in the past 6 months what I’ve longed to do for the past several years. The difference—I’m working with Linda. Literally, I talk and she helps me write. In the past I’d describe my writing style as primarily “bullet point.” Linda is drawing out and developing additional styles of writing within me. At times it feels like “magic.”

Aside from this list of writing accomplishments I’ve made with Linda's help, the real story is how writing translates into business development and professional credibility. For example, I felt like “royalty” while teaching a six-week course at a local university. Students were thrilled to have an author teach their class. Another example, directly related to my work with Linda, is the development of a Train-the-Trainer Program that’s generating quite a bit of interest.

What’s next? Blogging. I’ve avoided blogging for some time and am ready to move forward, especially with the support of Linda."

I can't wait, Val! Thanks for your inspiring work.

[Update December 19, 2010: He did it – check out Val's blog!]

Filed Under: Client Stories

Special memory album helps a widow celebrate her memories, grieve and move on

March 1, 2010 By Linda Dessau

TORONTO, ON (February 15, 2010) – High school math teacher and widow Shira Hart worked with Creative Memories consultant Ruth Brickman to create a memory album for her husband Laurence. Through that process, she uncovered new memories, worked through her grief and celebrated her family’s history.

In 2007, high school math teacher Shira Hart was mourning the loss of her husband, Laurence. She was going through a lot and found it difficult to take the steps to move on. The boxes of photos in the basement particularly bothered her. Not just because they cluttered her space, but because she knew that they were full of still-life tributes to Laurence and their life together.

Laurence was an avid and talented amateur photographer, and loved taking photos of their family and their activities together. Right now there were only a few photos on display in her house, mostly recent ones. She knew that if she could find her way to sort through those photos, she would not only have a memorial to Laurence, she would have a priceless family chronicle.

Each time she thought about taking on the monumental task, she felt overwhelmed and could not get started. She didn’t know how she would begin to decide which photos to use, or how to put them together.

At a family Purim carnival at Temple Har Zion, Shira volunteered and wound up chatting with another volunteer, Ruth Brickman. She knew of Ruth—Ruth’s parents are also very involved in Temple life—but they had never met. When the conversation turned to Ruth’s home-based business as a Creative Memories scrapbooking consultant, Shira’s ears perked up.

“I could never have completed this album in memory of my husband without Ruth’s help,” says Hart, “Ruth was able to spend the time actually going through the old albums with me, sitting with me and physically going through the boxes. I couldn’t do that myself because it was too emotional. Every picture conjured up a story.”

Ruth, a social worker by profession, recognized the significance of the process, “It’s crucial for people who are grieving to have the opportunity to tell their stories.”

Aside from her compassion, Shira valued Ruth’s artistic flair and teaching skills, “She suggested ways to sort the photos—we started with the time when Laurence and I first married—and when it was time, she gently encouraged me to start the first page of the album, even though we weren’t finished sorting yet.”

Eventually, Shira took over and was able to complete the project independently. She actually ended up with two family albums. “Making these albums was incredibly therapeutic. I had no idea how much it would do for me. Because I was absorbed in doing something concrete, I could feel the memories but not be overwhelmed by them. And I rediscovered some positive memories—events that I’d completely forgotten about. What a gift—thank you, Ruth!”

Filed Under: Client Stories

How to turn a client story into a news story (and more clients)

February 28, 2010 By Linda Dessau

There are several reasons why client stories are so much more effective than a simple description of your services, or even than a straight testimonial.

  1. Stories are engaging. They allow room for background, drama and time for the reader to really settle in and want to know more.
  2. Stories are evidence. Stories show your reader that someone just like them used and benefited from your services.
  3. Stories are newsworthy. We’re used to reading and hearing stories about people in the news. Information that’s delivered in this familiar format is accessible and credible.

Here are some suggested writing prompts that will help you turn one of your client projects into a newsworthy client story that will be attractive to new clients.

Every story needs a hero: Give your reader some background information about the client – really focus on what will get attention and make your story stand out. Does your client have a unique business or life circumstance? Was their problem particularly dramatic? At the same time, you want to be sure to highlight the circumstances that your prospective clients will relate to.

Write for your destination: My sister and I had a few publications in mind when we started this project, so I was aiming to write in a voice that would fit into those.

I did the same thing last week when I went blog-hopping to launch the Content Creation Capsule. You may have noticed the difference, for example, between the posts I wrote for Molly Gordon and Janet Slack. Both post felt authentic and in my voice, but I presented my ideas in a slightly different format to fit each blog.

Give your hero a voice: Use direct quotes to allow your client to say precisely how he or she felt about working with you. Ask broad questions that will highlight the benefits across all life areas and levels of experience. How is life different? What do you notice as you go through a typical day? What has surprised you most about this experience?

Quote yourself: Remember that you’re the expert here. Study the work of journalists you enjoy reading and notice how they position expert quotes within their stories. Insert a quote that authentically demonstrates how your specific methods, experience or expertise made this story come to life.

Click here to meet my sister Ruth Brickman and read the client story we created for her Creative Memories business.

P.S. As my volunteer editor for many years, Ruth has already provided far more value to my business (and my life!) than I ever would have charged her for this service.

Filed Under: Client Stories, Content Marketing Ideas, Writing Prompts

How a heartful parenting coach built some article marketing momentum

October 12, 2009 By Linda Dessau

One thing I know about article marketing is that the more you write and the more consistently you publish, the easier it gets, the more confident you feel, the more you have to write about, the more value you have to offer, and the more credible you are.

Those are results you simply will not get by publishing an occasional article here and there. And that's why I put together the 10-Article Package for the Done For You Giveaway in April.

When Shelly Moorman of Head and Heart Parenting found out she had won the grand prize, she was excited, to say the least 🙂


ShellyMoorman "Working with Linda on her “You Talk I Write” offering was a magical experience. She was able to capture my knowledge on paper with ease and accuracy that truly reflected my voice and style.

I needed a "pink spoon" on my website as a way to invite people to join my mailing list so I could keep in touch with them. Otherwise I knew that any increased traffic I got from article marketing would be wasted.

Linda graciously altered the original prize package so that with her help I was able to publish my 1st 5 articles in an article directory, AND publish a professional special report on my website. Linda was extremely professional to work with and I would highly recommend her to any business owner. Linda, thanks again for your wonderful, fabulous prize package."

It was such a pleasure to watch Shelly build up her collection of articles and gain more and more confidence in her article marketing skills.

Filed Under: Client Stories

Blogger uses a theme strategy for her content development

February 13, 2009 By Linda Dessau

Remember Mary Wollard? Mary is an attorney/mediator who specializes in co-parenting issues following divorce. Her Colorado Family Solutions Center blog is an excellent example of how writing can boost your credibility, highlight your expertise and help people find you on the Internet.

Since I featured her story in May 2008 we've continued to work together on her blog posts. Some posts she'll do on her own, but the longer ones she will send to me for editing.

Recently Mary decided to apply some content strategy in her blog; a structure that will make it easier for her to come up with content and organize her content in a valuable way for her readers.

She's decided to use monthly themes, and will write a new blog each week exploring a different aspect of the theme.

In January she blogged about communication (here is a post I edited for her) and this month she's writing about the harmful consequences of dragging other people into the conflict of divorce.

When I asked Mary how it felt to have her monthly themes all laid out for the rest of the year, she said:

"It is such a relief to have my blog post themes laid out for the entire year. I already have some ideas for specific posts, and even for the ones that are blank I’m confident that having a theme will spark lots of ideas when the time comes."

Quick Writing Prompt: Can you think of 11 themes you can focus on in your blog and/or newsletter between now and the end of the year? Would it make your writing easier if you could start with a theme?

 

Filed Under: Client Stories, Writing Prompts

  • Go to page 1
  • Go to page 2
  • Go to page 3
  • Interim pages omitted …
  • Go to page 5
  • Go to Next Page »

Copyright © 2025 All Rights Reserved · Privacy Policy · Website created by STUDIO dpi