Based in Toronto, Canada, I am a writer, freelance journalist, strategist and consultant. I'm a storyteller and communicator at my core. I help business owners and creators share their unique stories with the world. Words and ideas ignite me.
Based in Toronto, Canada, I am a writer, freelance journalist and brand strategist and consultant. I'm a storyteller and communicator at the core. Words and ideas ignite me.
And also, somehow, works. What brings them all together is my desire to write words and share untold stories. My path has not been straight, but it certainly feels right. Each new role or adventure has helped me build out and build on skills.
So here it is, my (professional) story:
After graduating with a degree in political science from UBC in Vancouver I travelled for a time (and wrote the first draft of a novel!). I then suffered through two Ottawa winters while pursuing my masters in journalism at one of Canada's top schools for the subject. While there I interned at the National Post, The Barents Observer in northern Norway and Blink Magazine in Rwanda.
Following my time studying and working in journalism, I got a grown up job. I worked as a news reporter at The Globe and Mail before taking on a general assignment position at the Toronto Star. In my time at both papers I covered breaking news and pitched and wrote stories in my areas of interest: social justice, culture, the environment, and mental health.
“The biggest lesson being: give time to the things that are truly your passions, take lessons from the things that are not and move on. ”
Needing a break from the daily news grind (and seeing the writing on the wall re: the future of traditional media), I took on a role at an advertising agency called JWT working in their corporate social responsibility practice and on the Tim Hortons account. Going into the role of strategic planner, I barely understood what would be required of me day-to-day, yet by the time I left I had found a place in the world that combined my interest in stories, creation, and brands, especially fashion retail brands. While at JWT I also started an online clothing store focused on building the brands of Canada's best emerging designers on a platform that I would encounter again in my career. Starting and running that business taught me a lot. The biggest lesson being: give time to the things that are truly your passions, take lessons from the things that are not and move on.
I went to a small but mighty research and strategic consulting company where I worked with large and emerging brands to help them better understand their role in the world, their consumers and develop approaches and strategies that would add value to the lives of the people who choose to engage with them. That is honed my ability to design and facilitate workshops. Following another short stint in advertising and brand development, I moved on to Shopify telling a single brand story across numerous teams.
I now run a boutique marketing consultancy called Ramsay & Co (named in honour of my grandmother) and get to work with passionate business owners and help them bring their vision and stories to life with impact. In true Jamaican style, I am also the co-founder of an organization developed to help people redefine their relationship with work and productivity. It is called Re-Work.
Ultimately, I tend to think of myself as a storyteller and have been lucky enough to do it in many ways.
In my (limited) spare time I continue to freelance on topics of interest to me for national publications as I work to bring my first kids book to the world. I am currently in love with my main character and hope one day you will be too. My weekly newsletter, Adventures in Storytelling is the best way to keep up with my adventures in stories as I share what I learn along the way.
I love what I do, all the many facets of it. It's a huge part of who I am as a person overall. This is my professional story so far and really it's just the beginning. I'll keep you posted.