Tell Us Your Story. What motivated you to start your business? Why are you passionate about what you do?

I worked as a newspaper journalist in a rural community for nearly a decade. Despite people declaring that print was dead throughout my career, I loved it! But by 2015 I could see the proverbial writing on the wall and I was ready to explore new horizons, expand my work experience, and sate my endless curiosity. I started putting feelers out and when I couldn’t find a job perfectly suited to me, I decided to make one. Launching into entrepreneurship in 2017 with Writer’s Block Solutions was exciting, but terrifying. I loved freelance lifestyle writing for magazines and helping out friends with other small copywriting projects. I had grit, determination, skills, and years of experience. But this was a different beast: it was a full business. I had two young children at home relying on me and I wanted to show them how important it was to be creative, take risks, and go after what you want. So I dove in. I was fortunate enough to have the support of one of my long-time best friends, Kyla Girling. Not only has she been an editor and mentor, but she was also looking to exit her career in municipal government. Working with Kyla is the most magical experience. As a natural project manager, she brings creative problem solving and collaboration to everything we dream up. There’s a very yin and yang balance to our working relationship and friendship. There’s no judgment or ego when it comes to working with one of your best friends. I think I can speak for both of us when I say we always have each other's backs professionally and know where we stand on a personal level. Now, over seven years in, we’ve grown our team to include two other female professionals. These women have backgrounds in freelance writing, book editing, and digital marketing, and I’m convinced they’re all made of a little pixie dust, too. This injection of new talent led us to expand our digital marketing and professional editing services to include author solutions in 2023. As a service-based company, our clients motivate us every day. We work primarily with other small business owners, with large, value-aligned organizations and nonprofits, and with authors. Using a storytelling approach built on journalistic principles, we use our writing and editing skills to help our clients grow their business and make an impact in the communities they serve. It's incredibly rewarding to measure our success by witnessing our clients succeed with a little help from our team.

Describe and demonstrate, including metrics, your community support. How do you support and uplift your community, and how do they show that support in return? Minimum 25 words, maximum 2500 characters.

Each year, we’re proud to offer reduced rates or in-kind services to a select number of value-aligned clients that meet specific criteria. We’ve written about communal gardening, food literacy opportunities, and coupon programs supporting low-income individuals and families with free, nutrient-dense fresh produce from the local market. But food security is only one example of a cause we’re passionate about. We’ve also handled the marketing for a major fundraising event to support inclusive community programming for people of all ages and abilities, worked with local emergency management professionals improving resilience and practical education in rural communities, assisted a youth mentorship organization with attracting volunteers, and helped other Canadian small business owners find and apply for valuable grants and funding. Because of our roots in the Kootenays, we’ve had the privilege of carving out a prominent space in the region, making meaningful connections with other small businesses and non-profits. From crafting stories about local successes for non-profit organization Columbia Basin Trust to facilitating the development of Chamber Stories for Trail & District Chamber of Commerce, we take great pride in the local work we do, and value supporting our community. We believe our services are essential for professional success in today’s market. Our clients rely on us to help them get the word out about their businesses and services through content marketing, advertising, and other creative strategies. Without clear messaging and marketing, our clients run the risk of being overlooked, and even eventually shutting their doors. Our efforts help hardworking people attract customers/clients and make a meaningful impact in their community.

Why do you deserve to win the Business Impact award?

As the cost of living soars and the price of food skyrockets, we feel compelled to help Canadians survive and thrive. We work with organizations and businesses on the ground making a difference; by amplifying their voice, we create a ripple effect that sparks progress. We’re inspired to use our skills as a tool for change, producing effective copy and content for crowdfunding campaigns, newsletters, press releases, cases for support, social media, and more. My team genuinely wants to help make the world a better place; we do that one story at a time, showing the people around us that stories are more than just words that connect us — they’re agents of change.

Tell Us About Your Culture. How are you creating a sustainable and healthy workplace where everyone feels welcome? Provide examples of leadership you show in interactions with clients, vendors, contractors, staff and others.

Writer's Block Solutions is a female-owned and operated communications company, embodying a commitment to empowerment. We all come from equity-seeking communities and recognize that we, our peers, and others across the globe face diverse challenges, including financial barriers. As a result, inclusivity is a fundamental value for us as we champion the voices of our diverse clients and create content that resonates across audiences. Our staff, our people, are the heart of our organization. We work hard to create an even playing field, welcoming our team members into business development conversations, the launch of new services, and any training required to keep everyone feeling prepared to deliver these services. We meet with our team regularly to hear from them and are always open-minded in making changes to be better leaders. While we work remotely from our offices, we strive to meet in person when possible. Despite the distance, we are a well-connected, well-oiled remote working team and great friends. We are each other's biggest cheerleaders, both professionally and personally. Writer’s Block Solutions is committed to supporting young female professionals to help them succeed and grow.

Why do you think you should win the Premier’s People’s Choice Award?

We understand that a well-crafted message, whether in marketing campaigns, digital content, or professional documents, can be an incredibly potent tool. Using strategic writing and editing skills to simultaneously support clients and grow our business is a privilege—and a challenge. Every decision we've made is driven by a commitment to excellence, innovation, and genuine care for our clients' success. We believe our approach sets us apart. Our dedication to creating impactful, meaningful content that drives results for our clients reflects our core values. We don't just aim to meet expectations; we strive to exceed them. This commitment has helped us build strong, lasting relationships with our clients, earning their trust and loyalty. Winning the Premier’s People’s Choice Award would be an incredible honour and validation of our hard work and dedication. It would not only recognize our efforts but also inspire us to continue pushing the boundaries of what we can achieve together. We believe we deserve this award because of our unwavering commitment to our clients, our team, and our community. We are passionate about what we do and are driven by a desire to make a positive impact through our work.