Jess Focht is a writer and content strategist with 6+ years of experience in media, publishing, and brand storytelling. She has contributed to Insider, Grammarly, and The Creative Independent.
4 min read • Originally published July 28, 2022 / Updated March 19, 2026
Jess Focht is a writer and content strategist with 6+ years of experience in media, publishing, and brand storytelling. She has contributed to Insider, Grammarly, and The Creative Independent.
4 min read • Originally published July 28, 2022 / Updated March 19, 2026
Writer & editor Nikki Carter shares her career path.
1. Tell me about your career journey.
Since I was young, I wanted to be a writer. For as long as I can remember, I’ve written stories, poems, and essays. I originally went to college as an English major, but enough people expressed doubts about my future career options that I switched to Marketing. Then I got my MBA.
I graduated right before the 2008 recession technically began, but I had a very hard time finding a job in any business or business-related field after I finished school. I ended up accepting a role in a medical clinic; from there, I transitioned to healthcare administration roles within hospitals and hospital systems.
I began keeping a blog in the early days of the internet but around 2009, I decided to use it as a “portfolio” of sorts to apply to different writing jobs. I got a gig writing 1-2 blog posts a month for a New Orleans travel site—I made $25 a post, and I was over the moon to get paid to write. I also did volunteer work for other New Orleans companies in order to get more bylines and portfolio examples.
Things continued to ramp up with my side hustle and in 2018, I left healthcare completely to focus on freelancing. Now, I mostly work with entrepreneurs or companies in the tech/education/wellness spaces, although I do venture outside of that. I create all sorts of content for my clients, and I still write as myself for different outlets. I also run a monthly newsletter for women of color called Will & Way, and I’m querying my first finished novel manuscript.
2. Have you always wanted to work for yourself?
No, but I did have a challenging time fitting into rigid corporate environments. I think that’s what drove me to where I am now—I wasn’t cut out to answer to many other people besides myself. I was constantly questioning things that didn’t make sense to me, like making everyone adhere to the same work schedule or being more focused on an 8-hour workday than the actual quality of work being done.
I never saw myself becoming an entrepreneur—although when I think back, I was always doing little side hustles to earn money, from babysitting to melting Jolly Ranchers and cooling them around plastic spoons and selling those “lollipops” at school!
3. Some freelancers find it challenging to find a work/life balance. Do you have any tips for achieving this?
I still struggle with this, and I’ve been thinking about doing a weekly 24-hour tech sabbatical. It’s so hard when you feel like work bleeds over into all other aspects of your life. The best advice I can offer is to have firm boundaries and create structure for yourself. If I make myself go to my coworking space for a set time during the day and then completely log off when I leave, I feel better than I do on the days when I just kind of do things around the house and work in between tasks.
I also think “batching” tasks is helpful. If I have a meeting, I’ll try to schedule other meetings on the same day so I’m not doing a stop-and-start every single day to join a meeting. Or I’ll do all of my lead hunting/job board scouring at the same time, instead of looking every single day. It helps you to get into a rhythm and be more efficient.
4. How have you grown your clientele over the years and what tips do you have?
I read recently that opportunities come through people, and I think that’s valid. Let your network know what you want to do and what you’re up to; you may be surprised who reaches out or refers you to someone else.
I belong to a number of online communities, and I stay up to date on who’s looking for what within those communities. That’s helped me meet people, and sometimes those people remember me and refer me to their colleagues or friends.
Beyond that, when I work for anyone, I try to be super responsive, communicative, and to always deliver an exceptional finished product. I tend to have repeat customers for that reason, and a lot of times they’ll pass on my info to other people they know who are looking for writing or editing services.
5. What’s the most exciting part about your job?
A core value of mine is freedom, and I really enjoy that aspect of freelancing. I love that no one can tell me what to do and, for the most part, I get to control how I work and my final work product. I’ve also loved watching my own growth over the years and seeing my earning potential expand. Lastly, I would say getting to network with and meet other creatives is an amazing perk.
Nikki Carter is a writer and editor. You can view her work at www.nikkimcarter.com.
Interested in a creative gig? We have some open jobs for you!
Jess Focht is a writer and content strategist with 6+ years of experience in media, publishing, and brand storytelling. She has contributed to Insider, Grammarly, and The Creative Independent.
1 min read • Originally published July 29, 2022 / Updated March 19, 2026
Jess Focht is a writer and content strategist with 6+ years of experience in media, publishing, and brand storytelling. She has contributed to Insider, Grammarly, and The Creative Independent.
1 min read • Originally published July 29, 2022 / Updated March 19, 2026
New month, new Mediabistro roles.
Mediabistro is the #1 job board, community, and career destination for media and content professionals. Once a week, we’ll be updating this list with different types of creative jobs featured. Take a look below:
Jess Focht is a writer and content strategist with 6+ years of experience in media, publishing, and brand storytelling. She has contributed to Insider, Grammarly, and The Creative Independent.
3 min read • Originally published August 1, 2022 / Updated March 19, 2026
Jess Focht is a writer and content strategist with 6+ years of experience in media, publishing, and brand storytelling. She has contributed to Insider, Grammarly, and The Creative Independent.
3 min read • Originally published August 1, 2022 / Updated March 19, 2026
Your words matter. Not only that, but they greatly matter when it comes to the workplace—and the phrases you use within it. In fact, writing and communication are more important now than they’ve ever been before. Poor communication also has indirect consequences in the workplace, with 86% of professionals citing “increased stress” as the top cause of poor communication.
Some work settings are formal, some are more relaxed. However, the language you choose when collaborating and interacting with your team can have a great impact on your—and their—day-to-day. There’s no denying that your communication with fellow coworkers is important whether you work in an office or remotely. Here are some phrases to avoid in the workplace if you want to remain professional.
“This may be a stupid idea, but…”
It’s not uncommon to feel vulnerable with your ideas, but phrases such as this one imply that you have little confidence in yourself. Using this qualifier also starts your sentence and idea out with a negative lens. Try cutting out the first phrase to engage with your coworkers more confidently.
“Let me know”
This may be the most common phrase of all time in the workplace—especially when it comes to asking for things. However, it’s not a proactive phrase. Instead of saying “let me know when you want to meet,” you could say “Let’s meet at 3pm. Does that work for you?” This provides that missing action—and makes things more efficient for you and your team.
“It’s the way we’ve always done it”
Take a second and think about this phrase the next time you want to say it aloud. Is there a reason you’re even having to say it? Odds are, the way you (or the company) have always done something isn’t working. Therefore, it’s time for a new way. Phrases such as this one signal your reluctance for change and innovation—two things that are crucial for growth.
“I told you so”
There are a lot of issues with this one, but the main one is that it’s rude and makes you sound immature. It’s also passive-aggressive. Your coworkers are also most likely trying their best and working on something that has the potential of failing. Telling them “I told you so” will just make them feel worse. Instead of saying this phrase, you could offer words of encouragement or another solution.
“That’s not my problem”
Last but not least, you want to avoid saying this phrase within the workplace at all costs. While something may technically not be your problem, the only thing this phrase does is signal that you don’t care. It’s unnecessary and adds negativity to the problem, regardless of whose it is. Try taking responsibility for the tasks and projects you’re in charge of—then act as a leader to the best of your ability without taking on extra work or tasks that don’t fall within your realm. Odds are, there’s a nicer, more mature way of phrasing a similar sentiment.
8 Content Marketing Mistakes That Are Hurting Your Brand
By
Shane Barker
Shane Barker is a digital marketing consultant who specializes in influencer marketing, content marketing, and SEO. He is also the Founder and CEO of Content Solutions, a digital marketing agency. He has consulted with Fortune 500 companies, influencers with digital products, and a number of A-List celebrities.
7 min read • Originally published August 2, 2022 / Updated March 19, 2026
By
Shane Barker
Shane Barker is a digital marketing consultant who specializes in influencer marketing, content marketing, and SEO. He is also the Founder and CEO of Content Solutions, a digital marketing agency. He has consulted with Fortune 500 companies, influencers with digital products, and a number of A-List celebrities.
7 min read • Originally published August 2, 2022 / Updated March 19, 2026
Content marketing is an essential component of advertising in the modern world. It’s a way of getting brand recognition and setting yourself apart from the competition. The only issue is that it can be difficult to come up with an effective content marketing strategy to rise above the ocean of content available already.
It’s a given now. Every website you visit has articles and blogs. It’s a great way of attracting organic traffic to your website. However, companies and brands tend to rush their content strategy or overlook important parts of it.
Here are eight content marketing strategies you should avoid.
1. Creating content with the sole motive to sell products
Content marketing is important, especially for small businesses. Content marketing’s sole purpose isn’t to sell a product or service, but to maintain a steady number of users through posting interesting and informative content regularly. Many start-up companies forget this important rule and end up churning out large quantities of articles in hopes that people will purchase a product through one of those articles.
But here’s the problem: if your article intends to sell, not inform, the reader won’t spend much time reading the article. Users who click on informative blog posts are there to have a question answered, not to be sold a product.
Remember to inform first, and sell later.
2. Not focusing on SEO
A lot has been said about SEO over the years, and plenty of content marketers are still on the fence about it.
With that said, 69% of content marketers invest in SEO. With more than half of content marketers actively investing in SEO, it should be on any brand or company’s radar.
Working on bettering your SEO will:
Increase organic traffic.
Increase ROI.
Decrease other customer acquisition efforts.
Get you higher on the SERP.
The best way to increase your SEO is by mastering the use of keywords. This includes using keywords at frequent intervals, as long as they fit within the context of whatever you’re writing. You also need to try and use keywords in your H2 and H3 headings. If you’re having trouble writing well, SEO-optimized articles, you can find plenty of online writing tools to get you started.
3. Overlooking email marketing
There was an estimated 319.6 billion e-mails sent daily in 2021. Although a lot of the younger generation have moved over to social media applications like Instagram, emails are still important. Emails are still used daily whether it be applying for jobs, sending work information, or reminders about promotions. There is still a place for emails in the world of business and marketing.
Email marketing is a great way to keep your customers and followers up to date with the latest news about your brand. This can be promotions, new blogs, or event reminders. If you’re still not sure, email marketing offers an excellent ROI, with $42 earned for every dollar spent. Never underestimate the power of email marketing.
4. Writing content that isn’t useful or well researched
More than 70% of users reading thought-leadership content online claim that it delivers no valuable information to them. The reason someone is reading your article is that they want an answer to a question they have. This is especially true when writing informative articles on company blogs. An article that meanders and doesn’t answer the question the reader has quickly, they’ll find another page that does.
It’s important that you quickly introduce the problem, and how it could be resolved within the first 150-200 words. Your keywords should also appear once in the introduction. This tells the reader that this article isn’t playing any games, and will answer their question within due time. The average bounce rate on an eCommerce It’s a bit lower on desktops and higher on mobile devices.
It can be difficult to write better articles, but the best way is to understand the intent of the content being written.
This brings us to number 5…
5. Writing without intent
Are you writing content without any sort of plan or intent? Do you know the purpose of the written content and how it benefits the brand or company? Content should have a purpose.
Content written for different social media applications, websites, or blogs all looks different. It’s also important to set goals with the content made. Will it be posted on social media to go viral, or is it written to rank high on SEO and get more organic traffic? Whatever the purpose of the content, having a roadmap will make writing it easier. It’ll also make it easier for you to gauge if it was successful or not. If you’ve written an informational piece to go on your website’s blog, then you’d most likely want it to rank high on SEO, as well as be able to guide readers to another page on your website.
If you’re writing a promotional piece to post on social media, it might be a lot shorter and much more promotional, convincing the reader why your brand is better than the rest.
You also need to keep the audience you’re writing for in mind.
Keeping an eye on gender, age and location you can tweak your content to fit their interests.
6. Consider negative feedback as useless information
Negative feedback should never be disregarded. Even better, it can be used to your advantage. Answering a complaint on a social media post or review can increase your brand advocacy by up to 25%. Sure, sometimes feedback from customers can be very vague and downright unreasonable. If you can stomach digging through some of this feedback, you’ll find a gold mine of excellent feedback that the company can use. There are plenty of avenues to acquire negative feedback in a way that won’t ever be confrontational.
Social media is the way most people will leave negative feedback and reviews. Make sure to at least check your brand’s social media pages for any negative feedback every week. The reason is that negative reviews are read more than positive reviews. A negative review is 63% more likely to be clicked on than a positive review. That’s why leaving feedback on negative reviews can help your business keep a good image. A company can also go old school with feedback questions for willing customers to fill in before leaving. This is especially great if your brand is aimed at an older demographic. Also, make sure that customers can easily contact you when needed with your email and phone number available on your website.
7. Avoiding social media
49% of content marketers surveyed said that social media is the hardest skill to master.
Almost half of the world’s population uses some form of social media, whether it be Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok.
The social media marketing rule book is constantly changing since the social media landscape is an ever-changing entity of its own.
Trends come and go in the blink of an eye, and what’s doing well today might sink like a rock tomorrow.
Here are some common mistakes content marketers make when working with social media:
Inconsistency. You need to be posting at regular intervals so users have an idea of when to expect new content.
Only posting promotions. Promos are fine, but what users want is interesting, educational posts that have more impact on them.
Not engaging with your followers on social media. Respond to users in the comment section and make sure to build a relationship with them.
Buy followers. Don’t saturate your follower count with fake followers. People who follow you only to get something will never read your content, let alone purchase anything from you.
It can be really difficult to stay on top of social media, but it’s a valuable part of your content marketing strategy that shouldn’t be overlooked.
Luckly, many great tools are available on the market to help you save time and step up your game. That being said, choosing the right social media management software needs to be done based on your needs, preferences and goals.
8. Overlooking other devices
In 2021, 4.32 billion unique users used the internet on mobile devices. That’s over 90% of the global internet population. When creating content, it must be optimized for all devices, not just desktops. That includes the page layout and loading speeds.
Here’s a graph of the average time spent on the internet per day by a single user on desktops and mobile devices.
Not only has time on the internet per day increased as the years went on, but the time spent on the internet on mobile devices has increased three-fold, whilst desktop usage declined in the last few years.
It’s now more important than ever to optimize your website for mobile use.
Avoid these content marketing mistakes
These 8 mistakes that content marketing teams fall trap to could spell doom for the content your brand puts out.
Keep content well optimized for SEO, written with intent, and don’t forget mobile users and social media.
If you keep this in mind you’ll find that crafting the perfect content marketing strategy isn’t as difficult as it seemed at first.
Shane Barker is a digital marketing consultant who specializes in influencer marketing, content marketing, and SEO. He is also the Founder and CEO of Content Solutions, a digital marketing agency. He has consulted with Fortune 500 companies, influencers with digital products, and a number of A-List celebrities.
Jess Focht is a writer and content strategist with 6+ years of experience in media, publishing, and brand storytelling. She has contributed to Insider, Grammarly, and The Creative Independent.
2 min read • Originally published August 5, 2022 / Updated March 19, 2026
Jess Focht is a writer and content strategist with 6+ years of experience in media, publishing, and brand storytelling. She has contributed to Insider, Grammarly, and The Creative Independent.
2 min read • Originally published August 5, 2022 / Updated March 19, 2026
If you work within the media world, odds are you’ve heard of a union. Recently, digital and print publishing companies such as Harper Collins and Conde Nast have formed unions to demand a fairer workplace. So, maybe you have heard of a union but aren’t exactly sure what it is—or what being part of it means.
Here are some things you may not know about unions.
1. They have been around for a long time
Believe it or not, the concept of unions goes back—all the way back to 1158 B.C. Artisans working for Pharoah Ramesses III didn’t receive their compensation on time, so they walked off the job. Ultimately, they ended up receiving payment once the pharaoh realized he had no one to build his tomb.
2. They are the most common within public administration, transportation, and the education and health service industries
Unions are highly popular within groups that serve the public. According to the Economic Policy Institute, 33.2% of union workers are within public administration, 27.3% are within transportation, and 20% are within education and health services.
3. Union workers are diverse
Unions have commonly been associated with blue-collar workers in the Midwest. However, unions these days range from employees with various backgrounds in numerous industries. Additionally, they represent workers of all levels of education.
4. They are gaining traction in “new economy workplaces”
Unions are becoming more common in workplaces filled with TV writers, mail carriers, digital journalists, Silicon Valley contract workers, and more. This is most likely due to the ever-changing landscapes of these industries.
5. Members typically earn more money than non-union members
Statistically, demanding more money works. On average, union members earn 11.2% more than nonunion members. Some states even don’t have union rights. In those states, workers’ pay is lower than those in states with unions and union rights.
6. They are the most popular amongst millennials
Millennials are the largest generation in the U.S. labor force. Not only that, but they’re joining unions at a historic rate. Three-quarters of people who joined labor unions in 2017 were under the age of 35.
7. Nordic countries are the most unionized
Unions aren’t just popular in the United States. In fact, they’re more popular in places like Norway, Finland, Iceland, and Sweden. Aside from the Nordic countries, they’re second most popular in European countries.
Jess Focht is a writer and content strategist with 6+ years of experience in media, publishing, and brand storytelling. She has contributed to Insider, Grammarly, and The Creative Independent.
1 min read • Originally published August 5, 2022 / Updated March 19, 2026
Jess Focht is a writer and content strategist with 6+ years of experience in media, publishing, and brand storytelling. She has contributed to Insider, Grammarly, and The Creative Independent.
1 min read • Originally published August 5, 2022 / Updated March 19, 2026
New month, new Mediabistro roles.
Mediabistro is the #1 job board, community, and career destination for media and content professionals. Once a week, we’ll be updating this list with different types of creative jobs featured. Take a look below:
Jess Focht is a writer and content strategist with 6+ years of experience in media, publishing, and brand storytelling. She has contributed to Insider, Grammarly, and The Creative Independent.
2 min read • Originally published August 8, 2022 / Updated March 19, 2026
Jess Focht is a writer and content strategist with 6+ years of experience in media, publishing, and brand storytelling. She has contributed to Insider, Grammarly, and The Creative Independent.
2 min read • Originally published August 8, 2022 / Updated March 19, 2026
August 9th is International Coworking Day. And no—this day isn’t about celebrating your coworkers, but instead coworking spaces. It’s celebrated on August 9th because on this day in 2005, software engineer Brad Neuberg made a blog post to introduce people to the concept of coworking spaces.
Now popular among freelancers and employees with remote jobs, coworking is a thriving industry; its revenue is expected to double by 2024. This can be attributed to many things: companies that are newly remote post-pandemic, employees choosing to work for themselves, and also employees who have been working remotely but simply want a change of scenery.
If you’re part of a coworking space, here’s how you can celebrate International Coworking Day—and make sure you’re taking full advantage of its perks.
Make sure your coworking space is the best fit
The concept of a coworking space was foreign when it was initially introduced. However, now there are nearly 20,000 different ones in the world. That said, there are typically a good amount of different coworking options—especially if you live in a more populated area. Use this day to weigh the pros and cons of your coworking space options to ensure you’re a member of one that’s the best fit for you.
Join events and seminars
Say you’re part of a coworking space and go to work at it a few times a week. If so, you’re just scratching the surface of interacting with its community. Most coworking spaces offer events, happy hours, seminars, and more. And although your job may be remote and not involve anyone you see at your coworking space in person, that doesn’t mean you can’t connect. Being around other people doesn’t just boost your productivity, but it also opens doors to potential friends, colleagues, along with information about their jobs and fields. Use this day to sign up for an event or seminar to put yourself out there.
Share your thoughts about coworking on social media
Okay, so you’ve made sure your coworking space is the best fit and you’ve signed up for some events. Now it’s time to celebrate this day on social media with the hashtag #InternationalCoworkingDay. Why do you enjoy coworking? What does it add to your life? What’s your favorite coworking spot and why?
These are all questions you can answer on social media to spread the word—and even maybe make some new coworking connections.
Frankie Wallace is a freelance content writer covering technology, sustainability, and business trends, with a background in journalism from the University of Montana.
4 min read • Originally published August 10, 2022 / Updated March 19, 2026
Frankie Wallace is a freelance content writer covering technology, sustainability, and business trends, with a background in journalism from the University of Montana.
4 min read • Originally published August 10, 2022 / Updated March 19, 2026
In many ways, being a freelancer is ideal. You get to make your own hours, choose your own projects, and negotiate your own terms. However, with so much freedom also comes an immense amount of responsibility. Freelancers are tasked with acquiring clients, managing operating expenses, growing their income, and ensuring their company’s compliance with relevant legal and regulatory statutes.
So if you’re a freelancer, you’re going to wear a lot of hats and you’re going to have to cultivate expertise in diverse domains to ensure that your freelance business survives and thrives in the long term. As a freelancer, perhaps the most important issues you will encounter are those relating to intellectual property (IP) law, contracts, and non-disclosure agreements (NDA).
IP and freelancing
When you’re a freelancer, perhaps the first and most important question you will ask is who owns the rights to your work product or intellectual property (IP)? IP is typically assumed to “belong” legally to the person who creates it. In such cases, you would be able to use your creations as you see fit, from repurposing your content for future clients or for displaying your work in an online portfolio to market your freelancing services.
However, there’s a strong likelihood that your clients will want to secure the rights to your work product for themselves. Commercial clients, in particular, are likely to have pre-established protocols for contracting with freelancers.
These are usually defined by the contracts which clients may require before commissioning your work and will define who owns the IP rights and how the work may be used both by the client and the creator in the future. In many cases, commercial clients will prohibit you from using the content for any purpose, including marketing. You may be unable to include it in an online portfolio, especially if the portfolio is available to the public. In addition, because the client’s contract in essence may stipulate that they have paid for ownership rights, they may well publish the content under the name of the client or their company.
Understanding contracts
As you probably surmised from the section above, when it comes to freelancing and intellectual property rights, the contract is everything. Again, it can generally be assumed that you retain ownership of the content you have created unless and until a contract or IP agreement is signed and ratified.
Nevertheless, if you’re doing freelance work, it’s far better to be safe than sorry when protecting your content. That means if you’re not prepared to sign over the ownership rights of your work product to your clients, then it’s a good idea to draw up a legally binding contract of your own. This should explicitly and comprehensively detail who retains the right to “own” the content you create, how the content can be used, exactly, and for how long.
The good news is that you can enjoy the protections of a legal contract without forgoing the opportunity to work remotely with clients who may be scattered across the globe. For example, you can securely send, receive, and sign legally-binding contracts using many different platforms, such as Adobe. When using digital contracts, though, it’s important to ensure that your documents cannot be altered once a digital signature has been attached.
Considering NDAs
When you’re freelancing, there’s a good chance that you’re going to be working with a wide range of clients, some of whom may even compete with one another. In light of this, you may find that your client requires you to sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) before a work agreement can be made.
In most cases, this is a reasonable request, as the work you do for your client is likely to involve sensitive information that is incumbent upon the client and the client’s partners to protect. Fulfilling the terms of an NDA may require you to do more than simply keep mum about what you learned about the company while working for them, however. After all, clients do take some risks when hiring a freelancer, especially if that freelancer works remotely and travels frequently.
Indeed, if you’re a digital nomad, then you’re probably going to need to take some additional precautions to ensure you’re complying with the NDA or privacy clauses that may be embedded in your work contract. You might, for instance, install a virtual private network (VPN) on your work devices to reduce the risk that your systems may be hacked and your data stolen.
The takeaway
The freelancer’s life is at once exciting, challenging, rewarding, and liberating. You have to develop skill sets far beyond the products you create or the services you provide. This includes mastering the nuances of intellectual property law, work contracts, and non-disclosure agreements. It may feel as if such topics are far outside your wheelhouse, but attending to these critical concerns can protect you and your business from lawsuits, hefty fines, or the misuse of your original content.
Jess Focht is a writer and content strategist with 6+ years of experience in media, publishing, and brand storytelling. She has contributed to Insider, Grammarly, and The Creative Independent.
2 min read • Originally published August 10, 2022 / Updated March 19, 2026
Jess Focht is a writer and content strategist with 6+ years of experience in media, publishing, and brand storytelling. She has contributed to Insider, Grammarly, and The Creative Independent.
2 min read • Originally published August 10, 2022 / Updated March 19, 2026
Creative consultant Portia Stewart shares her career journey and advice.
1. What made you want to start your own company?
I was inspired to launch Mind Full Creatives because I saw a disconnect between the super smart creatives who come up with amazing ideas and the super smart business execs who set the strategy (and budget!) for the business. Consulting lets me work with many different companies and teams, helping them to connect creativity and innovation to company strategy and growth.
It’s also given me much greater freedom to create a schedule that works with an intentional approach to life. If I want to block an hour to do yoga or schedule an art day with my friends at the local marketplace, I do.
2. What does your typical day-to-day look like?
No two days are the same, and I love that. There are days where I’m traveling to speak, days when the schedule fills up with meetings and, every once in a while, a quiet day where I’m plugging away at the work. And there’s always work, whether it’s planning brainstorming workshops for clients, marketing, developing the business or researching new tools. I also steal time to take lots of online education.
3. What interests you about the world of content strategy?
I love the experimentation process in content strategy. There are always opportunities to do A/B testing, to try something new and to watch it fly or flop.
4. You’ve been working in media for 20+ years. How have you seen it evolve? What is your advice to new media professionals?
We have a million ways to reach our audiences now, and we need to be in all of the places our audiences live. It’s fun and challenging and it takes relentless fine tuning. Change is the only constant!
5. Who or what inspires you in your career?
Meeting new people! I believe everyone is creative, and unlocking that super power is an ingredient for career growth. When I see that spark in others, I get excited.
6. Anything else you’d like to add?
The media landscape has changed significantly since I started my career. Job titles aren’t the same, the responsibilities have definitely changed, and everyone feels crunched for time. But there’s still such a need for the work those in the media perform. Career paths are often more like winding roads than straight shots, and I encourage people who are looking for a new path to look wide—you might find your next calling in a place you don’t expect.
Jess Focht is a writer and content strategist with 6+ years of experience in media, publishing, and brand storytelling. She has contributed to Insider, Grammarly, and The Creative Independent.
1 min read • Originally published August 11, 2022 / Updated March 19, 2026
Jess Focht is a writer and content strategist with 6+ years of experience in media, publishing, and brand storytelling. She has contributed to Insider, Grammarly, and The Creative Independent.
1 min read • Originally published August 11, 2022 / Updated March 19, 2026
New month, new Mediabistro roles.
Mediabistro is the #1 job board, community, and career destination for media and content professionals. Once a week, we’ll be updating this list with different types of creative jobs featured. Take a look below:
