Executive Communications: Featured Projects

Research and write a 63-page case for support for a six-year, $60 million comprehensive campaign with three priorities:

• Behavioral health
• Health equity
• Care transformation (consumer access, total experience, care innovation)

This project included:

• Project management and coordination with hospital foundation executives
• Research and review of extensive background documents on all three priorities
• Interview preparation, in-depth interviews and follow-ups with eight physicians and medical professionals
• Notes and outline development
• Additional research based on interviews conducted
• Writing and editing of three case drafts plus the executive summary for review and approval by hospital foundation executives and all sources interviewed

Collaborate with an executive to:

• Tell his career journey story as the successful owner of a third-generation family business
• Develop custom messaging to promote his unique approach as a Certified Business Guide driven to serve other entrepreneurs who are feeling stressed, unsettled and mired in chaos and want to grow as leaders and business owners

This project included:

• Research and review of background documents
• Interview preparation and in-depth interviews with the executive to explore creative concepts, the details behind his story, his target audience/decision factors, his
  approach/appeal to gain clients and his brand messaging
• Interviews with other executives who have worked with this entrepreneur; writing and editing of three testimonial quotes
• Development of the creative direction
• Writing and editing of his career journey story and custom messaging for sharing on a website

>>> Read the career journey story

>>> Read custom messaging on the website

Lead a team of HVACR experts from Winsupply and Johnson Controls to plan, write and edit a technical, 246-page, step-by-step “Success Book” in 15 months.

This rich guide was created to help business owners in HVACR develop and execute a winning business plan.

The Success Book, complemented by dozens of online resources and templates, included the following chapters:

• About this Book
• Chapter 1: Gut Check
• Chapter 2: Strategic Analysis
• Chapter 3: Marketing
• Chapter 4: Operations
• Chapter 5: Personnel
• Chapter 6: Finances
• Chapter 7: Sales
• Chapter 8: Appendix

Capital campaign case for support for an educational institution

Facilitate five in-depth Q&A sessions with a diverse team of executives to collect the “past, present and future” story needed to build a solid case for support for an ambitious, multimillion-dollar capital campaign, the largest in the organization’s history.

Write and deliver the 20-page case for support needed to guide the conversation during face-to-face meetings with partners and major donors.

Prospectus and case statement for a hospital

Conduct extensive background research and interview top executives from eight hospital departments to outline and write a four-page prospectus and 28-page case statement for a $25 million capital campaign.

This case for support drove all other collateral developed for the campaign, which ultimately exceeded the goal and raised more than $27 million.

Partner with several writers to conceive, write and edit a binder full of content for a Better Business Bureau Eclipse Integrity Award submission covering these topics:

• Management practices
• Customer and shareholder relations
• Marketing and sales
• Reputation
• Other business topics

This comprehensive submittal won in the category of 1–10 employees.

FOR A NORTH AMERICAN COMPANY IN THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY WITH 65,000+ EMPLOYEES

PROJECT EXAMPLE 1: Draft seven sets of talking points, one for each heritage month employee event held throughout the year, summarizing:

• The common thread that emerged from each event
• Primary and secondary takeaways
• The overarching takeaway that ties to the organization’s DE&I strategy

Then draft one final set of talking points summarizing takeaways for the year plus the common thread that emerged for all events that year.

PROJECT EXAMPLE 2: Convert a comprehensive DE&I strategy into succinct, logical, incremental talking points for the CEO and the chief DE&I officer to use with internal and external audiences.

Topic: Free enterprise

FOR A BOARD CHAIR  

• Draft talking points to help an executive prepare for an in-person interview with a reporter for a national foundation publication.

Topic: Corporate culture

FOR THE C-SUITE   

• Conduct in-depth interviews with three executives to draft messaging for a thought leadership document with 14 phrases and one-paragraph summaries that define the corporate culture.

Topic: Entrepreneurship

• Interview an executive on a trending business topic, conduct research, take a position, make a case and craft a newspaper opinion piece with three recommendations for boosting a longtime American institution currently experiencing stagnant growth.

Topic: Advocacy

• Make a case in an opinion piece, based on bullet points provided by a thought leader, that calls for individuals to stand up for a longtime national membership organization struggling in the aftermath of a scandal and subsequent bankruptcy.

Topic: Support of minority businesses

• Write an editorial on behalf of a foundation executive announcing that a three-year pilot program – now proven – will be transitioned and integrated into the fabric of a longtime business organization in the community.

WRITTEN TRIBUTE TO AN INDIVIDUAL FOR HIS IMPACT ON AN ORGANIZATION. THIS BRONZE PLAQUE WAS PERMANENTLY INSTALLED IN A BUILDING NAMED IN HIS HONOR.

FOR A NORTH AMERICAN COMPANY IN THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY WITH 65,000+ EMPLOYEES

• Conduct research, interview a chief diversity officer and write two summary statements (one for her and another for her CEO); acknowledge progress made in executing the organization’s DE&I strategy; link messaging in both statements; finalize statements for insertion in the organization’s first annual report on DE&I.
• Write educational and inspirational one-page messages to encourage employees to get engaged in events and activities sponsored by the company for heritage months celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Black History Month, Women’s History Month, Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month, Juneteenth, Pride Month and Hispanic Heritage Month.

Topic: Persuasion

• Interview an executive looking to attract and speak with like-minded family-owned businesses that may want to consider a private equity business partner; then write a letter to compel these business owners to set up a 15-minute meeting to learn more about the opportunity.
• Work with a regional executive to draft a persuasive statement convincing hand-selected participants to register, attend, participate in and graduate from an inaugural management academy: a nine-month program to help them launch or grow the HVAC side of their business.

Topic: Corporate values

• Help a global investment organization craft a letter reintroducing its longtime guiding principles to the CEOs of companies it owns worldwide.

Topic: Career achievements

• Write a strong letter of support, with stories and supporting evidence, for an executive nominated for a national award (this executive ultimately won the award).

Topic: Ownership change

• Partner with a chairman of the board and his financial adviser to write a highly sensitive statement – directed to key managers – announcing a change in shareholder status for two global organizations. The letter shared how this change came about, what’s changing and what it means for key managers.

Topic: Change management

• Work with a company president and chief operating officer to help with change management by drafting a statement outlining a new direct sales and service process for technical customers. The letter described three specific changes – and how they would be implemented in the field – to provide better customer service.

Conduct two deep-dive interviews with a subject matter expert in communications technology consulting. Develop a list of potential blog post topics and angles, ready for buildout, organized into several categories:

• Mistakes and priorities
• Industry-related topics
• Vendor/client relationships
• Auditing
• Customer service
• Employees
• Services and spend
• Problem solving
• Growth and telecom
• Policy/process

Interview an executive coach and write a sample blog post – “Business Coaching Breakthroughs: Why You Need to Stay Curious” – as a model so she could relaunch her blog.

>>> Read blog posts here

>>> Read LinkedIn articles here