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Crazy about headlines, trailblazing women in business & copy resource of the week

Author

Kimberly Houston
February 25, 2024

Welcome to Issue #11 of The Subhead, a bi-weekly newsletter about copywriting, marketing & media, and a look at some of the women who make it great.

Here’s what’s on deck in today’s edition:

· How to write headlines that don’t make you cringe with embarrassment, Kimberly’s version

· Trailblazing women in business: Fawn Weaver, CEO of Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey

· Copy Resource of the Week: More headline templates & formulas, from the fine folks at Copyblogger

· Just for Fun

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Salutations, friend!

So, I recently wrote an article for a client called Stratified Random Sampling: Definition, Method & Examples, and it was … pretty far out of my wheelhouse, if I’m being honest. Which means it took me longer to research and write than most things I produce for this client.

But that’s one of the things I love about being a freelance writer – the depth and breadth of topics I get to learn / write about.

I’ve written in so many industries over the years – real estate, healthcare, ecommerce, creative services, brick manufacturing, heavy duty equipment manufacturing, art, photography, restaurants, digital marketing, and a bunch more.

In fact, one of my friends once called me a dilettante, and it kind of hurt my feelings.

Oh well, what’re ya gonna do.

Let’s move on, shall we?

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How to Write Headlines That Don’t Make You Cringe with Embarrassment

Formulas. Blueprints. Templates. Rules.

I tend to dislike most of these things. And so do most of the other creative business builders I’ve talked to.

But when it comes to writing headlines, templates and formulas can help if you’re experiencing a rough patch while trying to create magnetic headlines, especially when you’re first starting out.

Besides, templates and formulas are just a starting point, a way to get the creative juices flowing. You use them to get something down on paper, then you tweak from there, depending on your personality, your business, and your service offerings.

By the way, I wrote this blog post in 2015, and looking back on it, a couple of those headlines would make me cringe a little.

But I stand by at least 90% of the suggestions here:

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Trailblazing Women in Business: Fawn Weaver

I originally read about the subject of today’s mini-profile in The Broadsheet, a newsletter that highlights “female executives and founders transforming and diversifying the future of business.”

(Yes, I know how terribly boring and corporate that sounds, but let me tell you, I learn so many inspiring and maddening things reading that newsletter each week.)

Fawn Weaver is the CEO and founder of Grant Sidney, Inc. (GSI), a privately held investment company. But what I find much more interesting is that she’s also CEO of one of the fastest growing distilleries in the country – one that reached a $900 million valuation in December 2023 – Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey.

Weaver is the first African-American woman to lead a major spirits brand, the only American spirits brand with an all-female executive team, in fact, including master blender Victoria Eady Butler. The company employs 50% women.

Weaver created Uncle Nearest in 2016 to commemorate Nathan “Nearest” Green, a formerly enslaved man who taught Jack Daniel how to make whiskey.

She says she wanted to “cement the legacy of the world’s first known Black American master distiller, Nearest Green, for every future generation. And to ensure his story was never again forgotten.”

Weaver also believes in giving back, having founded the Nearest Green Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that offers full scholarships to every descendant of Nearest Green.

Favorite quote:

On her belief in lifting up underrepresented communities and being “a guiding light in her industry,” she said:

"When you are an African American or woman who has figured out a pathway to success within an industry that has historically been reserved for white males, it becomes your responsibility to turn around and pull as you climb."

I’ll drink to that!

Sources:

Who Owns Uncle Nearest (Uncle Nearest website)

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Copy Resource of the Week: Headline Formulas That Work

FYI, there’s some overlap between this resource and my blog post linked above, which just goes to show you that most headline formulas and templates are evergreen.

If you spend as much time online as I do, you might find some of the examples here tired and played out.

That said, something I have to remind myself of all the time is that regular, everyday people, i.e., non-copywriters, aren’t as focused on copy elements as I am, so what feels tired to me could easily seem “fresh” to others.

Find out for yourself here:

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Just for Fun

This surprising and delightful 3-minute video is about street artist David Zinn and his creative process. I bet it’ll make you smile. 😊

(Originally found in one of my favorite weekend reads, Hiut Denim’s Scrapbook Chronicles newsletter.)

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Ok, that’s all for this week, my friend.

Be well. Stay curious. See you again in two weeks, on March 10.

Warmly,

Kimberly

P.S. As always, feel free to reach out if you need copywriting support / want to chat about a copywriting project.