IAM2564 – Creative Content Writer Tells Stories to Connect Communities and Culture

Robin Catalano is the founder of Robin Catalano Digital and Content Marketing, where she helps small and mid-sized businesses, particularly women-led brands, discover and express their unique voices through powerful storytelling and smart strategy.

Robin has written over 1,000 blog posts, published more than 75 articles, and edited more than 350 books for top-tier publishers like Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, and Workman.

As the travel editor for Greylock Glass, she explores lesser-known destinations throughout the Northeastern U.S., bringing rich, narrative depth to her features.

She emphasizes the importance of investing in quality services, staying authentic to one’s business path rather than mimicking others, and being generous with connections and referrals.

Her structured morning routine, which includes journaling, reading, and meditation, fuels her creativity and focus.

Website: Robin Catalano
LinkedIn: Robin Catalano

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Transcription:

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Robin Catalano Teaser 00:00

Primarily, I craft content strategies, brand messaging, and original engaging content for websites, blogs, social media, email. I do a lot of traditional print projects as well.

I wouldn't have thought I would still be doing this many print projects at this stage of my career, but there's still a real demand for them, and I still really enjoy them because they have a different set of rules than digital.

Intro 00:23

Are you ready to hear business stories and learn effective ways to build relationships, generate sales, and level up your business from awesome CEOs, entrepreneurs, and founders without listening to a long, long, long interview?

If so, you've come to the right place. Gresh values your time and is ready to share with you the valuable info you're in search of. This is the I AM CEO Podcast.

Gresham Harkless 00:50

Hello, hello, hello. This is Gresh from the I AM CEO Podcast, and I have a very special guest on the show today. I have Robin Catalano of Robin Catalano Digital and Content Marketing. Robin, it's awesome having you on the show.

Robin Catalano 01:02

Thank you very much. I'm really glad to be here.

Gresham Harkless 01:04

No problem, super excited to have you on it. I wanted to read a little bit more about Robin so you can hear about all the awesome things that she's doing.

And Robin believes in the power of storytelling to connect communities and cultures.

She's applied her creative approach to content creation and strategy for magazines, books, blogs, and websites in a wide variety of marketing projects. and has published more than 75 articles and 1,000 blog posts.

As an editor, she has worked on more than 350 books for publishers including Penguin, Random House, Workman, and Simon & Schuster.

She also serves as a book coach for independent authors, helping them take their ideas from concept to print.

A journalist and avid traveler, Robin is the travel editor of the Greylock Glass, where she specializes in telling the stories of roads less traveled within five hours driving distance of the Berkshires of Western Massachusetts. Robin, are you ready to speak to the I AM CEO community?

Robin Catalano 01:59

I am ready.

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Gresham Harkless 02:00

Awesome. Let's do it. So, to kick everything off, I wanted to hear a little bit more about your background and what led you to start your business.

Robin Catalano 02:06

Sure. So, I started out as a magazine journalist, but when the publishing industry went into a big downturn around 2008, a lot of the big publications closed up shop.

And I knew that in order to actually pay my bills as a writer, especially while living outside of a major market, I really needed to diversify.

So, I ended up taking on a series of roles in marketing and corporate communications. And as it turned out, my existing skill set from journalism was actually really, really useful.

And I was able to apply a storytelling approach to everything that I did. So nowadays, when we hear people call themselves brand storytellers or talk about how the story matters in marketing, this is absolutely true.

And it's something I was doing way back as far as 2008, almost because I really didn't know any other way to do it.

So, it was kind of my way of getting into the marketing industry and making myself distinctive, just sort of instinctually.

And as for starting my own business, I've worked as a freelancer, a copywriter, freelance writer, editor, book coach, content marketer for quite a while now, almost 20 years.

And even when I took on full-time office jobs, I still kept a foot in the freelance world.

So, about five years ago, I was working as the managing editor of digital and social media and the senior copywriter for a mid-size home decor brand that's out in my area in the Berkshires of Western Massachusetts.

I really enjoyed the work itself, but the work environment not so much. And I kept thinking, why can't I just do the same type of work on my own and choose which clients I want to work with?

So, it was kind of this scary process for a couple of years of wondering whether I could go from that stable paycheck to full-time freelance. It took me a while to really make the leap.

But I remember really clearly the day after I left my office job, I woke up in the morning with this sense of lightness, and I just knew I can do this, and I can do it and be a lot happier in the process.

Gresham Harkless 04:08

Nice. I definitely appreciate that. I'm a journalism nut at my heart and core. I love the fact that you've been able to take what is a core skill that you had.

And a core skill that you developed over the years and been able to translate it into something that a lot of, I think, entrepreneurs really struggle with is the ability to communicate and definitely of course, to tell their stories.

Because a lot of it, a lot of, I find, businesses and organizations usually start from that story or start from the desire to create something that doesn't exist.

And I think that people that have your skill set in yourself have been able to really master that. It's been phenomenal for businesses.

Robin Catalano 04:47

I agree with you there. And honestly, I never would have thought I'd say that, you know, as a journalist, that these skills would have such application elsewhere, because I think we sort of take journalism for granted. But it really has been super helpful in just sort of the trajectory of my career.

Gresham Harkless 05:03

Absolutely. Absolutely. And so, I wanted to drill down a little bit deeper. Could I hear a little bit more on like what you do, how you help support the clients?

Can you take us through like how I guess from first hearing about you and how a client is actually brought on?

Robin Catalano 05:16

Sure. So well, let me back up first and tell you a little bit about my business in general.

So primarily I craft content strategies, brand messaging, and original engaging content for websites, blogs, social media, email.

I do a lot of traditional print projects as well. I wouldn't have thought I would still be doing this many print projects at this stage of my career, but there's still a real demand for them, and I still really enjoy them because they have a different set of rules than digital.

I really focus on helping small and medium-sized businesses, especially women-owned businesses, find their distinctive voice and engage customers, which also, in exchange, helps drive revenue.

And as far as how people find me, it's a little bit of a mix. I would say right now, my business is still very heavily word of mouth.

So, it tends to be customers that I have worked with before, either coming back to me or referring me to somebody else who needs my services.

And then I do have people who just surf into my website because I try to be really careful about making sure I keep everything up to date, I keep it optimized, and I keep it defined.

Gresham Harkless 6:20

Nice. That makes perfect sense. And I think that's just the kind of the product of this day and age. And so I guess, would you consider that journalistic background to be what I call it, like your secret sauce?

Would you feel kind of distinguishes you or your organization? Do you think that's what that is?

Robin Catalano 06:36

I think it's related to that. I like a lot of sauce, so I have a few secret sauces.

The first one is that I focus heavily on brand development, and this definitely goes back to that storytelling angle.

I feel like when most people start a business, they have a great idea and they plow ahead with it.

But they don't really take that step back to really take a look at what makes their business special and how they want to communicate their value to the world.

So, that's something that they often end up addressing later, which is where I come in to kind of help them create that message that we're going to put out there into the world.

If you really want to differentiate your brand from the guy down the street who's doing exactly the same thing or something similar, how are you going to communicate that?

I also have been developing a niche with people who really don't like or who are burned out on social media and want other effective ways to market their business.

I have used social media to grow businesses before, and I've done it effectively, but I'm sort of in that same boat, too, where I feel like there have to be other ways because I don't want to be on social media 24/7. It just feels like too much in addition to running our businesses, right?

So, it's certainly not a bad thing to be on social, but it isn't the only way to do it.

And so, I'm finding a lot of people who are coming to me wanting to know other ways that they can keep their business going and get the word out there without that constant social.

And then finally, I would say, because I've been a long-time editor, and in my editorial role now, I'm working primarily with authors who aren't professional writers; they are usually experts in their field, and they have something really important to share.

But they feel intimidated by the writing process, or they just don't really know how to get started, or how to keep it going.

So, for them, I am somebody who helps them develop targets. I help them create schedules to carve out time to do the work and stay accountable all the way through until they get to that finished manuscript.

Gresham Harkless 08:33

Nice. I definitely appreciate that and appreciate there's a big need for people to be able to articulate exactly what they do and stay consistent with it, definitely.

And of course, be able to tell your stories. And like you mentioned, your brand usually starts from that story of why you're trying to do something.

And I think that a lot of people will sometimes fall short on how to articulate that or articulating that as well as they would hope.

So, I appreciate you for helping out these organizations and businesses in order to do that.

So, I wanted to switch gears a little bit, and I wanted to ask you for what I call a CEO hack. And this might be an app, a book, or a habit that you have, but it's something that makes you more effective and efficient.

Robin Catalano 09:14

This is actually one of my favorite parts of your podcast, by the way. I just have to say that because I love hearing everybody's little secrets, for just what makes their business or their life, their productivity better.

For me, I would say it's actually about things that are not work. So, for instance, in the morning when I get up, I spend my first 30 minutes in a very structured way.

I don't check email or phone notifications, or anything else. I spend 10 minutes journaling about whatever professional or personal issue I think is the most pressing that day.

Then I spend 10 minutes reading for pleasure, so no news, no business books, just anything that I'm sort of interested in, a novel that I've been wanting to read for a while.

And then the last 10 minutes I spend meditating. And I know this is something that a lot of people talk about, and they want to do it, and they don't know how to do it. And oh, I don't have 20 minutes.

You don't need 20 minutes. I'm also a part-time yoga instructor, so maybe this is where it comes in for me. I know that you can meditate pretty much anywhere and for as much time or as little time as you have.

But that 10 minutes for me in the morning are really crucial. I have a super busy mind. My to-do list is always kind of scrolling in my mind.

So, to take that moment to just sort of sit and be quiet and create mental space, because that's where the really good stuff happens, is when I create that space for myself to actually make other decisions or be creative.

And that kind of goes into, a little bit later in my day, I typically will take a break about midway through the day, and I take an hour-long walk outside. I like to be in nature and I like to be silent.

Gresham Harkless 10:47

Yeah, I think that's huge. And the podcast will always be there when you come back from your walk as well.

Robin Catalano 10:52

So that's great for when you're doing chores around the yard, right?

Gresham Harkless 10:55

Exactly. Exactly. Exactly. So, but no, I think that's a really phenomenal hack just because I'm real big believer in space and how important it is to kind of create that space.

And I feel like, especially for creatives, is when you have that quote-unquote structure, especially in the beginning of the day, it allows you to be even more creative at a later time.

But you have to create that space in order for that to happen because sometimes, especially if you're driving a lot, you can get so drowned in the tasks and the to-do list that you don't really ever have and can tap into that creativity.

Robin Catalano 11:27

Absolutely. You're so right about that.

Gresham Harkless 11:29

Nice. And now I wanted to ask you for what I call a CEO nugget, and this is a word of wisdom or a piece of advice, or if you can hop into a time machine, what would you tell your younger business self?

Robin Catalano 11:39

I would say my nugget is probably that best practices in marketing, and especially in social media marketing, are just that. They are best practices.

They are not only practices or do-or-die practices. You definitely have to experiment and find what works best for you and your business.

And don't be discouraged if it's not the same thing as, you know, somebody that you met at a conference who told you that they do things a certain way, or somebody that you read about in the news who's had a tremendous amount of success.

Gresham Harkless 12:10

Absolutely. And I think that maybe as a result of social media, which is just kind of expanded upon that comparison, it's very easy to kind of see what somebody else is doing because you can just hop on your phone and do that.

So, I think it's great. That's a great nugget, just because a lot of times you get so obsessed with seeing what that person does that you want to do exactly what they do.

But in reality, you're kind of running your own race. You are running your own business. You have your own different goals if you really drill down.

So, you may not necessarily want to take that strategy or do that specific thing that that person is doing.

And now I want to ask you my absolute favorite question, which is the definition of what it means to be a CEO.

We're all going to have different quote-unquote CEOs on this show. So Robin, what does being a CEO mean to you?

Robin Catalano 12:53

I would say being a CEO really means being a connector. I like being a resource that brings together different businesses and service providers who can actually help them move their business forward.

I think, especially as I've gotten older, I've really started to appreciate this role a lot more, of being somebody who can develop connections for other people and really draw them all together.

Because I think as a community, as business owners in a community, we do better when we work together.

We do worse when we're trying to compete with one another. And there is enough work to go around.

It doesn't always feel like that. But I think we have to be cognizant of the fact that as long as we all understand our places in that sort of business ecosystem, we can all get along very well and we can all be successful and work together really, really nicely.

I also really appreciate being a champion of business owners who are just starting out or who are growing their businesses. I think part of it is because I felt like maybe I didn't have as many resources as I wanted when I started myself.

So, for me, it's been really important to kind of get out there and make sure that I'm generous with my time and advice and just sort of drawing other people along.

Gresham Harkless 14:09

Absolutely, and definitely appreciate that because there's so many sometimes resources and information out there.

It's just a matter of knowing what they are, knowing where they are, and being that CEO, that connector as you spoke to is definitely helping out a ton as far as people being able to reach their goals, but also be able to be connected with the people that can help them to do whatever their goals might be.

So, I definitely appreciate that definition. Appreciate you for doing that. And Robin, I appreciate your time again.

What I want to do is pass you the mic just to see if there's anything additional to let our readers and listeners know, and then of course, how best they can get a hold of you.

Robin Catalano 14:45

So, I've got one specifically for writers because I've been talking to a lot of young writers lately, and they always ask me, you know, what's my best business advice?

And the best thing I can really tell a writer is don't expect to sit behind your computer all day while the work just haunts you, because it does not work that way. You could be the best writer in the world, but your connections still matter.

So, get out and meet people in person, and be a referral source. So, just like I was talking before about being generous, you really have to be generous with those referrals, and they will come back to you.

So, that's a really important thing that I like to share. And this one is just a little bit more general, maybe for everybody in the audience.

Be prepared to invest in your business. I think we, as creatives especially, we tend to have this system when we first start out, where we want to barter for a lot of things.

And I do understand that because budgets are limited, but you do have to pay for the good stuff.

So, just like you can't afford to give away your products or services, a graphic designer, a web developer, a copywriter, a photographer, they can't afford to do those things for free either without getting paid.

So, we all have to kind of understand. Yeah, you know what? I'm gonna need this service, so I need to start saving up or I need to find an arrangement, a payment installment plan, whatever that works for me, rather than always looking for the barter.

Gresham Harkless 16:04

And I appreciate it again, and people that want to get a hold of you, what's the best way for them to do that?

Robin Catalano 16:08

Best way is to go to my website, which is Robinwriter.com

Gresham Harkless 16:12

Awesome, awesome, awesome. We'll make sure to have that link in the show notes as well.

But thank you so much again, Robin, for your time. You provided loads of tremendous value, and I appreciate you. I hope you have a phenomenal rest of the day.

Robin Catalano 16:22

You too, I really enjoyed talking to you, thanks.

Outro 16:25

Thank you for listening to the I AM CEO Podcast powered by CB Nation and Blue 16 Media. Tune in next time and visit us at iamceo.co. I am CEO is not just a phrase; it's a community.

Check out the latest and greatest apps, books, and habits to level up your business as CEOhacks.co. This has been the I AM CEO Podcast with Gresham Harkless Jr. Thank you for listening.

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