Before we get too swept up in the flow of the year, we felt it was time to reintroduce the people who keep the wheels turning at Stratton Craig. From writing and account management to business development and senior leadership, we have some exceptional people in our team.
We’re starting the series with Colm, our writing lead.
How long have you been at Stratton Craig and what is your role?
I joined Stratton Craig in 2018 as a copywriter. My title is now Writing Lead, which means that I work across all stages of the writing process. This includes whitepapers, thought leadership and corporate reporting, with the odd bit of other content thrown in. I also manage our more junior writers and head up internal training on a variety of content-related topics.
Since 2023, I have also been our AI Lead. This has involved rolling out tools across the business and developing our skills as well as grappling with what the technology means for the future of content creation.
On a typical day, what do you spend your time doing?
The “official” answer is that I spend my days helping clients define and refine their content plans, interviewing stakeholders to get their insights and creating content that says the right things to the right people.
The real answer is that I spend chunks of my day looking pensively out of the window. Or at least I’m sure that’s what it can seem like I’m doing… but it’s because great content starts with great thinking. Once I understand who our clients and their audiences are I’ll process that and play with lots of ideas to work out how to best communicate their stories.
On a not-so-typical day, what other tasks might you find yourself doing?
When I’m not head down on a project, I really enjoy tinkering away with AI. I find it fascinating to see how we can apply it to our processes without compromising the quality and strategic thinking we are known for.
But there is always something to be getting on with, whether that is helping with our marketing, attending events, developing my own skills or collaborating on other projects.
What can make your day challenging? How do you approach these situations?
Information overload is real and sometimes it just takes a while to wrap your head around a topic. A lot of our clients work in very complex sectors and it’s our job to help them make that complexity easier for their audiences to understand and engage with. Deep diving into the technicalities of our clients’ work is both the most challenging and most interesting part of the job!
If I’m working on something really tricky, I find getting up and doing something else helps. I’m a great believer in letting your subconscious organise and order information for you, so I try and give it some space to work its magic.
What do you enjoy most about your role? What gives you the biggest feeling of satisfaction?
It feels good to send a finished piece of work out the door knowing that you did a good job. Content writing has been my role for so long that I’ve kind of seen it all – the great, the bad and the honestly horrific. But throughout it all, I’ve always liked the challenge. Taking a complex topic, understanding it and then communicating it in a way that resonates is like a puzzle. I enjoy trying to solve them.
What is an aspect of your role that people might not know about or maybe misunderstand?
Being able to interview people is an essential skill for a good content writer. Knowing how to ask the right questions, actively listen and think about whether you are getting the information you need all at the same time is no joke. I have really had to develop my interview skills throughout my time at Stratton Craig, which has helped me in other areas too – like public speaking or delivering training.
For you, what’s the best part about working at Stratton Craig?
The people and culture are what have kept me here for so long. We help each other, collaborate well and know how to let our hair down (figuratively speaking for me of course).
I also like the ambition at Stratton Craig. We are a small team, but we work with some of the world’s biggest companies and have a real drive to deliver a high-quality service. We are pedants and sticklers for quality in the best possible way.
Tell us about yourself outside of work, what are your passions and interests?
I love music. I love listening to it, making it, watching it, thinking about it and discussing it with anyone who is willing. I’ve loved it for as long as I can remember and it continues to bring me as much joy as it did when I was younger. I like other things too – running, reading, gaming – but nothing quite hits the spot like discovering a new artist or going to a gig.
Other than that, you can’t beat a good night down the pub with friends. Or a cosy evening snuggled up on the sofa with the kids watching a film and binging on snacks.
What does a typical weekend look like for you?
The main weekend non-negotiable for me is a long run. Anything over an hour and a half is great. It helps me shrug off the week and work out the kinks. After that, I’m hanging out with the family. Doesn’t really matter what we’re doing. But if at some point it involves meeting some friends or stopping into a pub, then happy days.
