Today we’d like to introduce you to Rachel Weeks.
Hi Rachel, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers.
I’m a writer by trade and by education, but my path to being a self-employed copywriter + creative at the Scout House was a nonlinear one. In my college years, studying fashion merchandising in Texas with the hopes of writing for a fashion magazine eventually gave way to studying medieval literature and world religion in California. (The plot twist no one saw coming).
Then there was the unexpected co-founding of a wedding-planning startup right out of school, followed by several years working as a writer + copyeditor for the founders of SparkNotes at their EdTech company LitCharts. And in between it all? Freelancing as a voiceover artist for early-stage startups, modeling in food and beverage campaigns, and taking on lots of other entrepreneurial odd jobs.
The decade that led to full-time self-employment was a formative one, to say the least! Little did I know, that my varied background was preparing me to write personality-driven sales copy for small business owners across different fields. As a conversion copywriter for product – and service-based businesses, it’s my job to get to know a given field, founder, and business quickly so that I can write high-impact sales copy that compels their target audience to action. (In other words? Cha-ching!).
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Growing up with inattentive ADHD, I majorly struggled throughout my schooling years with sitting still and honing in on a task – skills I later learned are just as integral to running a business.
Looking back, I remember my mom still having to sit with me when I was 17 years old to keep me on track while I did my homework, and I couldn’t figure out why my assignments took me twice as long as my classmates. I was a smart kid, I was (kind of) organized, I applied myself… So what gives? It wasn’t until I went through neuropsychological testing for ADHD in my early 20s that I got my answer.
ADHD has added an interesting layer to small-business ownership because it’s necessitated a lot of highly personal, highly creative strategies for staying on track. While some of my colleagues can sit down with a candle and classical music and start typing away on a website draft (and I love that for them!), I’m often using every tool in my mental toolkit to create sustained momentum and motivation.
My favorite productivity strategy is something called “body doubling,” which refers to the powerful accountability that comes from working beside someone. My fellow WFH and self-employed friends and I created an unofficial Friday Cowork Club, wherein we meet up at a local coffee shop to work and quietly motivate each other to make headway on our tasks.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Scout House is a multidisciplinary creative studio for copywriting & design. More specifically, I offer website copywriting, brand messaging, SEO strategy, graphic design, and digital illustration. I love being involved in a mix of projects that allow me to support my clients in different ways, from technical SEO to creative visuals, but my pièce de résistance is conversion copywriting (AKA, sales copy) that’s brimming with personality.
Most copywriters can flirt with different tones of voice to fit the requirements of a given project, but every writer still has a signature style and sound, much like a fine artist or a musician. I specialize in writing that’s witty, specific, creative, and playful – humor is what sets me apart from my competitors. For that reason, I love working with small business owners who are excited to take risks with their copy, want to make their target audience laugh/smile/smirk and be both strategic and lighthearted in their marketing.
As far as what sets Scout House apart, I also believe in the magic of creative minds coming together, so I take a very hands-on, personal approach to working with clients. Case in point? Southern California clients always have the option to skip a standard Zoom call and instead meet up with me for a beach walk brainstorming meeting or strategy session at a local natural wine bar. I think that while brands are increasingly focused on seeming more human and relatable to their audience (which is a good thing), that human-centric approach is no longer carrying over to the day-to-day reality of running a business. For many of us, our days are marked by work-from-home isolation and camera-off video calls.
Instead of collaborating with a fellow creative service provider like a graphic designer or a content writer, we can just download a premade Canva template and copy & paste whatever writing Chatgpt spits out. This impersonal quality of modern work is convenient. But to me, it feels increasingly unaligned with what humans need to thrive: belonging, support, camaraderie, excitement, joy, and the like. With Scout House, I’m re-establishing what creative collaboration should feel like. (Think: fun, satisfying, inspiring, and supportive). I’m super proud to offer this kind of experience to my clients.
So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
I absolutely love working with product- and service-based business owners who want to add some playful personality to their visuals, have fun with their copy, or finally feel in control of their SEO strategy. (It’s possible, I promise!)
To work together, pop over to www.thescout.house/contact to tell me a little more about what you have in mind, and we’ll get the ball rolling from there.
And good old-fashioned support is always appreciated, too – if you know someone who’s looking for a copywriter or creative to bring their brand to life, then kindly send them my way via my website or Instagram, @scouthouse.
Pricing:
- Package 01: brand messaging & professional SEO audit: avg. investment $3k
- Package 02: brand messaging, SEO audit, SEO strategy, & full website copy: avg. investment $4.5k
- Graphic design & digital illustration: pricing varies by project scope
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.thescout.house
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scouthouse/
- Other: https://www.thescout.house/contact
Image Credits
Kaeli Hearn
