About Us

From graphic design to advertising, pictures to words

I got into TAFE thinking I wanted to be a graphic designer but it wasn’t long before the psychology of advertising called. Six months into my course, I started fixing up headlines and apostrophes and writing rationales for my entire class. Which is when not 1 but 2 lecturers in 2 weeks said “have you thought about being a copywriter?” I’d never heard of the term. (MadMen and The Gruen Transfer weren’t on TV in those days.)

Sure enough, wordsmithing was my thing

Within 6 months I’d been offered a job as the first copywriter at Adelaide’s metropolitan newspaper. Press was a fabulous learning experience, and I still have a real love for print advertising, but after a couple of years, I felt like I had a lot more to offer and a lot more to learn. I wanted to work in an ad agency.

Adelaide to Asia and back

In Adelaide, it was the recession we had to have. Agencies were closing their offices and I couldn’t get a gig. In a comedy of errors, I ended up in Singapore working for international ad agency, J Walter Thompson, with an amazing team. We won a number of international awards before I was seduced by JWT Hong Kong who threw lots of money at me to work on websites.

It was 1996, very early days for the internet

I worked for a year in Hong Kong before getting homesick for Oz and heading home. But Adelaide wasn’t ready for websites. Agencies were still stuck in TV and billboard land, so I set up my own business. And then freelanced to Adelaide’s agencies, large and small.

A passion for helping small business

Over the years, I’ve been told more than once “don’t bother with small business, they don’t have any money.” But I’m stubborn. Working for myself, I could identify with small business owners. And I had some skills that I thought could help them.

From copywriting to brainstorming

I approached the BECs (Business Enterprise Centres) around Adelaide, and found ways to work with them that made me affordable to SMEs. Over the past few years I've helped hundreds of small businesses with a brainstorming or coaching session to answer all their questions and help them work out what to put on their website, in their brochure and more.

Copy with Cream today

Today my work is a great mix of copywriting and brainstorming. So whether you’re a small business owner who wants some wordsmithing or independent advice, or a large corporate who needs help to simplify your website, please contact me. I’d love to see how we could work together.

Some other people you might need

Here are some people I’ve done business with and can recommend…please tell them I sent you.

NWBDC –  free and low-cost advice and assistance for small businesses in Adelaide. Ask for Geoff. 
www.nwbusiness.com.au

Quisk – award-winning web and graphic designers, ask for Jason.
www.quisk.com.au

Rojo Printing – John offers friendly service at a budget price.
www.rojoprinting.com.au

Succinct Ideas – for everything SEO (search engine optimization), Peter’s the man.
www.succinctideas.com.au

We Create Brands – an award-winning brand design consultancy, talk to Carrie.
www.wecreatebrands.com.au

Teaming up?

I’m always looking to see how I can work together with like-minded people in my industry, so if you’re in web design, graphic design, print, advertising, PR or marketing and your clients need some help with words, please contact me.

Web guys – I often meet web guys who are having trouble getting content out of their clients to populate a wonderful new website they have built. If this is you, I can help. Please contact me