Peppercorn Creative

03/29/2023

Hello friends & fam-jam! I’m beyond excited to share that after 11 extraordinary years of working under the umbrella Peppercorn Creative, I'm retiring the company. I'm still here to support you, just in a slightly different way.

I'm turning most of my energy toward on-going projects for copywriting and content production. Things like key messaging and stories, SEO blog posts and copy for websites and landing pages, ads, social media posts, and creating results-driven newsletters and email marketing campaigns.

I'm also reaffirming my commitment to my clients. This means I'm only accepting a very limited number of projects per year. This ensures you get my undivided attention AND you get the results you're looking for.

If you’d like to connect with the right consumers and communities, I’d love to help you. I still have a few spots open for the rest of the year. If you or someone you work with would like to explore what this might look like, I invite you to send me a DM or message me via my website: https://kristygardner.ca 🌟

In 30 days I will officially be deleting this page.

We have a choice about the work we do, and the stories we tell. It's my mission to help you tell yours. Thank you for being a part of my journey, community, and for supporting my business.

Kristy Gardner is a freelance Vancouver copywriter and content writer who creatively connects brands with the right communities.

04/27/2022

Do you have a content calendar for social media or your blog, or do you just post something and hope it sticks?

🦄 Magical tip: don’t do that! Instead, create a detailed content calendar loaded with helpful, useful, and entertaining stories that are both timely and ever-green.

By thinking like publishers rather than advertisers – planning relevant stories in advance with both timely themes and recycled content – we can:

🦄 Cultivate creativity

🦄 Facilitate organic website traffic, followers, and brand visibility

🦄 Drive your brand story in meaningful ways

🦄 Nurture trust and the genuine connections you have with customers

🦄 Increase sales and measurable ROI

Want to know exactly how to do this? Visit the blog post!

You have a brand story, so now what the hell do you do with it? Here's how to use brand story across all brand touch-points & improve trust with customers.

04/21/2022

We’re a quarter of the way through the year. Hello, Spring. ☀️ Here's 3 fresh ideas to connect smarter with your community this season and get better results, faster.

1. Look To The Past

It's easy to forget about the past when you've got eyes toward the future. Yet the relationships you've already cultivated can be incredibly valuable sources for new opportunities. When was the last time you checked in with past customers, clients, or brand partners?


I know it can feel uncomfortable to reach out. You don't want to be awkward or sound desperate. Feel free to shoot me a DM for a script to get started.


2. Onion Your Social Media


The secret to getting more engagement, followers, and conversions on social media is this: be social!


This is virtually (and literally) impossible to do when you're on five different platforms, blasting "hey, check out my latest X!"


If you're not seeing the results you want, you may want to onion your social media. That is, peel back the layers.


☀️ Make a list of any platforms or spaces you're providing content and trying to connect with your audience.


☀️ Get super specific and detail WHY you're on each platform. Are you everywhere because someone told you that you should be? Because you're casting a wider net? Or is your target audience active on that platform?


☀️ Cut the bu****it (and the platforms) and choose one or two where you can really make an impact. Put the rest on a time-out, remove the icons from your website and email signature, and focus your attention where it matters, honey. Starting with...


☀️ A clear, defined purpose and mindful, executable platform strategy to begin seeing WAY better results.


: Relationships always win. Online, and in life. So nurture those on the platforms where you can really show up.


3. Hit refresh!


The best way to get a fresh start and connect smarter with your community is to update your brand so it measures up to your vision and resonates for your target audience.


If you're struggling and:


☀️ Aren't getting the results you want
☀️ Are attracting the wrong audience
☀️ Aren't attracting any audience
☀️ Can't get to all the things and they just seem to be piling up, but you just KNOW you need to do something different
☀️ Simply aren't inspired by, motivated, or connecting with your own stuff...


It may be time to hit refresh and do a little spring cleaning on your website design, website copy, blog content, social media feeds, and/or newsletter strategy.


☀️ Need A Hand? ☀️


These 3 fresh ideas to help you connect smarter with your community are just the start of the sun-kissed (hello longer days), clever ways I can help you. If you’re ready to spring into action before the rest of this year slips away on your to-do list, let’s talk. I'm currently accepting new client projects for May/June.


Shoot me a dm to start the conversation :)

04/13/2022

The science is in: multitasking hamstrings productivity by as much as 40%. Here are 5 tasks you can outsource to increase profitability and free up your time – at least 20 hours a week.

1. Website design & branding. Your website and branding are more than an online business card. They’re your home base and if you can’t show visitors in less than 30 seconds that you’re worth investing in, they won’t invest in you.

2. Social media engagement & community management. 4.55 billion people are active on social media. These platforms are online word of mouth - connecting with your audience the right ways and in the right places can mean the difference between good business and great business.

3. Blog posts. Well crafted blog posts are a simple but incredibly effective way to connect with your external AND internal stakeholders.

4. Newsletters & email marketing. Email generates $42 for every $1 spent, which is an astounding 4,200% ROI, making it one of the most effective content marketing options available. Subscribers are your biggest fans, so give 'em what they want. More of you!

5. Strategy, research & analytics. The above four points mean nothing without context. Without measurable goals. Without strategy, research, and analytics. This is one of the most time consuming yet effective ways to make sure your efforts are worth the investment. Your ROI depends on a carefully crafted and informed strategy.

Real talk: you’re busy, and finding the time, energy, and resources to juggle all the things can be stressful. Delegate, put less on your plate, be more productive, increase your revenue. Win!

Want more on the above 5 points? Visit the full blog post:

Can you afford NOT to outsource content marketing? You should delegate these 5 vital business marketing tasks to increase revenue and grow brand awareness.

04/06/2022

🌟 Live for the life you want, not the life you have (3 steps) 🌟

This advice can be applied to any dream, by the way. Any business. Any creative pursuits. Any hobbies. Any fitness goals. Pretty much anything you want more of in your life.

Living for the life you want, not the life you have is simple:

1. What is the dream? Name it. For me, that was "to be a traditionally published, writing the stories I want to tell."

2. Make a list of what a person who's achieved that dream does every day to make it a reality. Again, for me that meant investing in a website, nurturing a community on Instagram and Twitter (and soon, YouTube!), creating a monthly newsletter, and of course, writing.

3. Stop trying to find the time or motivation or courage to do those things and actually DO those things.

See? Simple. Maybe not easy (committing to something new never is), but it is simple.

The difference between someone who succeeds at and someone who doesn't is they eventually stop making excuses and thinking about doing, and actually do.

You don't have to do it all at once. Start with the basics: carve out a realistic amount of time somewhere you won't be disturbed, communicate you are unavailable to any relevant parties (spouses, kids, dogs, aliens), and do the work. Protect that time like it's your first born. Or your first cup of coffee in the AM. They're pretty much the same thing anyway, right?

Ta-da! You're on your way to living your dream. Whatever it is, however big or small the first step, do it now. And do. not. give. up. Keep going. The universe has your back. And so do I. 🌟🖤

Questions? Concerns? Hungry? Me too.

03/31/2022

💡 An idea to change your mind, change your life. 💡

Consider something you're striving for this year - to read more books, meditate, exercise more, make more income, stand out from the crowd, or anything else that is on your goal list.

Mark ONE tiny action you can take toward it in your daily calendar. This could like like reading one page, sitting quietly with your breath for one minute, doing ten squats, make one sales call, or direct message one person in your niche and send them a meaningful thank you message for what they do.

Make it less than five minutes. Set an alarm. Treat it like a hard appointment. Repeat weekly (or daily). No takesies backsies.

The point is not to do one thing for five minutes forever. The point is to master the habit of showing up. You can't improve or grow something if you haven't begun whatever it is.

Start where you are; progress, not perfection.

We're a quarter of the way through the year, seems like as good a time as any to begin or begin again.

Care to share which habit you're going to work on? Comment below :)

03/29/2022

You want to be a successful leader. A more conscientious human. And a better listener to those around you. Here are the 10 simplest tips I can give you to help you ask better questions...

1. Ask questions.

2. Keep your questions open.

3. Ask why. Several times.

4. Don't make assumptions – you know why.

5. Allow negative space to fill the room.

6. Baby-bird their answers back to them.

7. Maintain the peace.

8. Ask "what do you think about...?"

9. Write that s**t down.

10. Be brave enough to ask what other questions you should be asking.

Want more? Visit the full blog post to dive into each of these points.

Asking better questions makes your conversations better, adds value to your interactions and the people you engage with, and nurtures real change in your business, organization, or even simply your life.

A great leader asks better questions! These 10 tips on how to ask better questions will make you a better leader, a stronger communicator & more confident.

03/25/2022

The last two years have been a dumpster fire. Like, all around. This got me thinking about what sweet, sweet success really means. And all I've come up with is that it means something different to everyone.

Why is this? Because core values. Our core values shape our definition of success, and our quality of life.

For me, sweet success is:

🐝 Having the freedom to do the things I love, when I love to to do them.

🐝 Not worrying about revenue targets or paying the bills each month.

🐝 Doing work that makes me feel energized and alive, not exhausted and drained.

🐝 Approaching each day in a peaceful, inspired way that connects community.

🐝 Not wearing pants. Seriously. I hate pants.

If the last 2 years have taught us anything, it's that VALUES matter! They matter to YOU as a brand/business and human, and they matter to your audience, too.

That means it's damn important you KNOW what your values are, and make sure your audience understands them.

Whether you're selling printable socks, creative services, brand partnerships, coaching and consulting, stocks, or your artwork -- "purpose-driven," "meaningful connection," or "relatable/human-centered" messaging is going to be what helps you stand apart from all the others in your niche yelling "check this out!"

What does this look like then if I extrapolate the values in my listicle above?

🐝 Having the freedom to do the things I love, when I love to to do them. Values: flexibility and creativity

🐝 Not worrying about revenue targets or paying the bills each month. Values: stability and growth

🐝 Doing work that makes me feel energized and alive, not exhausted and drained. Values: passion and curiosity

🐝 Approaching each day in a peaceful, inspired way that connects me to community. Values: authenticity and compassion

🐝 Not wearing pants. Seriously. I hate pants. Values: humour and comfort.

These values weave their way through my website, social media feeds (like this one!), newsletter, and even my interactions with my clients.

Having a strong set of values is one of the most impactful tools you can have in order to make decisions you are happy with, and create the results you're looking for.

I challenge you to create your own list of success and a matching value or two to each one. Send it to me or post it below, if you like! I'd love to see it.

The world is different. It is in the process of becoming something new. And with it, we have an opportunity to craft business - and lives - that measure up to the standards we create for ourselves, and our personal definitions of sweet success.

🐝 So: what does success look like to you? 🐝

02/15/2022

✨ Client Q: I’m worried I will break my website doing updates because I don’t know how everything works together. How do I do this safely?

✨ A: Websites are like any other piece of technology in your life – they require regular updates and some technical knowledge to do so.

Generally websites should have a major refresh every 2-3 years, but regular maintenance is VITAL to ensuring your site is Google friendly (SEO), on par with the latest best practices, in line with your vision and offerings, and has the most up to date functionality and security upgrades.

When updating yours ALWAYS:

✨ Back up the site to an external server before you upgrade plugins, themes, or any other core functionality on the site. These are often developed by third parties and a new update may conflict with an older element on the site. If anything goes awry (and it can), you’ll want to be able to revert to the previous version of the site.

Pro-tip: if the update isn’t a major security or functionality upgrade, give the system a week or so to sort out any bugs before you update. This will help ease some of the initial growing pains an update may be packing in its luggage.

✨ Before you back up, review the details of the new version; ensure there are no known conflicts.

✨ If updating content, spell-check, make sure your grammar is clean, and that your copy is effective with clear calls-to-action. Also remember to review your page titles, internal and external links within the posts or pages, image titles and alt-tags, meta-descriptions, and mobile responsiveness.

✨ When was the last time you redesigned, updated, or backed up your website? ✨

P.S. If you aren’t sure what ANY of this technical website stuff means, you might enjoy the freedom that comes from hiring me to maintain your website for you each month! Click here to start the conversation: https://peppercorncreative.com/contact-us/

02/09/2022

As we edge further into 2022, I'm considering where I'm making decisions from this year: fear or gratitude?

A lot of the time we think of investing in our businesses - and even ourselves - in terms of cost. But your website, content marketing, and overall 'brand story' are about a lot more than money. They are about relationships.

In this sense, worrying about "how much could I lose?" is not merely a financial question (but it is a fear based one.)

Instead, it may serve all of us better in the coming months to come from a place of gratitude (even if it's uncomfortable) and ask ourselves "how much could I gain?"

Money. Time. Sanity. Reputation. Happiness.

If you had more money, time, sanity, reputation, or happiness, what would that look like - what would it FEEL like - in your business? In your community? In your life?

Hell, this could extend to your relationships, your home, or even your entire internal ecosystem.

Just something to munch on. 💜

02/04/2022

💛 10 years ago I started freelancing for my own company. 💛

It was one of those moments where I thought 'I am either doing exactly what I should be doing, or I'm screwed'. ⁠

I was living in a new city (I see you, Toronto!), knew hardly anyone at all, and had no savings. I just knew I was doing work I wasn't meant to do.

So I quit doing it. And had to figure out how to run a business. Fast. I dug my heels in, worked harder and longer than I ever have in my life, and flailed all over the damn place.

Peppercorn Creative has seen a lot of iterations. A lot of pivots and shifts. A lot of ups and a s**t ton of downs, too. It's seen me relocate back to the West Coast, talk panels, podcast episodes and interviews, client's dreams come true, tears, high-fives, and even a move to Thailand and back.

This business - and everything it has gifted to me - has totally changed my life.

And here I am. A decade later. It's been wild. And I can't wait to see what the next 10 years have up their sleeve.... 💛🎉

Have you had a career-changing moment in the last decade?

01/28/2022

👉 What are your core values and why are they important to you?

Getting clear on this is central to any of my content marketing or copywriting client projects. It's also one of the main things I choose to explore with business partners, new friends, and even myself.

My business universal truths & lifestyle culture:

💜 People are everything; treat them with enough respect to tell the truth.

💜 Kindness is contagious and I aim to infect e’ryone.

💜 I don’t work evenings, weekends, or holidays – I am too ambitious to burn myself out.

💜 There’s always kombucha and hot chocolate in the desk drawer. I’ll share.

💜 I say words like e’ryone. And f**k. And ineffable.

💜 I’m not the cheapest option, but I am great value.

💜 I believe humour and gratitude can save the world.

💜 If I’m not ideating on my next big brand story project, I’m hiking or camping or tucked up with a good book.

💜I book up early because I insist on providing what I call “luxury client service” to each and every project. No matter how big or small, you get my full attention.

💜 If not you, then who? Create the change you want to see in the world.

👉 So, how about you? What are your core business values?