We realized recently we’re a little bit behind on introducing some of the new employees we’ve hired in recent months. We’ll be playing some catch-up over the next few weeks, allowing you to learn more about some of the great people who have joined our team recently.
First up is Darlene Daniel, who is a member of our content writing team. She has been a WordJack freelance writer since 2013, but just joined us full-time in September 2018. Here is a little “interview” that will help everyone get to know her a bit better.
You started out as a freelance writer for WordJack and have since been hired full-time, so while you’re “new” to the team officially, you’ve been around for a while. What have you liked most about working for WordJack over the years?
Of the various clients I did writing for in the past, WordJack was always my favorite. I think it had a lot to do with my interactions with Natasha (WordJack’s Managing Editor) and how she always represented the company and its objectives in a consistent and positive way. I also enjoyed the flexibility that allowed for an ideal work/life balance, which is so rare these days.
Did anything surprise you when you made the switch to full-time?
Getting back to the flexibility, I accepted the full-time position knowing the compromise would be less flexibility. What surprised me is that although my schedule doesn’t permit the days off whenever I feel like it as it did as a freelancer, I still have quite a bit of flexibility that enables me to write when my creative thinking is at its best each day. I feel WordJack is a wise company that can balance its needs with the team in such a way as to not squelch creativity while keeping everyone accountable and productive.
What made you interested in working for a web marketing company?
I actually stumbled into working with a web marketing company. After getting my Bachelor’s degree in eCommerce Marketing, I really didn’t know what I would end up doing with it. It wasn’t until I was in limbo after closing a family business and a friend introduced me to freelance writing and to WordJack that I realized this was what I had been looking for and just didn’t know it.
What goals/objectives do you hope to accomplish for WordJack in the near future?
I hope I can continue to learn more about other aspects of the company besides writing and other potential ways I can contribute. For the time being, I am focusing on doing my best work and improving my skills and time management so that when opportunities arise, I will be able to be as helpful as possible to the success of WordJack and its future endeavors. I am always up for learning new skills, so I am confident there will be more I can do in the future as the company continues to grow.
What do you enjoy most about being a WordJack writer?
I have always been the sort of person who needed to utilize both my right brain and left brain. I thirst for knowledge to feed my analytical side, but also need to let my mind be free to imagine and produce “art.” When I came upon web content writing, I found that it fit with this better than anything I had ever done before. I always felt lacking in other professions because only one was fed while the other was starved. Being a WordJack writer is fulfilling in a way I never thought possible.
What are some of your interests/hobbies outside work?
My husband and I are in the process of moving to a beautiful wooded property in Eastern Tennessee, where we can expand our interests and hobbies. He will be retiring (lucky guy!) and getting us set up with a small hobby farm to provide our food sources, as well as adding some new interests, such as mushroom growing, beekeeping, and woodworking. I’ll be helping with those, as well as continuing my current hobbies of cooking, food preservation (getting started with freeze-drying), crafts (knitting and crocheting), reading, and enjoying nature.
Welcome to the WordJack team, Darlene! We’re happy to have you and your writing skills on board.
