Remember this past September, when I taught a social media session at the AABC Birth Institute in California? It’s been two and a half months since I spent that weekend immersed in the messaging and mission of birth centers, midwives, and amazing people who tirelessly lead the charge for better women’s health care.

That September presentation was developed and produced in conjunction with two other fabulous women —Rosemary Senjem and Cyndi Caughron. Today, we’re working with three different birth centers to hone and implement their marketing strategies – from web sites to social media to public relations. Such an honor, and such a humbling role in each unique case: to be entrusted with their mission, and given the opportunity to work in an area that means so much to so many people.

My first major task is taking existing content and turning it into search-optimized copy that is true to the birth center’s unique position, goals and character.

Now please forgive me for being so trite – but in doing so, I’m reminded just how much writing copy is like giving birth:

• I study the objective for days, weeks, sometimes months. And then I wait for the messaging and tone to tell me when it’s developed enough that it’s ready to come out.
• When it doesn’t happen soon enough — when I think it should be starting — I get impatient. Frustrated. Cranky. Sometimes I try to force it, do things to get myself in just the right mental state. But it doesn’t work.
• The copy doesn’t come until it’s ready. And when the words find their own life, begin stirring and pushing themselves into my brain, I can’t stop it.
• I need to get to a safe place where I can let the words flow and re-arrange themselves, and take their rightful place on the page.
• When I feel supported and empowered and respected, I do my best work. (who doesn’t?!)
• If you interrupt me when things are really moving, or try to bend me to do it your way — I get REALLY angry.
• And when all things come together just they way they should, and when I sit back and look at the final result…. I think it’s beautiful. Because it’s mine, and I know what it took to get it here.

And then we move onto editing… HA!

Ok, no, but seriously. It’s a dream: applying my marketing experience to the issue of maternal health care in the United States. Because it’s time to start paying attention to what’s not working, and  it’s way past time we start raising our daughters to know and trust the strength and wisdom they carry in their own bodies. You might even say… the time for that is WAY overdue.

So just watch me. My client is the birth center, my role is marketing expert, and together we have a lot to accomplish. But I’ve been training for this for 18 years, and I’m on a mission, too.

And now … back to work.