When you've got something to say about the reason for your work, you may need a writer to help you...

this month's hot thing |

this month's hot thing |

Message development for small businesses

(and the people in them who say they're "not writers")

Growing your business includes a lot of explaining your business to people. You need them to understand what makes it unique, what makes it important, what makes it trustworthy. But unless you have a marketing background (and even if you do) it can be hard to do this in a way that isn't contrived, phony, or generic.

Copywriters and LLMs are great when you know what you need to say, and your message can be built out of things other people have expressed before.

Find the Words is a resource for when your message is original, personal, and too important to fuck up.

Writing coach in Portland

Find the Words founder MJ Halberstadt

I’m MJ. My east coast backstory involves a few different types of creative and professional work in writing, teaching, and marketing. The most egotistical thing you’ll hear me say is that I have a really good knack for listening to other people, discerning what it is they mean to say, and figuring out a way to express it.

Two weird things about me: I’m super not in the mood to watch climate change get in the way of our disco dance parties, and it bums me out when people don’t have access to mental health care. So, as someone who’s not a scientist, tech founder, or therapist—I created Find the Words in order to contribute what I can in service of values-driven companies, communities, and cuties.

You can read more about me here, but right now, I want to talk about what we can do with that brilliant idea in your head that you’re struggling to give language to.

What our work can look like

Find the Words includes you in the development of your message. Many of my favorite scopes of work are completely unique to the client's needs. Others are streamlined, "out-of-the-box" products, including:

Copy-in-a-week

$200 for < 1000-word piece

In short: I write the damn thing for you. Let me interview you on Monday, and approve the final draft by Friday. Ideal for landing page copy, cover letter, case study, professional bio, or breakup letter.

"You end up feeling like you wrote every word when really you just added the finishing touches. Copy-in-a-week literally helps you find the words you never knew you had!" - Kel, former client

Writing coaching

$100/ session

With my support, you can develop a regular writing practice that uses your strengths to produce recurring content within your authentic brand. Ideal for launching a newsletter, blog, or case study flow.

"He really expanded my mind and got me thinking about why I want to [pursue my goals] in a way that got me more excited, and I feel more clear than ever." - Trinity, former client

First Impressions

$2500+ / website & copy

Great copy still looks crap on a crummy website. Work with me and a UX designer who can turn the bare bones of your idea into your key messaging and a cozy website—in one, integrated process.

Intrigued? Click here for more particulars.

tl;dr

You might never feel like “a writer”.

But if you’re motivated by a desire to help people, you have the privilege—and the responsibility—to play a role in developing the messages that you put out there.

With my help, I know that you can…