Paul J. Welsh
My friends who are skilled in Search Engine Optimization (SEO) tell me that you want at least 125 words on each page of your website. That’s counter to my belief that people don’t like to read today, but I must bow to the power of Google. So feel free to read about me here in this SEO-sensitive version.
Or visit my profile on LinkedIn.com for the “Cliff Notes” equivalent. As Sgt. Joe Friday would say, “Just the facts, ma’am.”
College
I always did better in English than any other subject in grade school and high school so I went on to study Journalism at the University of Missouri. I thought I’d be a sports reporter. But after interviewing high school football coaches about their upcoming seasons I switched to the advertising sequence. I couldn’t see myself going through life having high school football coaches tell me they have “a young team.” Let’s hope so. I mean, they’re high school coaches.
Career Choice
I wanted to be an advertising copywriter when graduated. But being the first in my family to graduate from college I didn’t really know how to go about getting a job. My only choices were selling advertising for The Kansas City Star or selling ads and writing for trade publications at Vance Publishing. Vance paid $200 more a year than The Star so of course I chose it. It was a good choice. I was proud of my front page bylined national article about growing potatoes on the Delmarva Peninsula. Even more beneficial, I learned how things get sold. I discovered how to listen to the customer. Hear objections face to face. That became a major benefit to me when I finally got an agency copywriter job.
Agency Copywriter
My first agency copywriter job was with Brewer Advertising, one of Young & Rubicam’s national agencies. With good writing skills and the experience of knowing what it takes to sell something, my copywriting career flourished. Y&R’s excellence in advertising strategy was well known and they shared that knowledge with us. I’ve tapped into that knowledge everywhere since. The result was many clients blew away their sales forecasts. Plus I won dozens of national and international awards, a sign that other creative people like my work. It also showed the link between sales-generating advertising and award-winning advertising.
Bigger Picture
After Y&R and a stint with Valentine Radford Advertising, I co-founded NKH&W (now Nicholson Kovac) with three partners. We started with no business, having chosen not to steal business from our employers like most start-ups (it’s a thin line between ethics and stupidity and we walked it). We became one of Kansas City’s five largest agencies in our first ten years, and were thankful that we had taken the high road. Starting a business from scratch really gives you a “big picture” view.
I sold my stock to my partners in 1994 and expanded my view even further as a director of marketing for a publishing company. Then I headed up Creative, Direct Marketing, Media, Research & Analytics and Public Relations for Kansas City’s 8th largest ad agency. A lay off returned me to my writing roots.
Writing Again
All I do is writing. All kinds! That includes sales letters, brochures, editorial, print ads, broadcast ads, internet/electronic messaging, and more. Usually for people who want to sell something. My background is rich in a lot of industries as you know if you’ve reviewed my portfolio.
Trial Close
I still like the idea of meeting deadlines and being easy to work with. My clients like that too. Give me a try. I’d love to help you achieve great things.
Disclaimer
The choice of an advertising copywriter is an important decision and should not be decided solely by what some attorney thinks.
