Nick Iandolo
Marketing Communications Writer for the 21st Century Digital Age
Biography
The first aspect of my writing career that I like to talk about is my education—specifically my training as a writer. I was classically trained from grade school through college in English language, literature, and writing skills. In high school, I studied Latin and dramaturgy. At UMass Amherst I studied everything from Shakespeare, The History of the English Language, linguistics, the great British and American writers, creative writing, social and political writing, philosophy, and literary criticism.
I did all of this without the benefit of the Internet. In other words, I learned through books and countless hours of study and writing!
I like to say that writing is not a service (like dry cleaning for instance) but a profession. The years a writer puts into their craft, the enormous financial expense in training and higher education, the amount of words both written and read daily, the intensity of research on any writing project, and the amount of dedication to the art and profession makes a writer far more valuable than what a lot of corporate entities perceive.
Not everyone can write, write well, write fast, and write with style and diversity. And as you’ll see from these pages, being a modern-day professional writer involves far more than just being able to put words on a digital page. A marketing and communications writer needs to employ other skills such as: image processing, desktop publishing, branding and logo design, web content creation and management, Search Engine Marketing and Optimization, digital media production, video editing, cloud-based data and resources management, online media streaming, content management systems (i.e. CMS, like WordPress), marketing automation systems (i.e. MAS, like Marketo), social media marketing (from Twitter to Facebook, and more), and web-based languages such as HTML/PHP/XML/CSS.
Yes, the modern-day professional writer has been called upon to be so much more than a simple Wordsmith. They must be a literally a Digital Swiss Army Knife that can ply their extremely diligent and pithy words into extensible digital online media in so many unique and unexpected ways.
I am such a writer!
I have worked for many online digitally-related organizations that have helped to hone my other skills over the years.
One of the first was Thunder House Online Marketing Communications (TH). The name itself implies a whole host of digital marketing, which includes writing and working with a lot of other online digital media. With them not only did I get the opportunity to do some great writing but that’s where I began to learn about Adobe Photoshop and web-based languages such as HTML. I also learned a heck-of-a-lot about technology, computer platforms, and web-based services providing tech support for my brothers and sisters there. I loved TH! All of us who worked there did. We were more than a just a bunch of colleagues, we were family! That place was the truest testament of the ideals of what dot-coms really were before the bust. Very rarely have I come across an organization that even came remotely close to what it was like to work for TH. Sadly, I was the very last person to leave there—being the one who turned off the company’s lights for the last time.
However, I am still friends with several of my TH colleagues all these years later.
And, it was because of the merger of Thunder House and Hill Holliday Interactive to become Zentropy Partners that I met my future wife Sue!
After Thunder House I spent several years working with an great group of people in a post dot-com digital consultancy association called VelocityDomain Network Solutions (see the Branding & Logos page for more about that organization). As you’ll see below, while at VelocityDomain, I got to work with a host of great clients including R. M. Productions, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, and Harvard Business School.
Eventually, VelocityDomain split up and I found a fine new opportunity with Viisage/L-1 Identity Solutions. I got to write some amazing pieces for them including strategic messaging guides, product descriptions, case studies, data-sheets, and contract-winning proposals. I was also part of a program that implemented new digital data resource management tools such as Privia Platform and Google’s cloud-based products such as Picasa.
Unfortunately, after a few mergers and acquisitions most of my L-1 colleagues (including myself) had to seek out new opportunities.
That’s when I took the time to be an entrepreneur again with my biggest role as Stay-at-home-Dad!
Sue’s and my child was born shortly after the L-1 layoffs and what would have been a downer was actually a true blessing in disguise! I got an opportunity to be with my newborn for far, far, far longer than what most working dads get: a paltry two weeks paternity leave!
During that truly inspirational time in my life I also embarked on writing screenplays and pitching them to Hollywood Executives in California, writing books and pitching them to Literary Agents in New York City, and host of short stories and lots of blogs. I wrote travel blog articles for Beantown Socialite, blog posts on lots of forums (from writing to politics), and my own personal blog at TenthSphere.com.
I also taught both screenwriting and traditional writing classes at local film industry groups and adult education schools.
Finally, I also created a wealth of marketing materials to promote the screenplays and books, everything from: one-sheets, banners, post-cards, bookmarks, pitch-books, print ads, custom graphics, to flyers, and more!
Then along came Satcon Technology Corp., and I was ready to get back to work. This was a great company that had a dot-com feel to it. Plus, I really loved the fact that it operated in the sustainability market building solar power inverters to incorporate clean energy into the national grid. My supervisor at Satcon immediately recognized my writing abilities and had me working on everything from proposals, press releases, data-sheets, conference marketing collateral, to research projects and more. And I used a fair amount of digital media tools and including CMS and MAS. Plus, I stood in for the Director of PR who was on maternity leave at the time.
When Satcon unfortunately went under, I found myself switching gears working for Dedham Television and Media Engagement Center. And as the name implies, there was a ton of media that I produced, managed, and distributed. I was responsible for virtually every form of digital communications both into and out of the organization. I wore many hats there from Director of Social Media, Director of Public Relations, Senior Marketing Writer, Senior Marketing and Communications Manager, to Producer of Special Broadcasts. The amount of work that I did there, and the wealth of digital online tools that I used, takes up almost an entire website to showcase: which is this website!
As you will see from these pages, there is a ton of content that I created for Dedham Television from websites, marketing collateral, public relations media, copywriting pieces, custom graphics, branding & logos, print ads, to video production, and even acting/hosting.
But like all good things, my time at Dedham TV came to an end when they ran out of money to keep me on. But the silver lining from all of that is the wealth of new skills and experience that I now have to offer a new organization.
I also would like to my note that the reason why this portfolio is jam-packed with written content not only about the pieces showcased here but also lots and lots of stories behind these pieces and my overall experiences as a writer, is that I have encountered my pitfalls throughout my writing career; pitfalls, caveats, and downright scams that I hope my fellow writers will avoid. The lessons learned, and detailed here, is intended to help those fledgling aspiring professional writers to not get taken advantage of—like I was. One of the most important lessons comes from acclaimed author, the late great Harlan Ellison. He says very plainly (in a video you can watch on my Journalism page), “Pay the writer!”
More lessons to follow throughout this portfolio…
One of my last clients was a Silicon Valley startup that needed a product launch announcement on Medium.com. I had to distill a copious amount of technical information from several white papers and online resources into a succinct 500+ word post. They actually had gone through several writers until they found me. And I delivered exactly what they were looking for!
You can read the whole story about that project on my Technical Writing page.
That’s what I do!
I am a professional marketing and communications writer that can do just about anything you need!
I am currently on the market for a new and exciting permanent opportunity with a progressive organization utilizing all of my digital writing skills.
I invite you to peruse these pages and see all of the multi-dimensional benefits that I can bring to your organization.
I bring the: 21st Century Digital Writing!
I look forward to working with you!
Best regards,
Nick
Professional Career
Note: A properly formatted 1-page version of my resume can be viewed or downloaded here. My resume has evolved quite a bit over-the-years, which is why I am now using this simplified version. I’ve only gone back about 11 years on the current distributable resume but below you will find roles that I’ve had that go back even further.
Headline
I am a seasoned, experienced, and professional marketing and communications writer—with a focus on the digital media space. I can meet all of your copywriting, messaging, promotional, PR, SEO, editorial, web- content management, print collateral, lite image processing, proofreading, and advertising campaign needs.
Experience
Digital Copywriter at SeaChange International, 2018 – 2018
Developing and creating new messaging and rebranding content across the various digital channels (online, mobile, and interactive). Working with CMS, MAS, Adobe Creative Suite, and OTT/IPTV/VOD/TSTV marketing.
Marketing and Communications Writer at Creativedge – Innovative Marketing Solutions, 2014 – Present
Creating a wealth of written Mar/Comm digital content and copywriting for clients such as Blockchain Programmatic Corporation, NutriSavings, Make Tech Easier, Sandra Gilpatrick – Wealth Consultant, and more.
Senior Marketing and Communications Manager at Dedham Television and Media Engagement Center, 2013 – 2016
Managed and produced all digital communications, websites, marketing campaigns, print advertising, events, copywriting, and public relations media. Produced, directed, shot, and edited various broadcast programs.
SEO Analyst at MIT Sloan Management Review, 2012 – 2013
Provided comprehensive SEO analyses and restructuring, using innovative strategies (such as word clouds), for the publication’s archival preservation project.
Blogger, Author, Screenwriter, Writing Consultant, and Stay-at-Home Dad at TenthSphere.com, 2009 – 2010
Marketing Communications Writer at L-1 Identity Solutions (Viisage Technologies), 2007 – 2008
Produced product marketing collateral and new business proposals to market facial recognition software and document authentication hardware products.
Marketing Communications Writer at VelocityDomain Network Solutions, 2003 – 2006
Provided comprehensive marketing and communications writing for clients with services including: marketing collateral, website content, direct mail pieces, proposals, research projects, graphic design support, white papers, interactive educational materials, project management, event coordination, print and media advertising, metrics testing, ecommerce support, press releases, and technical writing.
Corporate Clients: Irma S. Mann Strategic Marketing (ISM), R.M. Productions, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Neshamkin French Architects, BC International Corporation, John Hancock Financial Services, Harvard Business School.
Product Marketing Specialist at B. Dalton, 2002 – 2002
Provided marketing content and promotional materials for booksellers.
Communications Associate/Tech Support at Thunder House Online Marketing Communications, 1997 – 2001
Worked with the account managers and marketing team to produce written and digital media content for clients. Corporate Clients: Smith Barney, Olympus Worldwide, UPS, Fleet Bank, State Street Bank, Marshalls.
Managed the Y2K Mitigation and Report Project, and drafted comprehensive annual Technology Infrastructure Budget Proposals.
Also provided desktop, server, web-services, and network technical software and hardware support for multiple platforms: Macintosh/OSes, PC/Windows, Silicon Graphics/IRIX, Sun Microsystems/SunSparc, and PC/Linux).
Note: Visit my LinkedIn profile here (or click the link on the webpage footer) for even more professional career background information on me.
View or download my Candidate Profile One-Sheet here.
Interests
Fitness Enthusiast — Dedicated to following Mark Lauren’s You Are Your Own Gym (bodyweight training) and EFX (Elite Functional Exercise – postural/yoga/plyometrics) programs, Strongman Training (i.e. Battle Rope and Tire Slamming workouts) and Kickboxing training, and Traditional Yoga Practice.
I am currently developing a new fitness blog to help fans get into physical shape for cosplaying (e.g. superheroes, anime characters, game characters, etc.) at comic cons—learn more about that on my Everything Else! page.
Author & Screenwriter — I penned various Science-Fiction & Fantasy novellas and short-stories, and non-fiction books. Some of which were independently published in both digital and print formats, pitched to Literary Agents in New York City, and promoted at San Diego Comic-Con. I wrote both feature film and television format screenplays/teleplays. Some of which were produced and/or pitched to Hollywood Executives.
Marketing materials for the above can be found on the Marketing Communications page and Copywriting page.
I am currently working on a new children’s space science adventure series that I am looking to get traditionally published.
Publisher — One of my other long-term enterprises is to run a small press for new genre sci-fi, fantasy, and supernatural authors. I am looking for crowdfunding investments to help finance this endeavor. The small press is called TenthSphere Collections. One of my goals is to publish a sci-fi/fantasy/supernatural anthology series, called Space Brain, and sell it at comic cons such as Boston Comic Con. I hope to promote a limited number of print books and ebooks from such authors at comic cons as well.