Smart Dog Copy Officially Launches
Smart Dog Copy officially launches, and welcome to the pack!
I’m Carol Bryant. Over the past 15 years, I created a career in the pet industry. During my rise to success, I’ve worked as a copywriter, journalist, pet blogger, public relations director, social media manager, editorial director, and marketing manager.
I’ve wanted to be a writer since I could hold a pencil in my tiny hand, but life throws curve balls. To avoid those curve balls, you learn to duck or move just in time so you don’t get hit. Then there are years when you get hit so hard that recovery takes a while.
“You should write a memoir,” my wife reminds me.
I will. It’s on my ‘life to-do list.’
Everyone should have one next to the real-time bucket list for their pets. Don’t wait until an illness or pandemic hits to start living.
I digress. I progress, too.
My Writing Roots
Raised by not-so-supportive parents who had their own ideas of success, I sought refuge in the library, roller skating, and dogs.
The library took me places I wanted to go while having to stay put.
“Are you really going to read eight books in two weeks, Carol,” the librarian asked as she slid my library card through the machine.
Two weeks later, I’d be back at the library for my next round of Judy Blume, Encyclopedia Brown, and dog books.
When not reading, I took to my diary to share childhood events and to rewrite the descriptions on the back of board games.
Candy Land, Sorry, Monopoly, and Risk got a copy overhaul in my 8, 9, and 10-year-old hands.
I was a blogger and copywriter long before computers came along.
“Business, writing, computers, and Christmas time” is listed as the four things I enjoy under my high school senior yearbook photo.
Still true.
Bumps and Triumphs
Is your life smooth from point A to point B, with everything you ever dreamed of presenting itself along the way?
Me either.
I found love and dogs, but I longed for my dream career.
Not believing in myself and lacking a family support system, I worked as an employee for many years. I am a committer, so whatever job I took, I stayed for a long while.
My career path has one commonality: I wrote in some capacity for everything I was paid to do.
Medical writer? Check
Marketing Specialist? Check.
PR Director? Check.
Social media manager? Check.
Copywriter and content marketer? Check.
With the encouragement and support of a loving spouse, I returned to college as an adult, graduating Summa Cum Laude with three degrees, including a B.A. in English.
There’s that writing thing again.
I continued working, writing, and helping companies achieve their goals while ignoring my own.
Three degrees later, still working as an employee, I finally found a company I connected with on every level.
Pet Influencing Makes Its Mark
In 2010, my wife and Cocker Spaniel, Dexter, attended a pet-friendly conference dealing with the business of pet blogging.
This is before Instagram, TikTok, influencer agencies, and large-scale pet expos.
I inserted myself into each yearly conference and reminded the founders what a valuable asset I could be to their team.
I began working for them as the PR/Marketing/Social Media Manager in April 2012. I did everything from helping to sell out conferences to attracting press and media to writing press releases and blogs and executing strategies for social and traditional growth.
Working on campaigns for big-name brands gave me hands-on experience and also presented eye-opening experiences. I encountered so much copy that missed the mark; I wanted to do something about it.
I have worked with dozens and dozens of pet, animal health, and lifestyle brands for years.
Did you ever think, “I could do that so much better” or “If I could write about that product, here’s what I’d say?”
That’s me. All. The. Time.
After several years and ten conferences, the company didn’t have the funding to continue, so it transferred to corporate hands. Most staff jobs were cut, including mine.
I recall telling my wife, “It’s time I plant roots of my own.”
The World Stops
I became the President of the Dog Writer’s Association of America (DWAA). I helped sell out their yearly awards event for the first time in years while increasing membership by 100 percent.
At the final in-person DWAA event in February 2020, there was a buzz about some virus and how it could kill people.
A few weeks later, COVID stopped the world.
A year or so later, our beloved Dexter succumbed to hemangiosarcoma, a sudden and unexpected nightmare.
Uncertain of my future and filled with knots, I had to snap out of my deepest fears during the confines of lockdown.
In the silence and comfort of home, I took courses, enrolled in advanced teachings, taught my dog to dance (true story), and thought about those brands with poor copy.
I picked up my ‘life to-do list’ and added ‘Smart Dog Copy’ on it.
Smart Dog Copy Is Born
Smart Dog Copy is the culmination of a lifelong love of writing, helping brands fulfill goals through words, and understanding sales psychology.
I help pet, animal health, and lifestyle brands achieve copy and content marketing success using well-trained words that work.
My own dog blog, Fidose of Reality is successful, and I know how to help niche businesses grow their own blog.
Competition is fierce in these niche markets. As a fellow niche small business owner, I completely get it.
I never had a role model in business, so I decided to become one.
One of my favorite recent ‘a-ha’ moments is when a well-known pet brand contacted me to redo their corporate Tone and Brand guide. The Marketing Director shared their newly created guide with me. I asked why they would need me if they already had the work done by a five-figure marketing agency.
“Carol, they missed the mark, and we love your work,” she shared.
Dreams do come true.
I own my success and the path paved with bumps and roadblocks to get here.
We should talk if you are involved in the pet, animal health, or lifestyle space. Your copy and content marketing needs deserve to be in the care of a specialist.
Understanding the unique needs of your business and the challenges it faces is instrumental to your success.
How can I help?
