Sage U Fireside Chat: Kelley Newman

Sage is an organization filled with outstanding communications professionals who bring a diverse background of experience and expertise. We leverage this depth of knowledge through our Sage U program, an all-learn, all-teach model, to assist our team’s continued growth.

Our latest Sage U Fireside Chat Q&A series features Kelley Newman, Director, Content Development at Sage Communications, who discusses her unique background, the lessons she’s learned, and how she became the content guru she is today.

Q&A highlights:

Tell us about the early years of your career.

I started wanting to work publicity in the music industry. My first job out of college was a promotions assistant with DC101. Later, I accepted a marketing position at Clear Channel Communications doing marketing and media relations for the concert venues they owned. I was front and center, and behind the scenes, for all these music performances I was passionate about in my personal life.

My goal was to move to L.A. to work as a music publicist. I did make the move, but instead of landing a position in music, I accepted an opportunity at Universal Television Group in the publicity department for USA Network. I never expected to work in television, but I truly loved working there. It was then that I realized it wasn’t just because of music that I loved working in PR and communications, it was because I loved PR and communications.

I later went to work for a boutique PR firm. One of the most notable aspects of that job was that my boss and I had the privilege of being Shonda Rhimes’ publicist around the time Grey’s Anatomy was becoming a sensation. I learned a key lesson about writing from her during that time. She would often say, “to be a better writer, consume more of other people’s writing than you write yourself.” That wisdom has stayed with me, and it’s shaped my own advice to others: Pay attention to other people’s writing, in all forms. Whether it’s a commercial voiceover, a news article, or a speech—be mindful of all the ways you consume others’ written content and learn from it—whether it’s good or bad.

Can you tell us about what you love about your job here at Sage?

It’s impossible not to learn something new about the topics you’re working on. That’s the great thing about working at Sage. I know a little bit about a lot of things, and I owe that to the variety of clients we serve.

It’s clear that [writing] is a labor of love for you. Tell us about that.

I relish the challenge of having this vast universe of words in the English lexicon. And having to choose just the right subset and permutation to convey an idea in just the right way—in as few words as possible. To me, it’s like a puzzle to be solved. It must also have the right rhythm to it. So, there’s a certain satisfaction for me in successfully balancing all those dimensions.

What process or approach do you generally follow when you take on a writing project?

I start by gathering as much information as I can about the client, audience and project to develop this gestalt understanding of the situation. When I’m given background materials, I create my own document and summarize the material for myself. I find the act of writing something down aids absorption and understanding. Then, just like in journalism, I try to define the who, what, when, where, and why. I try to put myself in the position of the audience. I think writing from a position of empathy is important.

Who are some of your favorite writers?

As a kid, my first favorite writer was Roald Dahl. I love how he invented words like “scrumdiddlyumptious.” Also, he wasn’t afraid to get dark, even when telling stories to children. There’s something very unapologetic and unpatronizing about that.

I also loved Stephen King because he had this way of describing something in intense detail, in a way that would have never occurred to me to describe it, yet made perfect sense when I read it.

Another is Rod Serling, the creator and principal writer of the 1960s Twilight Zone TV series. He gives a short opening and closing monologue at the beginning and end of each episode. They were always crisp and compelling. I admire his nice diversity of words, his rhythm, and his excellent word economy.

What are your methods to get beyond writer’s block?

I think a marriage of structure and freedom allows you to be the most creative. For me, writer’s block happens when I don’t have the space to ideate. Something else I learned from Shonda Rhimes is that it’s okay to start ideating and walk away for a while. Give yourself permission to switch gears. When you give yourself mental space, that’s often when the best ideas suddenly come to you.

Do you have advice for rising communicators?

In general, and this goes for any career, you’re not pigeonholed. What you’re doing at one point in your communications career may lead you to discover something else that you love—in the communications realm, or elsewhere. You learn things about yourself as you go, and you take something away from every job.

Kelley Newman is the content development director at Sage Communications.