Leo Lawrence

Copywriting // Brand Strategy

Most brands have confusing and boring messages.

I write clear and compelling narratives for brands that set them apart from their competition.

Portfolio

Hillersden Wines

“Long story short… wine shouldn’t be complicated”

I was brought on for a project with Hillersden Wine in New Zealand to help expand their wine sales in the US. They wanted to create a brand around their entry level wine that was approachable. We took that word ‘approachable’ on the nose and created a wine called, “Long Story Short”.

I contributed to the naming, crafted the website content, and composed the back label copy for this wine. Its success with distributors stemmed from its appeal to wine shops and restaurants seeking a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc that is both approachable and easy to understand.

  • Long story short…

    …wine shouldn’t be complicated.

    The world’s told you that wine is complicated and there are rules to follow - so you end up playing it safe and drinking the same old stuff.

    Our opinion? Forget the rules.

    While our family’s farm has won awards and obsesses over the details that go into crafting the world-class flavor in this bottle - none of that matters because wine shouldn’t be complicated. A great wine is simply the one that tastes delicious and gathers the people you care about together for good times.

    So, whether you’re planning a candlelit dinner, a bonfire with your mates, or an evening in with Netflix - drink this wine and make your everyday occasions special.

    Cheers,

    Hillersden Family

Be Bright Coffee

Coffee Made Simple

Writing out of cafes throughout LA, I have made many friends in the coffee industry. One of them, Frank La, approached me in need of branding for his startup coffee company Be Bright.

We came up with “Coffee Made Simple” as his mantra, and it’s helped him in building a successful online store and opening up his first physical location.

I created the brand narrative, wrote the website, and wrote the copy for the coffee bags and packaging boxes.

I love what Frank has done with Be Bright and something exciting recently is he just won the the 2024 US Barista Championship!

  • COFFEE SHOULD BE EASY

    Don’t drink coffee you’re not in love with ever again…

    Get matched to the perfect coffee just for you, shipped straight to your door.

    [Shop All Coffees]

    ———

    COFFEE MADE SIMPLE

    We know what it feels like to not get the coffee you want. It could feel overwhelming, not knowing where to start in your coffee journey. So, after a decade in the coffee industry and tasting over hundreds and hundreds of coffees, we’ve discovered 4 distinct taste categories and made it simple to remember.

    ———

    WHEN DID CHOOSING COFFEE BECOME SO CONFUSING?

    All the nonsense coffee language, the decision fatigue when you have to choose between 50 different roasts, and ending up with coffee that just doesn’t taste like you want it to. Not getting the exact coffee you want can make you feel frustrated.

    You deserve the coffee you love without the hassle of guessing which coffee is best for you and getting a bag that’s just…“Meh, it’s okay.”

    [Find Your Coffee Fit]

The Perfect Step

Helping People With Paralysis

I’ve had the privilege to be a part of a team working with The Perfect Step.

The Perfect Step is a cutting-edge paralysis recovery center. They help people with paralysis “Think Outside Of The Chair”.

Since working with The Perfect Step they have more than quadrupled the size of their primary gym and are beginning to franchise to other locations.

I helped them with website copy and brand strategy.

  • IF PHYSICAL THERAPY ISN’T PUSHING YOUR LIMITS, THEN IT'S NOT DOING ENOUGH.

    Whether you are recently paralyzed, going to therapy and dissatisfied with the results, or have stopped going to therapy altogether, The Perfect Step will help you get healthy and push the limits of what is possible for you...

    We know you want to live a healthy life - but it’s an understatement to say that living life in a wheelchair makes keeping your body physically healthy difficult. Living with paralysis also makes keeping your head in the game difficult too - it’s far too easy to sit at home and let depression creep in while it seems like the rest of the world goes on its merry way.

    Unfortunately, most clinics will offer you therapy consisting of basic activities where the goal is maintenance - not challenging your body and pushing its limits. Worse, most clinics leave the aspect of your mental game entirely out of the picture. It’s not surprising that the results from the status quo of therapy are unimpressive.

    The Perfect Step is different. Our world-renowned facility offers exercise-based treatment for those living with paralysis - meaning while the others teach you how to get comfy in your wheelchair, we’ll get you out of the chair and in action. We treat hundreds of clients every year and have trainers with tens-of-thousands of hours of experience to show for it. Our approach puts individuals who have paralysis in a better position to succeed and regain self-identity, self-confidence, and independence through intense training. Furthermore, when you train at The Perfect Step, you join a community of people who are done making excuses and are ready to live lives of purpose.

    If you want to live a more independent life, reduce your chance of ending up back in the hospital from secondary conditions, and build friendships with people who get it, schedule a tour today so you can see what life is like at The Perfect Step for yourself.

Iron & Kin Coffee

A Cafe For Ritual & Connection

My close friend runs a cafe that I love, and I was honored when he hired me to write their brand messaging.

This was the elevator pitch we came up with for the brand: These days it’s hard to find a place for slow mornings, a place for connection, and a place to enjoy a great cup of coffee. Iron & Kin is a place for ritual, a place for breathing deeply, a place for getting back to yourself, and a coffee shop where you can feel connected to others—to kin.

Read the full brand message below:

  • At Iron & Kin, we believe that everyone deserves great coffee and a sacred spot to enjoy it in.

    These days it’s hard to find a place for slow mornings, a place for connection, and a place to enjoy a great cup of coffee. Iron & Kin is a place for ritual, a place for breathing deeply, a place for getting back to yourself, and a coffee shop where you can feel connected to others—to kin.

    We understand what it’s like walking into a coffee shop where you can tell the baristas just don’t care to be there and you get a cup of coffee that’s not made with love. It feels all transactional. We’ve experienced it too many times.

    We’ve grown from a pop-up coffee cart to two pop-up carts, to a pop-up store, and now to our spot in the Claremont Packing House. The entire time we made great coffee a priority but connecting with our customers and our community has always been even more important.

    Here’s what we strive to do for our customers on the daily from 7-4:

    1. We take care of the little details

    The smell of palo santo, the carefully placed plants, the warm interactions with your barista. We are intentional about every detail, the way our cafe smells, the way our bar is set up, what chairs we buy. We want to always create a safe place, a comfortable place, a place you know and are known. A nook, a reading spot, a writing spot, a place where you can just flat out enjoy a latte.

    2. We make a consistently amazing cup of coffee.

    We’ve been roasting our own coffee from the start. We seek to highlight the coffee’s natural sweetness and acidity in all our roasts. The best thing about coming to our cafe is that our team of baristas is bought in, they care about your cup. Yes, yours specifically. Come through.

    3. We treat everyone like we want to be treated at a cafe.

    We know what it’s like to walk into a coffee shop and just feel ignored. We want to create a place where people are seen. A place where strangers become friends—kin.

    So, come visit the shop, open daily, 7-5. Or have us cater your wedding! And in the meantime check out our Affirmation Latte menu—every drink is made with in-house ingredients. Stop feeling out of place while you get an average cup of coffee and instead get the coffee you dreamt of last night in a place that might just turn your day around.

Thrilled Therapist Co.

Therapist Marketing, Branding, And Coaching

I founded a startup.

Thrilled Therapist is my passion project. It’s a one-man marketing and branding agency for therapists. I’m privileged to be able to help people who are helping people. I work with up to three therapists a month helping them build a private practice that is Sustainable & Profitable.

I do this through creating a clear brand message for all my therapists and then applying that throughout their marketing, their website, email campaigns, and social media.

  • We don’t just care about private practices—we care about you.

    At Thrilled Therapist, we know that you want to be a life-changing therapist who has time for their own self-care. In order to do that you need a private practice that makes you enough money and gives you flexibility with your time and schedule. The problem is working at the mercy of insurance, a group practice, or an online therapy platform kills the rate you make per session. The only way to earn more is to work more hours - and you're feeling tired enough already. We believe you shouldn't have to sacrifice your health and well-being to help your clients with theirs.

    We understand how hard it can be to know what to do next when there are so many options - should you pay for SEO, run Facebook Ads, or maybe start an online program? The options are overwhelming. This is exactly why we created Thrilled Therapist. We implement and teach a process that has helped therapists, counselors, and psychologists around the country go from making $50-$75 per session to $125-$200+ per session.

    If you want to build a sustainable and profitable private practice, apply for one of our programs today.

    Stop struggling to find enough clients and making too little per session. Start building a private practice that gives you more freedom with your time and finances today - apply today.

Apex Imaging Services

National Construction Tech Company

Apex is a construction and tech company that works with some of America’s biggest brands such as Starbucks, Chipotle, Chick-Fil-A, Arco, and 7-11.

I had the honor of writing copy for Apex for over 4 years. During this time I wrote various landing pages for new products or services. I also wrote extensive email campaigns that generated millions of dollars in new revenue.

I also helped with yearly brand strategy and messaging.

  • Your brand is too important to let neglected stores hurt your customer’s experience.

    Restaurants & retail stores all across North America are in decay because the current way of managing and improving a large portfolio of stores is clunky and old-fashioned. Without innovating this process, even the largest nationwide brands will wither away.

    We’re revolutionizing the commercial multi-site remodel industry at Apex by developing bleeding-edge tech and blending it with our army of skilled tradespeople. Now any store improvement can be rolled out nationwide, faster than your competitors.

    No store left behind.

Ryan Forsell Therapy

Therapist Coach

Ryan wanted to reposition himself as a coach for other therapists and also develop a more professional site for his personal brand.

I conducted a messaging interview to get to the core of what his brand is about. Then I wrote a new bio and redesigned his site.

  • Hello—my name is Ryan.

    I’m a therapist by trade, and an existential philosopher by practice. I help people find meaning and purpose in the uncertainties of everyday life.

    In addition to mentoring other therapists and working with dads, I write a monthly newsletter on story and meaning making — “Cultivating Mythic Imagination.” I also run a private pay group practice called PRAXIS, and take on a select few of my own therapy clients.

    If you are interested in working with me, contact me here.

    Warmly,

    Ryan Forsell, M.A., LMFT

In an old box in my attic, I found a note from when I was eight years old. It was a list of things I wanted to be when I grew up. On the front, in illegible handwriting, the list looked like this: Soccer Player, Policeman, Builder, Runner, Fireman. On the back was only one thing: Writer. Since then, I’ve dedicated myself to writing every day, I’ve filled over 200 journals that are now stacked like an art heist in my room.

Since 2017, I’ve been helping brands clarify their message, and use the right words to grow. I was professionally trained and certified through StoryBrand and then apprenticed under an incredibly talented copywriter for three years. To date, my pen and ink have been hired by pharmacies in North Carolina, New Zealand wineries, numerous Los Angeles cafés, national construction companies, therapists, an international university, paralysis recovery centers, and up-and-coming artists.

Cheers,

Leo Lawrence

My Method

Right now your marketing message is too complex and boring.

I simplify what you do.

Then I create a compelling story for your brand that cuts through the noise.

How Does It Work?

The reason we pay attention in a good movie is the same reason we pay attention to a good marketing message. A compelling story.

I use the seven main points of a story that a Hollywood director would use but I apply it to a narrative around your brand. I position your customer as the hero of the story, and you as the guide. I then use that narrative for the rest of your marketing message.

I Apply Your Brand Story To The Rest of Your Marketing

If you want to cut through the noise, story-based marketing is the most powerful marketing that you can use. Here are some of the products that I’m writing every week for different clients:

  • Brand Guidelines

  • UX Copywriting

  • Video Scripts

  • Paid Advertisements

  • Sales Decks

  • Full Brand-Strategy

  • Landing Pages

  • About Us Pages

  • Origin Stories

  • Slogans & Taglines

  • Messaging Work

  • Full-Websites

I’m Writing Like A Madman

Well, it’s controlled chaos (like a fire line). I keep everything streamlined, ensuring all my projects are turned around within seven business days and revisions addressed within two. Here’s how I do it:

STEP 1: THE MEET-AND-GREET

First things first, we chat. You spill the beans on your needs, and I spill the tea on how much it'll cost you. Then we barter. Once we’re both smiling, and I win the staring contest, we lock in a time for a deep-dive call. In this hour long call, I’ll get under the hood of your brand, poking around better than any shrink ever could.

STEP 2: CAVE TIME

Here's where you let me be. For one whole week, I become a hermit—me, my desk, and the voices in my head (strictly the creative ones). I’m off-limits, crafting words as if they’re spells, ensuring they're potent enough to bewitch your audience.

The deal? No calls, no pings, no last-minute "just one little things!"

STEP 3: THE BIG
REVEAL

It’s showtime baby! We hop on a call, and I unveil the masterpiece with the pomp of a rockstar’s encore performance.

Now it's your turn to huddle up with your team of creatives and brainstorm any adjustments. Unless I'm battling a massive hangover or signing a post-apocalyptic coming-of-age novel book deal, you’ll see the refined version of our project in your inbox faster than you can say “rewrite”.