My Ultimate Goal...

My ultimate goal when working with clients and customers is for all to have that exact same feeling and satisfaction that Jonty Yamisha, CEO of The Kabardian Group and OptiLingo, had after the 2nd project we'd done together. (That's his quote at the top of the page, by the way.)

(As the case study shows (you can download that here), it transformed his business.)

Again, that's what I strive for.

A few years back, I helped Nick Miller and Blue Water Shell, his Australian Pearl Diving company. Nick was having some documentation issues with the HSE so phoned me to help.

"Russ is a consummate professional and has assisted me in completing an Occupational Health and Safety system that was not only accepted by the regulators, but recommended to other companies by the regulator as an example of good practice. It doesn’t get better than that!”

Going back even further, I helped Brendon with ISO documentation for his construction industry company, CASSA:

"It was great to work with Russ and will definitely be working with him again. Very knowledgeable, and during the job he taught me a thing or 3! Exceptional eye to detail. Very skilled with Microsoft Word and Adobe which was used on the project. Exceptional literacy skills. Very Knowledgeable and experienced in regards to Quality Management and structure. Assisted in guiding the project to completion, and suggested pivotal improvements. 10 out of 10 - Very impressed."

As someone who's been involved in Quality Assurance and Quality Control, Brendon later hired me as a QA Manager:

"Yet again Russ has delivered exceptional work and assisted in the development of valuable procedures and documents for the company. His insight and knowledge has been invaluable in assisting our company to move forward. He is highly regarded within our organisation and we have no hesitation in recommending his services. Thanks again Russ."

More recently, with several whitepapers I wrote for Microsoft (including one for The Freelance Toolkit, Microsoft's joint venture with Upwork: its working title was Freelance In A Box, as shown below).

Matt Mottola, Microsoft's project manager, said:

"Russ is incredible!!!!!! A true professional & expert who went above and beyond for us. Thank you Russ!!"

Again, that's what I want all my clients and customers to experience and feel - that is my goal. That is, also, what I can bring to your business.

We're both professionals and we both know that 'this' doesn't happen overnight, either. It took a lot of pain and hard work.

There's an idiom that says, "As one door closes, another opens."

Kind of...

...mine was more like a trapdoor.

How I became a Technical Copywriter

"I fell into it." is the surprising answer.

(Not literally, of course but the fall was the catalyst.)

Before I continue, here are some images of my work history and experience - the real me, so to speak. They'll help orientate you, help get an understanding of who I am, and help shape the rest of this page.

(If you'd rather skip it, no worries, I won't be offended. My story continues below.)

After a bad accident on the rigs, and those days now over, I was forced to retrain.

Back to studying, it was the City & Guilds 236 in Electrical Installation course. Then 'T102 - Living with technology', an Open University Foundation Course.

I used Microsoft Word throughout (as slow as the whole process was).

From Word Novice to Word Expert

In 1997, it was back into oil and gas. Writing operation manuals for that 'old' industry.

Fortunately, they wanted someone who knew how to use Word... I knew the basics.

It was there that I learned how to use Word properly. Fortunately, for me, there was a guy there who was a genius with it, and who was more than happy to field my questions.

Let's just say, after several thousand hours (or so), I got there. ;)

As Steve Pinckney of Conceptia (and many others) will verify:

"I've worked with many consultants in my career (both on Upwork and in real life.) I've found that good consultants provide you with the requested deliverable on time and on budget while keeping you informed on progress. Great consultants on the other hand also do this, but teach you something in the process...

Working with Russ answers once and for all, "what's the difference between working with a professional/specialist vs an amateur/generalist?""

MCSE Qualified

The next step was the Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer qualification (MCSE).

The Internet was just taking off in the UK and it was the right time. January 2000 saw me setting up my freelancer desk at a little company called Infobank. There I was writing their custom-built ecommerce software, documenting their requirements specs, use cases, and other docs.

"By far the most skilled contractor with respect to his mastery of Microsoft Word.

I also believe his is one of the most understated profiles as well. My experience with Mr. Crowley far exceeded my expectations. Many freelancers claim to be able to assist with a client's problem but he not only quickly addresses the issue but also ensures you understand why and how he applied the solution. I will be coming back to him again in the future with more tasks."

Timothy, from Innovatory Consulting gets the real 'me':

Following Infobank, it was into London and to CDC Capital Partners. Then to Vizzavi, Barclays, etc.

Two decades on, it's only gone from strength to strength. For both parties.

"Russ incredible as always. Controls the engagement. Exceeds expectations. Always a home run with Russ.

(Matt Mottola, Microsoft, Project Manager")

Along the way, I've done some sailing, diving, and travelled extensively (over 100 countries). I've then turned this into something beneficial for my clients. For example:

• Writing, editing, and creating training material for a Maritime Analysis (Tool) SaaS company (Debrief), as well as editing and UI/UX design for a yacht marketplace (BoatIM).

• Helping Nick and his Pearl Diving company get the HSE off of their backs (pearl diving is NOT recreational scuba diving - I can assure you. With over 320 recreational dives under my belt (deepest depth on air was 60m), pearl diving and being dragged behind the back of a boat is most definitely not for me!).

• And writing about various cybersecurity disciplines, such as Advertising Operations (AdOps), Application Security (AppSec), Identity and Access Management (IAM), and Open Source Intelligence (OSINT).

This not only shows my ability and flexibility, but also the breadth of my knowledge and my willingness to take on, absorb, and learn new skills.

As an example, thrown in at the deep-end on a floundering project and 'hitting the surf swimming' (there's a story there in itself!), Steve Goldsby, President of Integrated Computer Solutions, said:

"Russ is a highly competent expert in technical editing and copywriting. Russ was able to work as a seamless extension to our business analysis and software development team to craft and update detailed design documents and analysis documents.

His experience and expertise improved not only the documents but also our team's skills and capabilities by showing us new and improved ways of crafting and editing documents... I and our entire team, wholehearted endorse Russ and his excellent work. We will definitely engage him again in the future. Thanks."

Having been working extensively online since 2011, I look forward to helping you and your organization.

If you feel that your organization could also benefit from the help of a skilled, passionate, and professional writer, then contact me (I've turned many a project around!).

Click here to book a 15-minute call.

If you're still on the fence, then let me end with what Simon Collins, Managing Partner of Visory wrote after I helped him on a short project. This, along with Jonty's quote at the top, is what you can expect:

"Russ is an exceptional contractor in all regards. Clearly exceptionally skilled, professional, prompt, and an exceptional communicator.

Do yourself a favour and skip the rest on the list. Russ is your guy."

I very much look forward to hearing from you.

Russ