The following are mock samples of thought leadership posts created to demonstrate approach based on best practices.
Inspired by my work on pediatric nutrition CRM campaigns.
Have you ever cried while working on a brand project? I did—writing a “Welcome to Parenthood” booklet for Similac.
On the surface, it was a product brochure. But for parents, it was so much more. They don’t just want information about baby formula—they want reassurance. They want to feel seen.
I worked with a brand manager and nutrition science lead, both moms, and together we remembered those early days of parenthood: the exhaustion, the messy shirts, the moments of doubt. We knew parents needed more than facts about immune-supporting ingredients. They needed honesty. Empathy. A reminder that it’s okay if nothing feels like you imagined, and that you’re not alone.
That project taught me something I carry into every campaign: in healthcare copywriting, empathy is the secret ingredient. The challenge is doing it within FDA, PAAB, and Health Canada’s guardrails. For me, the answer is nuance—balancing compliance with connection, phrase by phrase.
Because in healthcare, creativity isn’t about breaking rules—it’s about finding humanity inside them.
What’s been your biggest challenge balancing creativity and compliance?
Inspired by my work on healthcare Instagram campaigns.
One of my favorite social media ideas never made it out of the brainstorm.
Our small in-house agency team (just me and a designer) had been asked to create quarterly social posts for one of our brands. We were new hires, full of creative energy, and we pitched an idea we loved: a playful nod to Game of Thrones.Picture the product “dressed” as Jon Snow with the line: Winter is Coming. A fun way to connect winter to cold-and-flu season.
The team loved it—until we discovered a rule we hadn’t known: products can’t wear clothes or be personified. An affiliate elsewhere had pushed that boundary, and corporate set a global restriction. Our Jon Snow idea was dead in the water.
At first, it felt like a disappointment. But it taught me an important lesson: in large, highly regulated organizations, there are always going to be rules that go far higher than you can reach. The job isn’t to fight them—it’s to find creative ways within them.
That moment was a reality check, but also a shift in mindset. I stopped seeing compliance as a blocker, and started seeing it as the frame that forces true creativity.
Because in healthcare copywriting, your best ideas aren’t the ones that break the rules—they’re the ones that shine inside them.
What’s a time you had to reframe your creativity around new constraints?
Inspired by my work on healthcare Facebook campaigns.
Our most successful Facebook post almost didn’t happen.
We even considered pulling it from the lineup because it felt too simple. Just a serene nature visual and a short, calming message. Nothing flashy. Nothing “viral.”
But that post outperformed everything else. The audience loved the simplicity. It resonated more than the highly produced content we had invested so much time in.
That moment taught me something I’ve carried into every campaign since: you never really know what’s going to click with your audience until you try it.
The key is experimentation. Test. Learn. Iterate. And don’t underestimate the power of simplicity. Sometimes the quietest ideas are the ones that speak the loudest.
What’s the simplest piece of content you’ve created that surprised you by taking off?