We recently connected with Carrie Ashley and have shared our conversation below.

Carrie, appreciate you joining us today. Naming anything – including a business – is so hard. Right? What’s the story behind how you came up with the name of your brand?

In 2016, I unraveled my signature phrase: #WeavingTogetherWords. At the time, it was nothing earth-shattering or strategic. It was purely me marrying two things I love: the warmth and texture of handwoven textiles & words.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
A few years later, I came across these words from Eugene Schwartz:

“Copy is not written. Copy is assembled. […] You are working with a series of building blocks, you are putting the building blocks together, and then you are putting them in certain structures, you are building a little city of desire for your person to come and live in.”⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
That’s when I really recognized the depth and importance of Weaving Together Words.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
The building blocks, or fibers, I’m working with come from places like my clients’ intimate workbook responses, reviews, tagged posts from their clients/customers, and so much more. I gather them to weave together their story-filled copy tapestry in a way that’s authentic, aligned, and guides the people they serve to want to work with them. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
So, to make a long story short, that signature phrase & facing the reality of *not* prioritizing a trademark investment from the start led to the evolution of my brand name in 2021, becoming Woven Copy Studio.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Naming a business takes some serious work. See Exhibit A (it’s me 👋🏼). It didn’t come to me right away. I lived with a clunky, play-on-words name for years. But the growth and learning that came from those years led me to something that feels good. Clear. Purposeful. And meaningful. Everything has a purpose throughout the chapters of our individual stories as entrepreneurs, even if we don’t quite see it while navigating sticky situations in the moment.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

What began as a small idea to slow down and curate a more flexible career has grown into a mission to help creatives show up & tell the story of their soul-giving business – free from the nervous energy of how the words will be perceived or waiting for things to feel more “complete” (read: perfect for the public).

Growing up, expressing creativity was celebrated – whether in the form of making music (the piano, in my case), the written word, cooking, or photography.

For me, writing has always been my preferred outlet. So going from journalism school graduate to account coordinator (/stand-in copywriter & editor) at a KC ad agency obviously came as no surprise to those closest to me.

Here’s where things get slightly spicy: In 2016, my husband got deployment orders. And that’s when my “best laid” plans started unraveling. I could no longer dodge the unpredictable nature of being a military spouse. Moving every 2-3 years and enduring extended time apart doesn’t really mesh with a long-term career doing what you love.
​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
I needed to pave my own path forward – one that would allow me to reclaim ownership over my journey. That’s when I made the conscious decision to put the corporate world behind me and open Woven Copy Studio.

Being invited to serve as the copywriter of creatives’ journeys and missions on a daily basis is a real privilege.​​​​​​​​ I don’t take that responsibility lightly.

I’m most proud of the messaging work we do at Woven Copy Studio. Every website copywriting collaboration begins there — with that foundation. I often think it’s a deliverable not many outside the copywriting industry genuinely understand. But once they get this strategy handbook of more than 30 pages of messaging essentials for their brand in their hands (from the one-liner to the brand statement, content pillars, and copy catalog), they feel a sense of comfort and elevated confidence in themselves and their business. All their words and seemingly messy thoughts become more tied together — with a clear voice shining through, helping them carry their story forward beyond their website.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

For me, it’s two things:

1. Collaborating with fellow creatives (brand and web designers) to give founders the complete brand experience they deserve.
2. Helping clients find their voice again and elevating their confidence in what it is they’re doing, so that they can feel more encouraged to tell their story and own their journey.

It may be a bit cliché, but both of these aspects prove there’s more than enough room at the table for all of us creatives to do what we love while working hard to serve our people — our clients, our customers — well.

Any thoughts, advice, or strategies you can share for fostering brand loyalty?

I love this question! These days, it’s easy to reach people (and new clients) far and wide with the click of a button — through technology and social media. And it’s even easier to fall into a cycle of onboarding a client, working with them, delivering the final invoice, then sending them on their way with their deliverables. Before you even have time to process (let alone take a beat), you’re onto the next one.

But the loyalist in me (enneagram 6) wants my clients to feel cared for, valued, and supported well beyond our “work time” together. After all, they traded a serious amount of vulnerability and money for creatively optimized messaging and website copy. The best way I know how to do that is by expressing my business love language: gifts. In years past, I’ve sent clients gift cards, plants, or even a gifting service’s curated boxes. Towards the end of 2022, I was ready for something much more custom and aligned to my client experience.

For the online experience: about a week after a collaboration comes to a close, I send a short and sweet experience survey, giving them the space to leave feedback, post a review to Google (SEO win!), and share any ideas or needs for future copy and content. More often than not, they have a goal to collaborate again!

And for the offline experience? I package up a branded box of client goods (thanks to Grace at Marrow Design) – from a Woven Copy tone-on-tone embroidered sweatshirt to a private label candle poured up by a former client, now dear friend (Ashley of Olive + Pine Candle Co.); along with a printed version of their ~30-page messaging handbook and a handwritten note on a Woven Copy postcard. I find my clients in my DMs weeks and months later talking about how they’re “living in the sweatshirt” or “burning through the candle basically every day.” It’s so fun to hear from them in that way!

Do some projects feel focused solely on the service and end with the final invoice? Yes. It happens. But I encourage you to make an effort to carry a relationship forward – whether that’s simply by commenting on / liking your clients’ social posts or opening up the dialogue for ways to support them through another partnership. They won’t forget it. Trust me. They’ll tell their favorite people about it. And as a result, you just might cultivate a relationship that lasts WELL beyond the collaboration (my favorite) *and* invite new projects.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://wovencopystudio.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wovencopystudio/

Image Credits
Chelsea Hall – http://chelsea-hall.com