We were lucky to catch up with Trish Zornio recently and have shared our conversation below.

Trish, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today It’s easy to look at a business or industry as an outsider and assume it’s super profitable – but we’ve seen over and over again in our conversation with folks that most industries have factors that make profitability a challenge. What’s biggest challenge to profitability in your industry?

As a freelance journalist and writer, perhaps one of the most challenging aspects of profitability today is that people want written content for free. This includes free access to newspapers, journals, social media and magazines that ultimately reduce the scope and depth of content produced due to financial constraints.

Of course, compacting societal discussions leads to larger gaps in the conversation, and can even shift political and cultural discourse by excluding relevant perspectives. On the other hand, it makes those of us with a unique voice more able to stand out, so as always there are pros and cons.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

After working as a scientist for over 15 years at hospitals and universities, I now work remotely as a freelance journalist and science writer. This allows me to focus on the unique intersection of science, policy and communication, all of which are informed by my formal training as an academic. So whether it’s writing a weekly newspaper column, reporting on energy and pollution for local papers, or producing written or research content for businesses, I’m able to use my experience as a scientist to consult and enhance a company’s public communication of science and/or policy.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

Having amassed a notable social media following through a carefully planned strategy that I designed and implemented, my honest advice is to hire someone. Simply put, the amount of time and energy required to build and maintain a successful profile — let alone multiple media profiles — cannot be understated. Investing in a good social media strategist with experience in your industry will be well worth the money given the time and energy you save!

Have you ever had to pivot?

As someone who previously worked 80-100 hours per week in hospitals and universities, pivoting to a remote work lifestyle and better work-life balance has been a complete shift in my life with joys and challenges. On the one hand, I love the freedom and ability to choose the life I want. On the other, there’s less financial stability. Whereas with a salaried job I would get paid during vacation, now I don’t. But overall, I’m excited about the track I’m on and what I hope to build over time.

Contact Info:

• Linkedin: Trish Zornio
• Twitter: @trish_zornio

Image Credits
Holly Hursley / Heidi Howard (2&3)