An evening walk at Lake Naivasha, Kenya, 2019
About Me
Rhona:
Can you tell us a little about what led you to becoming a healthcare writer?
My Self:
Sure. I’ve always seen words as the building blocks of our world. In Kenya, where I grew up, there wasn’t much around to distract my inquisitive mind from books and learning. My best friend commented that I absorbed knowledge from the air in the same way that a bee uses the 170 odor receptors on its antennae to hone in nectar supplies. I was especially interested in biology, but I knew I couldn’t work with needles and blood. Then I amazed myself with my first poem about an eagle soaring in the sky. I knew that I’d tapped into what I wanted to do with my life: use words to create reality. I worked as a journalist for consumer publications for eleven years, but I then realized that I could combine my twin passion of biology and words as a healthcare writer.
Rhona:
Who do you write for?
My Self:
I write for healthcare providers, digital health marketers and healthcare professionals who use a lot of content to connect to their target audience to sell more products and services. I’ve written about bone fillers, diabetes, cancer research, neuroplasticity of the brain, downsizing for the elderly, CPR, virgin olive oil and other issues that impact our health. My article on facial prosthetics acknowledged the struggles shared by cancer survivors, children born with congenital defects, and victims of burn and trauma. It involved tracking down and speaking to Robert Baron, a former CIA agent turned facial prosthetist, an ocularist, a surgeon and the mother of a child with a prosthetic ear. I wove together plenty of science, a little history, and some anecdotes. One of the quotes I included still resonates with me: “If you’re not helping someone, what is life?”
Rhona:
What do your clients get?
My Self:
My background as a journalist means I’m curious enough to ask the right questions and committed to thorough research. I have a knack for breaking down complex medical concepts into content that a lay audience will read till the end and I know how to inject my content with the right emotional triggers to keep your audience reading to the end. It’s a compelling combination: reliable content with a dash of emotion. That’s the kind of content that sets you apart as an expert, creates trust and ultimately converts readers from browsers into clients and buyers.
Rhona:
Is there anything more you'd like to add?
My Self:
When I’m not writing about health, medicine and research, I’m spending time with my husband and eight children. We’re all terrific hikers and have covered many miles together. You won’t find me in a shopping mall unless my daughters have dragged me there. I crave the outdoors and endless, open spaces. Being outside clears the cobwebs from my mind so that I can write content that’s clear, concise, compelling. And that converts.
One more thing… I speak 6 languages.
Rhona:
How does that help you as a healthcare writer?
My Self:
I can speak to witch doctors in Swahili.
Don’t Want Content That Leaves Your Readers Tired Baffled and Confused?
I write directly, use plain words, and engage your readers emotionally and that converts.