Linda Davis
Owner
Written Word Strategies
IABC Member since 1994
IABC-LA member Linda Davis brings a distinctive blend of curiosity and technical expertise to her writing. Her consulting practice, Written Word Strategies, provides a variety of services, including communication planning, publication management, writing, and editing. Linda’s book reviews and articles have been published in magazines such as Westways, TravelSmart, and IABC’s Communication World. Read on to find out more about Linda’s creative and inquisitive qualities.
Birthplace
Annapolis, Maryland
Current residence
Culver City, California
Favorite quote
“Good communication is as stimulating as black coffee, and just as hard to sleep after.”
—Anne Morrow Lindbergh
Three words that best describe me
Curious. Creative. Organized.
When I’m not working, you can find me…
Attending symphony concerts and singing with the Pasadena Master Chorale, spending time with family, and reading.
I sing first alto. Although I haven’t been involved in chorale communications, I did press releases for a women’s chorus I used to sing with. When I ran an announcement in local papers that we were looking for new members, our membership increased about 25 percent. I also wrote an oral history of that group. You should also know this about me: I love the beach. And I collect California pottery from the 30s and 40s.
Why pottery?
I’ve always loved history, especially the history of places where I live. (Maryland, Colorado, and now California.) I got interested in California pottery because of the design of a teapot I bought in a thrift shop. I have mostly dinnerware that was made in Los Angeles in the 30s and 40s. Learning about what was going on in Los Angeles when that pottery was made has given me insight into the city’s history. I’ve written a couple of articles for collecting magazines about the pottery of that era.
MY LIFE IN COMMUNICATIONS
The biggest communications challenge I have faced in my current role…
Writing and editing newsletters about IT services at JPL was a challenge because the audience included all employees, even the rocket scientists. It was difficult to strike the balance between being technical enough without “dumbing down” the information.
My favorite communications memory is…
When working in marketing communications for a pharmaceutical company, I didn’t think an employee in communications could receive an outstanding achievement award. But as a member of the team responsible for producing the annual report in-house, I helped save the company thousands of dollars and received an award from the CEO. I was pleasantly surprised!
The most important communications or professional lesson I’ve learned is…
Nothing really happens without communication. That sounds pretty obvious, but when you think about it, improvements can be made in almost any area by taking a look at what’s being communicated and whether or not the right message is getting to the right audience.
Resources that I really find useful and recommend to other communicators are…
IABC is one of the best resources for communications professionals. The networking opportunities, the excellent publications, the online tools – they have all been a tremendous help to me in my career.
OH, HOW FAR I’VE COME
Linda’s communications experience has been wide ranging in the aerospace, IT, nonprofit, and medical fields. She earned her master’s degree in communication management from USC’s Annenberg School for Communication while working full-time as a communication professional, an experience that gave her a unique perspective on theory and practice.
Experience
2007 – Present
Owner
Written Word Strategies
2006 – 2007
Senior Writer/Editor
Raytheon
1997 – 2005
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Technical Communicator/Editor
1995 – 1996
Westridge School
Publications Director
This profile was edited by IABC-LA member and volunteer Cheryl Farrell.