Hello, ewe
this is where I bleat on about myself for a bit
All this "i" stuff is a bit weird
That disembodied voice you’re reading? Let’s put a name to it.
I’m Joe – founder of Bellwether Writing and freelance copywriter for fintechs worldwide.
My first step into entrepreneurialism was making chocolate from a spare room in Wales.
I loved it and never had the cash to grow it beyond covering its expenses. The next step up from bedroom bars cost something like £50k. Cheers to that little venture.
Marketing was my favourite part of the business, frankly, and so I turned all my attention to copywriting. Doing my best to make the English Lit degree worthwhile.
I worked for a green tech company, an international charity and a content marketing agency before going freelance in 2020. A rather dull year, so I figured I’d add some excitement to it.
All of which is to say: I’ve built businesses, I’ve made mistakes, I’ve known good and bad ways of working. You can trust me to come in and get stuff done.
What's in a name?
bellwether
/ˈbɛlˌwɛðə/
noun
the leading sheep of a flock, with a bell on its neck.
something that leads or indicates a trend.
It’s a nod to my rural roots.
It’s a nod to the innovation going in fintech and finance.
It’s a nod to the kind of work I do and the position it puts you in.
Give me a nod if you get it.
Who did the decorating here?
It does look rather nice, you’re right. Thanks for noticing.
It’s down to a few people.
The website
I built the website. I get quite into it and it’s a great way to be creative that isn’t (purely) writing.
The reason it actually works and looks good is because I asked Tom from brand new notebook to give the site a proper MOT before I set it live. He has as much expertise as I do amateur enthusiasm, thankfully.
The illustration
The logo and illustrative work is all thanks to the inimitable Lauren Marina.
Her work is so good and so heartfelt; a silly sheep for a silly copywriting business almost feels like a waste of her talents.
Luckily for me, she agreed to work on this project and I am so grateful she did.
The font
The font used for headings and the wordmark is Tom Gordon‘s Gasoline. Isn’t it sick? Makes me feel like I should be in a metal band or a motorcycle club.
A little rock ‘n’ roll in a regulated industry never harmed anyone, right?
Memberships and affiliations
I support and am supported by some fantastic people and organisations. A little more on them below.
With Jack
Ashley at With Jack is my insurance broker.
Plotting out my policies and weighing up providers isn’t my favourite way to spend time. So, I ask Ashley to help me with it.
Service with a smile, plus incredibly quick and clear communication. What more could you ask for?
If you end up using Ashley’s services, tell her I sent you. I think I get a free book out of it.
The DMU
The single greatest source of freelance and business knowledge I know.
With the Digital Marketing Union, I’d have half the success and twice the stress.
It’s a welcoming space filled with brilliant digital marketing folks. We ask and answer complex questions, we gather for weekly talks, we post a lot of nonsense and fun stuff, too.
Tell Dan I sent you and I get a little kickback.
The FSB
One of the first things I did after incorporating Bellwether Writing Ltd was join the Federation of Small Businesses.
We have power in numbers. The FSB represents me and business owners like me on far bigger stages than I would ever be invited to.
I also get useful contract and other legal templates, tax investigation insurance, and a bunch of other benefits.
A call costs nothing
Want to invest in writing for your fintech?
Bellwether is open for business.