ABOUT SHANTU ELLIS
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What I believe
I believe in quality content. I believe that clear and concise communication is immeasurably valuable. I believe in the phrase “content is king.” Content—in all of its forms—is your complete story, delivered in strategic and digestible bites. My job is to be responsive and ever-evolving when strategizing content and communications. Who I am I’m a private contractor who provides content strategy and consulting services for small businesses, nonprofit organizations, and creative professionals. I pride myself on delivering a well-rounded and inclusive approach to content management. I do my best to follow plain language best practices and I believe that clarity and transparency are vital to effective communication. What I'm doing For my current clients, I am a consultant, writer, social media manager, and strategist. I develop communication strategies based on my clients' needs, and provide support through every step of the communications process — from ideation to creation, publishing, and analytics. I volunteer with ADVANCE Music Canada, a registered nonprofit that supports, mentors, and guides Black professionals in the Canadian music industry. I co-facilitate support group meetings for Adoptees Connect YEG, a registered nonprofit that provides resources and community for adoptees. I also host The Purple Room, a community radio show on CJSR-FM 88.5 in Edmonton, which features soulful music by Black musicians. My business is Black-owned and operated, and I support the continuing civil rights movement, social equality, and adoptee rights to information and autonomy. I'm eager to share my experience with you. Key career points
Select career and contract roles
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My Background
In a nutshell ... In 1992, I volunteered as a co-host and DJ on a Saturday night radio show on CJSR FM 88.5 in Edmonton. This experience led to opportunities to work in nightclubs, recording studios, and on tours with creative professionals of all kinds. Obviously I met some very expressive people and through my interactions with them, I discovered the value of creative thought, and of environments that encourage expression. I began working as a music journalist with a number of local publications, eventually writing columns for Vue Weekly and SEE Magazine which often spotlighted musicians and topics relevant to local music, arts, and culture. I graduated from the Journalism & Mass Communications program at MacEwan in 2003, where I was also the managing editor of the campus newspaper’s entertainment section. My journalism work led to marketing and promotions roles with Virgin EMI and Universal Music Canada, where I planned and organized marketing campaigns. I primarily worked on music and movie releases, designed ads, and wrote marketing copy for city transit, retail locations, and print and online advertising. In 2006, I studied nonprofit business management at Mount Royal College in Calgary and entered the nonprofit sector shortly after. I began taking private courses in web content, independent publishing, and creative writing, and transferred my passion for writing to internal and external communications roles. From 2009-2011, I was a Managing Editor at Investopedia ULC, where I managed a roster of 50 international writers, contributed to story idea generation meetings, and managed the website’s online dictionary of financial terms. I also wrote and edited financial education articles that were published on Forbes.com, MSN Money, and YAHOO! Finance. From 2011-2016, I worked in marketing and communications with the Alberta Motor Association, a subdivision of CAA/AAA. There, I managed the digital content team, wrote content to acquire and retain members, and facilitated content priorities during organizational restructuring and website redesign. Between 2019 and 2020, I worked in the marketing department at Sequiter Inc, a software-as-a-service company that manages legal support service websites. There, I transitioned from a marketing coordinator to a managing editor, collaborated with existing writers, and hired and trained additional writers to meet the organization's growing need for quality content. During the COVID-19 pandemic, my services became remote only, in order to focus on my two daughters’ education and my family's well-being. In 2023 I returned to the workforce as communications coordinator for the Stollery Children's Hospital Foundation. Today, I regularly collaborate with professional graphic designers, videographers, musicians, producers, animators, UX experts, back- and front-end developers, and writers. Much of my experience is backed by years of valuable teamwork and collaboration. |