Bear with me here, guys.
I’m a former educator turned advertising copywriter/sometimes creative director turned small business owner who’s constantly looking for opportunities to do work that’s creative, lucrative, and meaningful. I’m a classic #7 on the Enneagram, which means I’m both doomed and blessed with an insatiable hunger to learn new things, develop new skills, and work myself crazy.
But always at the center of this is finding ways to help other people better their communications, their businesses, their yards, and themselves. I really love telling stories and helping folks find the best way to tell theirs. (Also, I’m a glutton for punishment and really enjoy tedious copy and line editing.) Shoot me an email or give me a call sometime.
RUSSELL.HEHN@GMAIL.COM
RESUME
Work
Owner/Operator (January 2018-Present)
Red’s Electric Lawn Care, Birmingham, Alabama
Red’s is Birmingham’s first and only lawn care company that uses quieter, cleaner, battery-powered equipment exclusively. I run Red’s from branding to billing, managing all communications and providing affordable lawn service for individual and commercial clients.
Senior Writer (August 2016-May 2019)
FRED Communication & Design. Birmingham, Alabama
Interviewing business leaders and stakeholders to determine company priorities. Developing brand messaging across media. Working alongside designers and developers to conceive and coordinate printed and web communications. Video and photography creative direction.
Clients: The Mike Slive Foundation, Red Mountain Park, The Farmers Market at Pepper Place, Nequette Architecture & Design, Daniel Communities, Alabama Power
Junior Copywriter (January 2015-July 2015)
Lewis Communications. Birmingham, Alabama
Conceptualizing marketing campaigns and brand redesigns. Researching market trends, audience demographics, and scholarly reports to establish successful brand communications. Implementing communication strategies.
Clients: The Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama, the Joseph S. Bruno Auburn Abroad in Italy Program, the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Seasick Records
Instructor of English and Communication Arts (August 2009-December 2014)
Samford University, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Southern Miss
Working with students from a wide range of skill levels to craft thoughtful, engaging essays and presentations. Understanding the tenets and conveying the importance of classical rhetoric. Keeping abreast of contemporary journalism and trends in creative writing. Meeting impossible deadlines as dictated by wonderfully eager undergraduates.
Education
Clemson University (2007-2009)
Master of Arts in English Literature, Concentration in Creative Writing
University of Southern Mississippi (2005-2007)
Bachelor of Arts in English Literature, Minor in Women’s Studies
Jones County Junior College (2003-2005)
Associate’s of Arts, Journalism
Publications and Extracurriculars
- WBHM Junior Board, 2019
- Script Consultant and Poster Design, Beth and the Blob, Sad Alpaca Productions, 2018
- Desert Island Supply Company Volunteer
- Communications and branding volunteer consultant with Scalawag Magazine
- Reader/Performer at Magic City Storytellers, June 2018, Zen and the Art of Lawn Maintenance
- Script Consultant with Sad Alpaca Productions, Los Angeles, CA, for Beth and the Blob
- Co-Organizer and Host of NGMC, a monthly writer’s series (2014-Present)
- “Max Rykov is Moderately Likable,” essay in BMetro Magazine (January 2016)
- “The Witch Goddess of Colder Climes,” fiction, Museum of Americana (Summer 2014)
- Gull, self-published children’s book (Winter 2013)
- “Introducing ‘Adjunct Heroes,’” interview at Inside Higher Ed (March 2012)