How Founder Blythe Alpern Turned a Childhood Dream Into a Copywriting Career

Meet Blythe Alpern, the Founder, copywriter, and podcaster at Wordwoman Creative. Harnessing more than two decades of experience creating content and concepts for brands like Coca-Cola, Lancôme, and Jaguar, Blythe now focuses on supporting indie beauty and lifestyle brands.

Inspired by her father, who nicknamed her “Wordwoman” for her way with words, she brought her childhood dream into a reality in 2021 by founding Wordwoman Creative. The pandemic and personal loss prompted her to create a space where her passion for storytelling and love of indie brands could thrive. With a commitment to integrity, authenticity, and strategic creativity, Blythe has made it her mission to support small business owners as they navigate the beauty and lifestyle markets.

In our conversation, Blythe shared the story behind Wordwoman Creative’s founding, the lessons she’s learned since starting a company, and what she would tell her younger self if she could start her journey again.

Tell us the story behind your company’s founding. How and why did you start working on Wordwoman Creative? 

When I was 17, I dreamed of having my own ad agency. I even wrote it down as my job goal in my senior memory book. This was way before I really knew what being a copywriter entailed, but it was still a dream I held onto throughout my ad agency career. While it took me several decades to finally make it a reality, I officially started Wordwoman Creative in 2021. I was inspired to do so after losing my parents and going through the pandemic. I even named my company after what my dad used to call me—“Wordwoman”—when he needed writing help. It feels so satisfying to both fulfill my 17-year-old self’s dream and help beauty and lifestyle brands stand out in a crowded space with copy that increases sales and builds awareness.

Have you ever felt like you’re “different”? If yes, in what ways has this contributed to your journey as an entrepreneur? 

I’ve always felt different, or at least that I see the world differently. It was something I grappled with growing up because of how my fellow classmates treated me. I didn’t realize that seeing the world differently was my superpower. It’s what makes me creative and uniquely qualified to be a copywriter. It also keeps me going when the journey of being an entrepreneur feels lonely and hard. I’m not afraid to pivot because I know there is always a solution to be found. I also love that being a copywriter and entrepreneur lets me leverage my unique perspective to push my business forward and help my clients.

What were the most difficult and most impactful lessons you’ve learned since starting and running a company? 

As an introvert and a people pleaser, I hate conflict. So I’m not always the best at speaking up, even though I have opinions, ideas, and solutions that might solve the issue at hand. However, during my agency days, I learned that staying quiet won’t get you where you want to go. Yes, your work can speak for itself, but if you want opportunities to do more great work, you have to let your voice be heard. I use the same approach in my business. I’m not afraid to speak up or share my hot takes on trends happening in advertising as well as in the beauty or lifestyle space. I’m completely comfortable knowing I may not be for everyone, which is fine by me because if you try to speak to everyone, you end up speaking to no one.

How do you celebrate successes along the way? 

By buying a really expensive pair of shoes. Just kidding—kind of. The first thing I usually do when I have a success to celebrate is share it with my brother and sister. They are my biggest cheering squad, especially since my parents are no longer with us, though I know they are also still cheering me on. Sometimes, I will also share those successes with my network, but, honestly, just my friends and family knowing is enough. I also try to bottle up that feeling of success and save it as a reminder when the challenges of being an entrepreneur hit hard. This reflection helps keep me motivated during long and challenging days or weeks, especially when I question my purpose.

What is your approach to incorporating social or environmental impact as part of Wordwoman Creative’s culture and mission? 

At one point during my career, I worked in pharma advertising. One of my first accounts was Purdue Pharma. While I questioned some things we were told, I had no idea what was really happening behind the scenes or how much misinformation they were feeding their ad agencies. Because of this experience, I knew that when I had my own business, I would only work with ethical, mission-driven brands that put integrity first. I don’t want to contribute to any pseudoscience, fear-mongering, or misinformation being put out into the world. Truth in advertising is important to me, and I’ve made it my mission to hold brands accountable for the messaging they use to build awareness and drive sales.

"Truth in advertising is important to me, and I’ve made it my mission to hold brands accountable for the messaging they use to build awareness and drive sales."

What would you tell your younger self if you were to start your entrepreneurial journey all over again? 

I would tell her to listen to her intuition over anyone else’s thoughts or opinions. It will save you from a lot of unnecessary struggle and frustration, especially as a woman in advertising. As for being an entrepreneur, I would say start asking questions before you dive in. Learn from other people’s mistakes and challenges because it will help you on your own journey. This might seem contradictory to following your instincts, but I do think learning from others who have been where you are can guide your intuition to make better decisions.

How would you describe the journey you’ve had in a few sentences? Would you do it all over again? 

I would describe my journey as interesting, challenging, and exciting. While I don’t always love the unexpected turns or the hard lessons I’ve learned, I would absolutely start Wordwoman Creative again. I’m so grateful I was finally able to make my dream come true, even if it took a few decades.