Tell us your name and a little about yourself.
I am Wendi Weiner, an attorney-turned-entrepreneur who found her passion in writing and helping others craft powerful personal brands through telling their career and professional stories.
I practiced for 12 years and served as a college writing professor for 7 years, prior to focusing on being a writer full-time. My legal background includes working in big law, mid-size firms, and in-house for a Fortune 200 company. I hold 4 resume writing and career coaching certifications, and I am the country’s only Nationally Certified Resume Writer (NCRW) who is also an attorney. I have been featured in more than 50 major media outlets and have received more than 10 honors and awards in personal branding, writing, and content strategy. I am the founder of The Writing Guru®, which has served thousands of clients in more than 30 industries, 40 states, and multiple countries in Europe, South America, and India.
What exactly does your company do?
I build brands for attorneys, business leaders, and top-caliber executives who are searching for a new leadership role or seeking to leverage their business presence online. Through social media and your online presence, you have an infinite ability to build a network of connectivity, leverage high-impact content, and become a thought leader for a career in transition. I teach the top-tier executives in their industries (law, finance, business, marketing, IT, and sales) how to unleash their digital presence. I also provide paid content writing and content strategy services for publications like Inc. Magazine, as well as businesses, law firms, and other corporate entities to help leverage their thought leadership, online web presence, and social media.
My skill is in getting to know my clients, discovering their unique value proposition, and leveraging those items to create a personal brand that effectively markets them in the digital age. I am known for creating powerful LinkedIn profiles, resumes, cover letters, and other branding content. What separates me apart from others is my educational background as an attorney (who had a focus in appellate and legal writing) and true talent for expressive writing. I have a massive writing portfolio with large media features. I’ve written articles that have gone viral in major outlets and have had a resounding impact with the legal community, particularly attorneys who are dissatisfied with their career path.
What were the biggest challenges you have faced and how did you overcome them?
The biggest challenge for me was accepting the fact that being a lawyer was not what I loved doing even though I was very talented at it. My own career as an attorney was filled with a lot of roadblocks and obstacles. I was always changing jobs because I was never happy. The common denominator was that law was not for me.
When I first stepped foot into professional writing and career branding, I realized that it was my true passion and destiny. I have a true love for helping others, particularly in helping them to brand themselves for a career that fulfills them.
However, telling others that I was “leaving the law” came with a lot of negativity and naysayers. I had to put those words and statements aside, and really focus on what I wanted for myself, not what others expected of me or hoped for me.
My professional success has been formulated in large part by my educational background. The struggle is in the time parameters since I am a one-woman show. I work long hours for my business. However, it never feels like work because I love what I do.
What piece of advice do you wish someone had given you at the start of your career?
Focus on what you are really good at and what you love doing, and that’s how you build a career you love. In practicing law, I only had one piece of that puzzle, and that is why I didn’t have a career I loved. I truly believe that people can have a career they love, but they have to be true to themselves.
Who are your biggest influences and people you admire and why?
My grandparents and my parents are my biggest influences. My grandfather was a self-made entrepreneur in the jewelry world. As a young child, he took me with him to various merchants and clients, and I always watched closely as he built large and profitable relationships. He taught me a lot about the way you build a business and network. My dad was also an entrepreneur before he was an educational leader. He instilled in me a strong work ethic and impressed a great amount of business wisdom in me. Whenever I have a business dilemma, he is my rock. My mom has been instrumental in my life and career because she taught me how to read and write at the age of 3. It is because of my mom’s discovery of my talent in writing is why I am where I am today. My family collectively spoke of my passion in writing throughout my childhood and adult years.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are?
My grandparents and parents as mentioned above. My business name, The Writing Guru®, was actually born out of a nickname my parents gave to me many years ago for always being the go-to person for writing.
What do you see as your greatest success in life?
Running and finishing the NYC marathon (it changed my life and allowed me to believe that I can do anything), leaving the practice of law after 12 years and building a multi-six-figure solo writing business, and getting featured and published in more than 50+ media outlets (including being paid to write for Inc. Magazine).
Contact Information
Website: www.writingguru.net
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/thewritingguru
Twitter: https://twitter.com/writing_guru
Facebook www.facebook.com/thewritingguru
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewritingguru/
