The curious content marketer who cares ✨ Partnering with purpose-led small businesses, startups, and entrepreneurs to connect through storytelling and collaboration.

My ability to spot a good story is what landed me my first job in journalism. But it was my decade of profiling startups, small businesses, nonprofits and some of San Francisco’s most influential people that taught me how to tell one. 

A move into marketing and another decade dabbling in the creator economy—first with a food blog, then a motherhood magazine—taught me how to use those stories to build communities through content and collaborations.  

Now my mission is to help purpose-driven people and brands build loyal audiences who don't just want what you offer, but love what you stand for.  

Founders and business owners come to me when they need a strategic storyteller and networked creator. 

The results?

1. A clear brand narrative.
2. A simple, sustainable plan and process for consistently sharing that narrative through content across all channels. 
3. A bank of differentiated ideas pulled from stories and experiences to use everywhere. 
4. A shorter sales cycle. 
5. A community of collaborators.
6. An overall less time-consuming (and more enjoyable) way to do content marketing. 

In short: I help you figure out what you need to say and where you need to say it to develop your brand, find a community of collaborators, and connect with the right people.

Because with so much noise and competition, we all need a reason to care—we need to feel a connection. 

If you can do that, not only will you stand out, you will find exactly where you fit in. 

Ready to get started?

Renee Lynn Frojo ✨

I have proof that this is the best (and fastest) way to stand out on LinkedIn. 

First, take a look at all the top accounts. People like:
Justin Welsh
Neil Patel
Lara Acosta

Study them closely. 

Read their advice. Note their content style, structure, and talking points. Create templates from their hooks. 

And then?

Do the complete opposite.



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Now that I (hopefully) have your attention, I'd like you to know that enrollment for the February cohort of my Short-Form Storytelling for Brand Building workshop is now OPEN. 

In 4 weeks, you'll learn how to not just capture attention, but deeply resonate with your target audience and unlock a world of opportunities online, in-person, and anywhere you want to build trust.

Renee Lynn Frojo

They tell you to tell your story. I show you how. | Brand storytelling, strategy, and training to help you get heard or hired. | Ask about my Short-Form Storytelling Workshop for your community or organization.

If the first week of January is any indicator of how the rest of this year is gonna go, then 2026 is shaping up to be a doozy.

On a globals stage, the leader of the free world just kidnapped another country's president for oil.

More locally, a perfect storm created by the moon’s proximity to the Earth, a rising tide and nonstop winter rains released a monsoon of unprecedented flooding in several cities in and around San Francisco, forcing evacuations of dozens of families—including my very own kids who were supposed to be at their dad's house through the weekend.

So instead of a quiet, focused first day back at work I'm playing the role of host and refugee shelter for my ex-husband, his 120-pound Swiss Bernese Mountain dog, and our two kids while grapling with how the world order is about to change.

While there's nothing quite like starting a fresh new year with exciting news and unexpected events, I'm focusing my attention on the light and opportunity in it all.

Bunking with my ex—which benefits my kids above all else—didn't seem possible to me when we were going through our breakup seven years ago.

Lots of things that are reshaping our relationships with each other and the world  as we know it didn't seem possible seven years ago. A lot has changed. 

And while change is scary and confusing, it's coming for us whether we're ready for it or not. Actually, it's here. We're in it. And I can already sense how it's changing people from what seems like a more grounded place.

Something big has shifted in all of us. I can't articulate it just yet, but I think many of us are tired of moving fast, playing the game and ready to rewrite the rules from a greater sense of self awareness. 

I still think it's going to be a doozy. But a good one.

If you write a newsletter, you know you’re doing it right when the same issue gets both the most replies you’ve ever received and the most unsubscribes. 

That’s what happened with the last issue of A Good Reputation. 

I spoke to my people and shed the rest.

...And I’m only just a little bitter about it.

I keep meeting smart, thoughtful, experienced people who want more visibility to grow their business, and yet everything in them resists hitting publish.

And it’s usually because they're:

-Out of practice with writing
-Afraid of being judged, misunderstood, or taken out of context
-Spent years doing great work quietly and behind the scenes for someone else
-Don’t want to sound like everyone else on the internet
-Unsure what they can share (especially with client confidentiality)

These solos, founders and job seekers know visibility matters, but they just don’t know how to make it feel safe or sustainable.

So they comment instead of posting, and draft all this content that never sees the light of day.

If this is you, I see you. You’re telling yourself you’ll get to it eventually. 

But the longer you wait, the longer it takes to build the type of visibility that creates real inbound opportunities—from clients and customers coming directly to you to job offers you get to vet.

This is exactly who my February storytelling for brand building cohort is for.

Over four weeks, we focus on:
-Finding your unique point of view 
-Writing in a way that sounds like you
-Building confidence through practice, feedback, and support
-Leaving every session with something you can actually publish

This is not a content creation program. It’s a small, intimate space to learn storytelling for short form.

We focus on how resonance works, how specificity helps others feel seen, and why being understood is what actually builds trust.

The doors close in 5 days. Learn more and apply here: https://lnkd.in/gv6sVEK5

In the meantime, I’m going to bully all of my friends into commenting on this post so that it gets some reach.

Want to be funnier and faster on your feet? Me too, my friend. Me too.

Not only does being funny make you more likable and relatable, it also helps release the pressure valve during unstable, chaotic times. (Yes, like the one we’re very much living in.)

So that’s why I decided to kick off my community speaker series with an Improv Masterclass taught by the one and only Amanda Austin. And boy, did she deliver.

In an hour(ish), Amanda gave us the upshot on what it takes to be funny. She led us through a handful of unpredictable, ridiculous games to get over ourselves and unlock a buttload of new ideas for turning our personal experiences into story drafts.

One thing I took away is that all humor comes down to surprise. We laugh because:

1. We can see ourselves in you or the thing, or
2. We can’t relate at all, and what you just told us is totally absurd or novel.

Either way, the element of surprise is the mechanism for the funnies. 

So, if you want to be funnier, start by trying these 3 things:

1. Become a better listener and observer so that you can notice that surprising thing that sticks out (known as the “bright, shiny object” in improv), and build on it.
2. Say “yes and” to all of your dumb ideas. Good, funny ideas start with a lot of imperfect volume. 
3. Let go of your ego and trust the process. Related to number 2, we are our biggest blockers to great ideas. Just start writing that draft without getting attached to where it’s going.

The most profound takeaway for me was that instead of trying to “be funny,” you simply need to be more observant and honest.

It’s the same thing that makes you a better storyteller. 

Funny how that works, ey?



-------------------

If you’re looking for an extremely fun and practical workshop for your community, I highly recommend you GO HIRE Amanda RIGHT NOW. (Sorry to yell.)

And if you want to become a better storyteller and learn from a diverse range of speakers like this, you can join my next group in Short-Form Storytelling for Brand Building. 

Next month, we’re hearing from the CIA’s former head of content (!!!) on how to tell stories about top secret or sensitive stuff. It's going to be fascinating. Enrollment for the February cohort closes in 6 days.

Did the Bay Area just survive a real-life Sharknado?

Last weekend, a perfect storm created by the moon’s proximity to the Earth, a rising tide, and nonstop winter rains released a monsoon of unprecedented flooding in several cities in and around San Francisco, forcing evacuations of dozens of families that live on a lagoon.

As drone footage of the flooding circulated on the internet and group chats, so did this image of a spotted leopard shark swimming around the high school parking lot. 

Possible, I guess, since the lagoon backs into the bay.

Some people (myself included) immediately questioned whether the image was generated by AI, while others jumped in to defend the plausibility of a shark in the neighborhood.

While some obsessively dug to find the truth and set the record straight, others didn’t bother to fact-check or care—they just loved the story.

And that's how the story spread. 

Either because it made for fun dinner conversation or justified a feeling that the world is, in fact, coming to an end.

This is the moment we’re all navigating. It's a moment where we have to trust our instincts and intuition more than our eyes.

Ultimately, where we get our information, how we shape our belief system, and how we build our worldview come down to whom we choose to align with and trust.

So, as brands, business leaders, and creators, how do we get anyone to trust us?

A few ideas in this week's issue of A Good Reputation Newsletter.

Now, you tell me: Real or not?

Fractional Head of Content Marketing / Expert content strategy, precise editorial planning, and top-notch writing / Specializing in the language services industry

I build no-BS B2B content programs that finally do what they’re supposed to: drive growth.

Most B2Bs are already doing content — sort of.

You’ve got a few blogs, some social posts, maybe a newsletter if someone remembers to hit send.

But the truth is that it’s random, chaotic, and not actually working.

That’s where I come in.

I help B2Bs get their content program out of neutral and into full gear — usually by fixing what’s already there, not torching it completely. Together, we refine your strategy, simplify your systems, and publish content that brings in leads.

Common symptoms I see (a.k.a. your content reality check):
	•	“We’re posting… but it’s kind of random.”
	•	“Our sales team says: ‘Where’s the content?’”
	•	“We think we know our audience… but we’re mostly copying competitors.”
	•	“The content process feels like chaos and nobody owns it.”
	•	“Strategy? We don’t really have one. We’re just trying things.”

If this sounds familiar, know you’re not broken; you just need structure, speed, and someone who knows what they’re doing.

So when when you work with me you’ll get:

✔️ Revenue-focused content strategy that attracts your best buyers
✔️ Content strategy with a execution plan you can easily pick up when I leave
✔️ Processes that scale instead of stress you out
✔️ More ROI per asset, thanks to smart repurposing
✔️ Content your team can be proud of, not just “get out the door”

I’ve built and run content programs for global B2Bs, fast-moving startups, and everything in between. I’m part strategist, part operator, and fully allergic to fluff and wasting time. 

My clients say I bring order to chaos, ask the questions no one else does, and make content feel doable — and actually exciting — again.

You in? Send me a DM.  

"Working with Lee was transformative for our small business. We had no content marketing strategy when we started and Lee created a solid, clear, executable program that perfectly aligned with our identity, all within the timeframe we agreed on.

Lee helped us dig deep into who we are as a company, putting words to our differentiators, values, and mission in ways we couldn't articulate before. She kept us moving at a solid pace and never let us drift off track. Every conversation was purposeful and to the point! But what really blew us away was Lee's insight, knowledge, and knack for clarity. It was a joy to work with her." 
Michaela Novas – Founder and CEO of The Translation Team 

Www.leedensmer.com

Grab my book, Content Simplified: The Top B2B Content Marketing Mistakes and How to Fix Them at leedensmer.com/book

Lee Densmer

I see a lot of imprecision with the terms content marketer, content manager, and content strategist. 

It does no one any favors.  

Let’s fix that, so everyone knows roles, expectations and appropriate salaries. 

🔷 Content marketing strategist:  the person who puts the foundations in place so you can have a successful program, things like buyer personas, messaging, content formats, tone of voice, distribution and repurposing plans. 

🔷 Content marketer: most often a writer; the pro who writes your content. The creative force who implements your messaging across content formats. Also may own SEO, data analysis, and tools. Not synonymous with copywriter, but this person may be one.  *This might be the most confusing of all the terms. It could just refer to someone who works in the space, in any capacity. 

🔷 Content marketing manager: the person who manages the work. Plans schedules, coordinates the writers, gets the work done, publishes on your platforms. 

Can someone be all three of these things? Maybe? Probably not.  But be ready to pay for it. Anything under 150k is probably not reasonable. 

Also - and this is important - an SEO strategist, social media manager, or blogger is not a content marketer. They do a part of it. Don't saddle one of these professionals with the whole role.  They may not even want the job and prefer to specialize in just that one area.  And people with these roles - please don't call yourself a content marketer.  It confuses the market and may bring you work you don't really want or aren't good at.  

Last point - these roles aren't the only ones on your content team. Check out my ebook on hiring a content team at the link in the comments. 

Is there anything controversial here? I can guess which statement will be.  Tell me. 👇

I build and run efficient, revenue-generating content programs / Tamer of chaos, confusion, and complexity / Content strategist, author, and teacher

As an author, it's hard to not keep checking on the # of copies sold. It's an indication that your work is compelling and has meant something to people. 

My Content, Simplified book released on October 15, 2025. First on my website, then on Amazon.  

So far? 278 copies sold. That's about 1 per day.  🎉  I'm calling this a win.  

So thank you to all who've purchased my book.  And thanks to the 20 of you who reviewed it on Amazon.  

Early reviews: 
🔹 Clear, workable systems
🔹 Straightforward and actionable advice and strategies
🔹A must-read for anyone in B2B content marketing.
🔹An easy read, but dense with ideas
🔹It's a go-to reference 
🔹So much good information in easy to understand language
🔹 I truly felt seen as marketer (my favorite) 😊 

Grab a copy if you want to spot and fix the most common problems in content marketing programs.

Does your brand have a spine? You need one, now.  

It's the thing that gives your messaging structure, but it also means bold and firm ('to have a spine').  

Melissa Rosenthal inspired this newsletter.  In it, I explore what a messaging spine is, why it’s urgent to have one right now, and how to create yours.

Twice last week I came across the concept of having a ‘spine’ in messaging, specifically in the context of a lack of it. I immediately thought of a cl

Open article: Does your brand have a messaging spine? What it is and why you really need one by Lee Densmer • 3 min read

Does your brand have a messaging spine? What it is and why you really need one

Are thought leaders, SMEs, and influencers the same thing? 

No. Not at all. 

🔹 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀: people with an opinion in a specific subject matter (often a spicy one) who like to talk about it in public.  They create, they publish.  Not necessarily an expert, but one with an opinion people (may) listen to.  

🔹𝗦𝗠𝗘𝘀 (𝘀𝘂𝗯𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁𝘀): a practitioners who is has deep knowledge and is exceptional at their craft.  This doesn't mean they are, or want to be, thought leaders.  

🔹𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗹𝘂𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿𝘀: people with some level of celebrity status and a large following (think 100K across platforms) who brands engage to promote their product. Brands basically borrow the influencer's audience and often pay for that.  

Can a thought leader be a SME and vice versa? Absolutely. But I find that quite often, it's not the case. 

Sometimes you can coach and train a willing SME to become a thought leader. Sometimes thought leadership comes from years of being a SME.  

For most B2Bs, focusing on integrating thought leaders and SMEs into content programs is important for brand leadership, but the process and output is different. 

Thoughts leaders - 1 or 2 for your company - should publish content in their name on social and other channels (your blog).  

SMEs are often in the background, contributing expert information to content marketing efforts.  They are the engine behind detailed, useful content.  

How does your B2B leverage these three different roles? 

Are you struggling with true thought leadership content? Tell me why. 👇

I am a strategist with a special hatred for strategy, especially  when it's overcomplicated. 

I also am a huge fan of Rick Steves, the travel guy, and I met him 6 months ago. 

What do these 2 have to do with each other? Find out in the short podcast I recorded with Benjamin Ard.

We have a "healthy hate" for over-complicating strategy. That is why Benjamin Ard's conversation with Lee Densmer on Content Amplified hit home so hard.

Lee argued that if you want to succeed in the current landscape, you need to stop looking at tech giants and start looking at a travel expert named Rick Steves.

If you aren't familiar with him, he built a business empire by being a creator first. He didn't just sell tours; he wrote the guidebooks, filmed the TV shows, and recorded the podcasts.

His creations came first, and the revenue followed.

Most brands fail here because they don't think of content like a product. They treat it like disposable marketing collateral. But when you switch to treating your content like a product that your customers actually want to consume, it elevates everything you do.

We dove deep into how to actually execute this mindset shift:
Stop publishing "anonymous" content It is a shift from creating generic, multi-functional content to reaching a real audience, person-to-person. People buy from people, so your content needs to come from actual human beings, not a corporate logo.

Develop a "spicy" point of view If you don't have a viewpoint that differs from the norm, what are you even doing?. To cut through the noise, you need to dig deep and find the opinions that might actually upset the status quo.

Consider the "B2B Graphic Novel" We even discussed getting creative with formats—like hiring a cartoonist or creating a B2B graphic novel led by a subject matter expert.

Lee also just released a new book on the top 40 tactical problems teams face, specifically for people who want to get unstuck.

If you are ready to treat your content as seriously as you treat your product, this episode is for you.

Listen at the link in the comments.

You know you should run a newsletter.

Everyone says it's the best way to own your audience, get out from under algorithms, and turn followers into clients. So you start one. You publish a few issues. Then you run out of ideas or time or both. 

Meanwhile, you're posting on LinkedIn regularly. Some posts do well. Others don't. But you're not connecting the two.

Here's what's happening: You're treating your newsletter and LinkedIn like separate projects when they should be one system.

Your LinkedIn posts are already telling you what resonates with your audience. Your newsletter could turn that engagement into deeper trust and client conversations.

But most business owners don't know where to start.
🔸 You don't have a system for choosing newsletter topics 
🔸 You're not using LinkedIn to grow subscribers
🔸Your newsletter and LinkedIn strategy don't talk to each other

Molly Godfrey and I are teaching a 30-minute workshop on January 28 at 10:30 mst that solves this. You'll learn how to build a flywheel where your LinkedIn posts feed your newsletter and your newsletter strengthens your LinkedIn presence.

One system. Both platforms working together.

Join us!

Open article: Build a Repeatable LinkedIn Post to Newsletter Workflow by maven.com

Build a Repeatable LinkedIn Post to Newsletter Workflow

Content marketers: Do you have the advanced training you need to be able to build a defensible, revenue-driving content program? 

One for YOUR organization, not one for an ideal org with loads of money and resources. 


I'm building a group cohort to teach content marketers how to get the absolute top ROI out of content marketing.  

Over 8 weeks, you’ll design, pressure-test, and improve your organization's content program. 


During the cohort, you’ll work through things like:

🔹 Bringing sales/marketing/product together to build a culture of content that supports the goals of all 
🔹 Clarifying your buyer so content decisions stop being guesswork
🔹 Defining metrics you can use to prove progress to stakeholders
🔹 Choosing content themes that compound over time instead of chasing isolated ideas
🔹 Establishing a consistent tone of voice that fits your company while differentiating you
🔹 Using AI to support your workflow without eroding quality 
🔹 Running content like a system: planning, execution, iteration, and improvement

And loads more. 

I suspect many of your companies would cover the cost as part of training. 

If you want to stay informed, sign up for the waitlist . 👇  I’ll periodically send updates about dates, pricing, format, bonus materials, and how to sign up once it’s ready.

https://lnkd.in/gXrCn2HW

The old content marketing playbook was built around scarcity: never enough time, budget, resources, or chances to get it right. 

The new one says you can create more, test more, learn more. 

Which creates its own problems. 

Turns out infinite possibilities can be just as paralyzing as no possibilities. Too much content can hurt your business as much as not enough of it.  

My advice? Before you start doing more content (remember the spam cannon??), go back to the beginning and look at: 

🔹 Why you are creating the content in the first place (goals) 
🔹 Who you're creating it for (buyer personas), where they consume information, and what they need to hear about
🔹 Who you are as a brand - your message, your experience, your PoV, your ToV 

Revisiting your content strategy and purpose right now has never been so important.  It's not just that the tools have changed: your audience, goals, and your brand have also.  

Have you revisited your content strategy lately or are you applying 2026 tactics to 2024 strategy decks?

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The Battle

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Posts

Engagements

Likes

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