Born in Opelika, Alabama and raised in Houston, Texas, Erika Napoletano’s a dose of Southern sass and business savvy — all in one little redheaded (shocker) bundle. The person behind the RedheadWriting persona (on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Pinterest – don’t judge), Erika’s a 30-some-odd (ish) writer and business strategist based in Denver, Colorado. Her blog, RedheadWriting, began back in 2006 and today delivers “unpopular thoughts and blunt advice,” calling out the overly P.C. in life and in business alike. But it’s not all funny animal photos and unfiltered snark.
Erika consults and speaks nationally on business and online marketing strategy, advising primarily on brand development and social tactics for launching companies. Her work and lessons learned in the branding industry led to the book contract with John Wiley & Sons for The Power of Unpopular along with a recurring monthly column in Entrepreneur Magazine – both print and online editions. C’mon – you know you want to read more about the books.
She has tattoos (!!), one small dog, one large dog, two Japanese cats that don’t speak English, doesn’t take her holiday decorations down until the end of January, and (currently) has more bicycles to her name than ex-husbands. She rallies against lactose intolerance with the occasional banana milkshake and has an inexplicable affinity for hedgehogs. An admitted audiophile, her vision of heaven includes a choir headed up by Darryl Hall with Stevie Ray Vaughan on lead guitar. Her iTunes library is a dirty, dirty place — and she likes it that way.
Erika’s Clients
By reading her blog, you might not know that there’s a digital strategy consultancy behind the red head – but alas! Erika’s client list includes a wide range of industries, ranging from national nonprofit organizations to major outdoor retailers and incredible companies across the startup and tech community such as GutCheck, Double Encore, and Evolve VRN. In conjunction with LEAP! Public Relations, she’s also developed strategies for Fenwick & West, Loyalize, BluTrumpet, and Extreme Startups.
Her firm specializes in “keeping companies from looking like assholes online,” so if you’re looking to come across as one, you probably aren’t her ideal client. In conjunction with selected public relations firms, she develops comprehensive strategies to help companies develop lasting relationships with their customers and clients. And perhaps most importantly, she helps brands become human – because there’s no such thing as B2B or B2C. Business is always H2H – human to human.
Representation
Literary – Stephany Evans, FinePrint Literary Management (New York, NY)
212.279.1282 p.
PR/Interviews/Scheduling – Merredith Branscombe, LEAP Public Relations (Denver, CO)
720.235.7363 p.
Assets (Images)
Photo credits for all images – Darren Mahuron, Summit Studios (Ft. Collins, Colorado)
The Power of Unpopular (John Wiley & Sons – March 2012)
It’s the strangest thing: When you stop worrying about the people who will never love you, you actually find the ones who do (and will).
If you stop and think for a moment, every successful brand in history – from your favorite neighborhood coffee house to the geniuses behind every Apple gadget that rules our lives – is highly unpopular with a very distinct demographic.
It’s time to rethink unpopular. Being unpopular isn’t about wearing uncool sneakers or getting picked last for kickball — it’s about equipping your business with the tools required to honor your audience and build a brand designed to endure any economy.
What you’ll find in this book? The five components of every unpopular brand, including the difference between “unpopular” and “unlikeable” (and why they’re very different qualities). You’ll also find case studies — but there’s a catch. You won’t find stories about Southwest Airlines, Zappos, or other raging corporate behemoths. You’ll find detailed stories about wildly successful, privately-owned companies built by entrepreneurs — just like you – including exact details on what they did to get from where they started to where they are today.
And you just might find that there’s a conspicuous lack of bullshit between the front and back cover.
There’s nothing magical to building a brand that endures except a metric ton of hard work — and if you’re ready to sign up for that, you’re ready to do the one thing that will set you apart from every competitor out there. And at the end of the day, you can love what you’ve built and have it loved by the people who matter the most…the ones you built it for in the first place.
Available for Pre-Order at:
The Insider’s Guide to Egg Donation (Demos Health – May 2012)
In their search for alternative means for building a family, those who face infertility turn to the nearly 500 reproductive specialty clinics across the United States. While egg donors enter into the picture for a variety of reasons, every reason has the same desired result: a family to call one’s own. Same-sex and single-by-choice parents are more prevalent than ever in the fertility industry, and there is no definitive, up-to-date guide to help families of all types approach egg donation, especially these niche groups. The Insider’s Guide to Egg Donation is the first how-to-handbook that helps families of all types navigate the less talked about but widely practiced egg donor landscape with a warm and friendly tone, giving those in search of a different kind of stork the answers and information they need as they begin to research family-building options.
Erika is a ten-time egg donor and co-authored the book with Wendie Wilson-Miller, a friend of hers for over ten years and the owner of an egg donor agency based in Studio City, California.
Erika’s the (somewhat twisted) voice behind RedheadWriting, a bastion for unpopular thoughts and blunt advice — delivered. She’s an uncensored broad who speaks her mind on topics ranging from starting a business and social media to looking for love and love lost — and every now and again, the person behind the persona peeks through. She also pens a regular series dubbed The Bitch Slap, an irreverent take on bad behaviors and why we’re all victims to them in some form or another. And boy, do folks love to get slapped! Her audience shares her Bitch Slap posts far and wide, attracting more new readers to her site through social sharing than any other post theme.
Her blog’s uncensored nature isn’t for everyone, but it’s caught the eye of a few someones somewhere – like Amy Cosper, the Vice President and Editor-in-Chief of Entrepreneur Magazine. Amy brought Erika on as a monthly columnist in early 2010, solely based on her blog. It’s also caught the eye of John Wiley & Sons (publisher – The Power of Unpopular – March 2012). But most importantly to Erika, it’s not only caught the eye – but the hearts as well – of an incredibly loyal reader base.
About Erika’s Readers
They’re not all as foul-mouthed as her RedheadWriting persona, but they do share an uncanny affinity for pictures of naked animals, classic rock-and-roll, and a completely no bullshit take on life and business. Spanning pretty much every possible age, profession, and location, they’re the one reason she gets to do what she loves for a living. Erika thanks them for hanging out, sharing their own stories, and being one of the leading sources of inspiration for what she writes in every possible venue.
There’s only one rule at RedheadWriting: No anonymous comments. When you walk into someone’s house, you can’t walk up to the host, punch him in the face, and walk out without consequence. It’s the same on Erika’s blog. She doesn’t delete comments (unless they violate this one simple rule) and as a result, some of the most intriguing conversations occur not between Erika and her readers, but between the readers themselves.
Check out her top rated posts
Delve into the Redheaded Fury files – where you’ll find more of that person behind the RedheadWriting persona
Erika’s the occasional subject of all sorts of conversations across the web. Here are just a few things that folks are saying about her:
“I like Napoletano’s thinking—and writing—because she’s refreshingly candid and un-buzzy when talking about marketing. She’s a spin-less spin doctor.” ~ Meghan Casserly, Forbes
“Erika impressed with her easy going approach to the project in the first conversation. She impressed me again with her responsiveness throughout the development of the conference. And finally, Erika impressed me with her eagerness and willingness to share her knowledge. In my experience attending conferences and coordinating SocialWyo 2011, it’s unusual to find someone with so much to offer who also is willing to share her knowledge so easily, much less the ability to ignite passion in a crowd. The reviews were outstanding, and I wouldn’t hesitate to bring Erika back again next year.” ~ Juliette Rule, SocialWyo
“I have been able to work with Erika on two projects. One was writing SEO copy for the GutCheck website, and the other was directing and executing all of our social media for our launch at DEMO 2011. She is incredible at understanding the tone of the message we want to come across. That combined with her creativity and solid writing skills make her an awesome partner for us. We will be working with Erika in the future!” ~ Matt Warta – CEO, GutCheck
“@RedheadWriting makes me laugh out loud… often. Profane, perceptive and never punctilious.”
“Erika is a blast: acerbic wit + great grist for mind!”
“Fun, interesting, no bullshit.”
“A spitfire who’ll kick you in the nads just to hear what sound comes out your mouth.”
“I’m new to your stuff but am old and wise enough to recognize the brilliance in your snark-infused no bullshit approach to the onslaught of digital marketing.”
“Congrats Erika! This is awesome. I look forward to your articles in Entrepreneur Magazine, because as an entrepreneur who reads your stuff all time, I appreciate getting kicked in the ass to think about what the fuck it is that I am doing with my business.”
“In her hilarious, witty, read-out-loud-to-your-friends-prose, Erika is that idyllic best friend you can rely on to slap you back into a reality that “they” never told you about.” ~on The Power of Unpopular – Laura Fitton (@Pistachio), Inbound Marketing Evangelist, HubSpot and co-Author, Twitter for Dummies
“Erika Napoletano has one of the most distinct and unique voices in business writing and this book reinforces those qualities from page one.” ~on The Power of Unpopular – Amy Cosper, Vice President & Editor-In-Chief at Entrepreneur Magazine
Erika’s Columns in Entrepreneur Magazine
Erika pens a monthly column for both the digital and printed editions of Entrepreneur Magazine called “All Up In Your Business.” You can review the column archives here.
Press Mentions
Erika tends to be more in the business of writing headlines than making them, but here are a few mentions of her on the interwebz.
The “Bitch In The Boardroom” Stereotype: Women Speak Out About Success And Likability – FastCompany
The Power of Unpopular at SXSW – Forbes.com
30 Second MBA – How Do You Find Out What You Don’t Know? – FastCompany Magazine (VIDEO)
How Publishing Execs Should Use Social Media to Help Their Companies and Not Get Fired – Digital Book World
Denver author Erika Napoletano builds a buzz for her book at SXSW – The Denver Post
Social Media and Marketing Advice for New Law Practices – AttorneyAtWork
Furious at Facebook – Again! (a piece inspired by Erika’s blog with over 16,000 hits about Facebook’s “other” messages) – Lifehacker.com
Facebook is Hiding Your Messages From You – ZDNet
7 Examples of Kick Ass Personal Branding - Social Mouths
The Role of Content in 25 Online Businesses You Know – Content Hub
You can also review all of the press related to her book, The Power of Unpopular (Wiley 2012), on that book’s press page.
We know, we know…you’re wondering how soon into her presentation she’s going to drop the f-bomb, right? Las Vegas sports books usually set the over/under at about three minutes. But that doesn’t mean you can’t dress her up nice and put her in front of an audience.
Erika’s a regular speaker in boardrooms and at conferences across the country and has a knack for making complex subjects not just approachable, but personal. And the best part? Her audiences leave laughing, with a new appreciation for both the subject matter and themselves.
Maybe I want to book Erika to speak at my upcoming event. How do you know if she’s the right speaker or panelist for my audience?
- You like crowded rooms. Erika’s sessions become standing-room-only events. Just ask the folks at Entrepreneur Magazine who host conferences with an average of 1,000 attendees, only to find a third of them jammed into her session room.
- Your audience expects more than just a speaker. They’re looking for answers. Erika never pulls a speak-and-split. She’s yours, for the entire contracted period (kind of like a call girl, but with a better roster of topics and a client list not contained in a Little Black Book). That means she arrives early, speaks with anyone who wants to speak with her, and hangs out with your attendees to answer their questions.
- Laughing? You dig it. No one wants to sit in this presentation. Erika hates “slide readers,” believes that everyone in the room has something to contribute, and knows that this thing we all practice called “business” is hilarious. She’ll help your audience discover the humor, too.
- You hate clip art. Your event is entirely too important for crappy clip art slapped onto a PowerPoint slide. Erika only uses professionally designed presentations. Yeah – she pays for stuff like that. Because it makes you and her look good.
Yeah – I’d Like to Book Erika to Speak. Details, Please.
That’s simple. Two ways to get that process rolling:
- Contact Form: Look at the right side of your screen. Orange bar to the right of her picture. Clicky!
- Speak With a Human: Contact her publicist, Merredith Branscombe at LEAP Public Relations [merredith] at [leappr.com] or dial her up at 720-235-7363.
Upcoming Speaking Events
Branding Yourself in a 2.0 World: Fesmfeshionals Denver
May 9, 2012
The Power of Unpopular – Denver, CO: Book Signing Event, The Tattered Cover, LoDo
May 9, 2012 — Sponsored by The Tattered Cover & Mile High Social Media Club
7:30 PM
Keynote – Colorado Social Media Day – Colorado Springs, CO
June 30, 2012
Keynote – NEMOA (National Etailing and Marketing Association of America) – Mystic, CT
September 19, 2012
Recent Speaking Events
PRSA Colorado Gold Pick Awards - Master of Ceremonies/Emcee: PRSA Colorado at the Denver Art Museum
May 3, 2012
The Power of Unpopular - Boulder, CO: Book Signing Event, Boulder Books
May 1, 2012
Judging a Book By…A Guide for Changing the World, One Unpopular Thought at a Time: Colleague Connection, University of Denver
April 26, 2012
The Power of Unpopular - Atlanta, GA: Book tour and signing event sponsored by iFusion Marketing
April 25, 2012
Branding: The Inherent Power of Unpopular - Birmingham: Book tour and signing event sponsored by the Alabama Social Media Association
April 24, 2012
What Superheros Can Teach You About Branding - Denver, CO: Digifest Denver
April 22, 2012
The Social Slot Machine: Strategies for Maximum Payback (panel): University of Colorado – Denver
April 19, 2012
South By Southwest Interactive (SXSWi) - The Power of Unpopular, Book Reading Session
March 11, 2012
South By Southwest Interactive (SXSWi) – The Power of Unpopular, Book Signing Session
March 11, 2012
Guerilla PR Tactics - University of Colorado School of Law/Silicon Flatirons
February 20, 2012
Public Relations Society of America, Colorado – Why Bloggers & PR People Butt Heads (panel)
January 15, 2012 (follow-up video)
Entrepreneur Magazine’s Growth Conference - Long Beach, California (featured presenter)
January 11, 2012
SocialWyo – Cheyenne, Wyoming (keynote)
October 13, 2011
Entrepreneur Magazine’s Winning Strategies Conference – Miami, Florida (featured presenter)
September 21, 2011
Need to reach Erika? That’s simple. Use the contact form below. She has Web Gnomes fielding messages 24/7. Kind of. But she will get back to you.
Click here for a gratuitous shot of a dirty hedgehog (you should be ashamed of yourself).