Meet Natalie Topalian | Copywriter & Content Strategist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Natalie Topalian and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Natalie, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
Above all, it’s been my adaptability, willingness to try new things, and to keep the perspective on how my brand not only can be attractive to others, but how it best supports me, my core values, and my own needs.

My business has gone through several iterations since its inception five years ago. From dabbling in freelance projects here and there, to taking on multiple clients a month for one-off projects, to introducing a retainer service, and completely pausing for months at a time, I’ve never thrown in the towel. Whether I’m in full force with my business or taking a beat to reassess how to structure my business to support me in my current phase of life, I’ve given myself the space to do so.

This process has been wildly uncomfortable at times, and truthfully, I’m in one of those uncomfortable phases right now. But I firmly believe my continued success is rooted in my willingness to iterate and adapt.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Natalie Topalian is an ethical copywriter and content writer with over a decade of professional copywriting experience. Originally from Metro Detroit, Natalie moved to West Michigan to attend Grand Valley State University, where she graduated with a BA in Advertising & Public Relations, with an emphasis in Advertising. While attending GVSU, Natalie immersed herself in the local advertising and marketing community, following the direction of her favorite professor and mentor, Frank Blossom.

She attended The Polishing Center portfolio school in Summer 2014, where she became connected with The Image Shoppe (TIS), a brand marketing firm local to Grand Rapids, MI—who eventually hired Natalie as their first full-time copywriter. During her time at TIS, Natalie supported dozens of clients in a variety of industries, including hospitality, commercial real estate, local government, banking, HR, commercial development, cannabis, and more. Her 6 years at TIS deepened her passion for on-point brand messaging, and the distillation of a brand’s unique message in all of their copy and content.

In addition to her work at The Image Shoppe, Natalie became an adjunct professor at her alma mater, GVSU, teaching the Advertising Copywriting class for juniors and seniors. Natalie also spent her time outside of work supporting entrepreneurs and small-business owners with their copywriting and content needs on a freelance basis. She eventually grew her business to full-time status and went all-in on entrepreneurship in October 2020. Since then, she has supported 100 entrepreneurs and small-business owners around the world in developing their brand messaging, website copywriting, launch copywriting, content creation, launch planning, and even ethical copywriting education.

Today, Natalie balances her copywriting business while serving as Sr. Content Writer and Strategist at PARQA, a digital marketing firm for staffing and recruiting organizations, based in Minneapolis, MN.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Ooo, as someone who loves good food and beverage, I love this question!

For starters, we’d definitely have to make a point to drive out to Saugatuck/Douglas for the day. We’d start by grabbing a drink (non-alcoholic for me!) and small plates at Borrowed Time in Douglas, then going for a hike at Saugtauck Dunes or hitting Oval Beach for some relaxation. We’d then grab a drink at Red Dock before getting dinner at The Southerner—their biscuits are my absolute favorite. Lastly, we’d schedule a sailboat sunset cruise on Schooner Serenity, or rent a vintage boat at Retro Boat Rentals to round out the evening.

For our Grand Rapids days, we would absolutely have to fit in lunch at Black Napkin (best chicken sammies in town), dinner at Café Mamo, Reserve and/or Bistro Bella Vita (a multi-night stay would solve this dilemma!), and grab drinks at Buffalo Traders and Post Off.

And of course, I have to make a plug for the bar my husband is in the works of opening at Plaza Towers: The Nightwatch Lounge, an absolutely stunning space that will feature high-end cocktails and spirit-free beverages reimagined from the Prohibition era.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There are three people who come to mind immediately.

1. Frank Blossom, my beloved professor in advertising at Grand Valley. I always signed up for his classes when they were available, would attend his events outside of class, and even enrolled in his portfolio school, The Polishing Center, during summer break. He was so well-connected, genuinely cared about the growth and success of his students, and was incredibly selfless in all the time, energy and effort he put forth to cultivating the up-and-coming generations of creatives. Frank is the reason I landed my first job and served as a steady mentor and point of inspiration for the last ten years. We unfortunately lost Frank in the spring of 2022, and he’s sorely missed. I owe so much of where I’m at today to him.

2. Karen Tracey, my first-ever “big girl job” boss, President and Founder of The Image Shoppe. Karen is a brilliant creative who truly leads out loud with empathy, passion, energy, and an infectious attitude. You can’t help but smile and laugh around Karen. She took a chance on me at just 21 years old as The Image Shoppe’s first-ever on-staff content writer, serving as not just a boss and creative director, but someone I looked up to every day. Karen served as a role model for me inside and outside of my professional career, and to this day is still someone I consider a dear friend and mentor. She coached me into becoming confident enough in my capabilities to take my writing career as a full-time business-owner, supporting me every step of the way—even when it meant saying goodbye to The Image Shoppe. I am forever grateful to her.

3. Kate Rusciano, my current boss, mentor, and someone I’m lucky enough to call a dear friend. Kate has quickly become someone I cannot imagine life without. She is such a strong force who I admire deeply—incredibly poised, eloquent, hilarious, personable, and so thoughtful and intentional with everything she does. In just seven short months, she has taken my writing skills up ten notches—she really is without a doubt the greatest writer I’ve ever known and being able to learn alongside her is a true blessing. I can only imagine how much more growth I will experience under her guidance and coaching.

Website: natalietopalian.com

Instagram: instagram.com/nattopalian

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ntopalian/

Image Credits
The Lipstick Lens