BIO/CONTACT
HOLLER AT ME! Or, you know, electronically introduce yourself like a respectable internet citizen.
DunningLS@gmail.com // @LizaDunning
ABOUT ME
I've been passionate about creative communication since I had a colored pencil and a padlocked diary, circa age six.
After graduating from The University of Georgia and a quick stint in Hollywood event production and PR, I decided to attend The Creative Circus to study copywriting. I saw it as the best way to make a career out of doing what I loved: telling stories. While I was at my first agency job (22squared) in 2009, I was introduced to two entrepreneurs who had an idea for a mobile app. I convinced them to change their company name and get rid of their ‘logo guy’. Together, we named, branded, and launched Scoutmob, a locations-based mobile app made for scouting deals and supporting locally-owned businesses. I decided to leave what I knew (advertising) to join something I had no idea about (startups). My advertising peers were sure I'd lost my mind. They were sorta right. I had no idea what I was doing.
I loved every minute of it.
From 2010-2014, we grew Scoutmob to 13 markets and over three million users. We developed brand editorial for daily emails and a mobile app (before “content marketing” was a buzzword). I hired a team of writers and photographers (pre-‘influencer’ days!) and, together, we had the pleasure of telling the stories of thousands of independent restaurateurs and entrepreneurs across the country. After five years — a relative lifetime in the startup grind — I wanted to go global.
An opportunity came up to work with a rapidly growing startup in San Francisco Airbnb. It was literally a dream client in a dream location, so I jumped at the freelance-chance, suitcase in hand. What started as a temporary gig quickly became a full-time role as Airbnb’s first in-house brand writer. Over five years, I helped shape now-iconic brand campaigns and content (social, film, ad campaigns), harnessing an inspiring community into our best brand storytellers.
After five career-defining years, I went back to my roots: working with startups to craft brand identities from the ground up. I consult with brands and businesses of all sizes — everything from travel to toothpaste, bedding to biotech. I deliver on verbal identities, content strategies, taglines, campaign films, restaurant and hotel names, and any good ol’ fashioned copywriting/content needs. I still love it all, working with the likes of Slack, Apeel, GoFundMe, Glassdoor, CookUnity, and Viceroy Hotels.
While I still love the freelance life, I recently took this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to join a little startup in Cupertino (Apple) where I help lead their Retail storytelling efforts through film. Getting the chance to spotlight inspiring human stories within the biggest technology brand on the planet has been a true pinch-me experience.
Over the last six years, I've also had the chance to share my experience through keynote speeches at a handful of marketing conferences and universities across the country… and, well, it might just be my kind of favorite gig yet.
If you've made it this far into this oh-so humble biography: I love you, Mom.
(If you're not my mom? Then, HEY! Wow… Thanks for being here. Let's make this a two-way conversation, shall we?)