The Word Forge – Client Testimonials

No words tell the story of satisfied clients better than their own. Here's what some of ours have to say.

Marketing & Consulting

Just got an email from the client thanking me for sending you over. He had very kind words to say about you. He was very impressed with your knowledge and professionalism. Thanks for making me look good!
Greg Tarallo, President
NetStride Internet Solutions

I have had the good fortune to work with Mary on many occasions over the past five years. She is a consummate professional in every sense of the word. Her dedication to her craft, coupled with her intuitive ability to know just what a project requires without having to be monitored, makes her a rare find in the field of freelance writers. Even if you don't know what you want, Mary does. Whether it's creative or technical copy you're after, you've just found your Go-To Gal.
Rebecca Valentine, proprietor
The Write Stuff

Marketing & Ghostwriting

"If anyone can establish someone's identity as an 'expert' via a white paper, Mary Shafer can. She not only wrote 'Choosing a Communications Designer' for Cavanaugh Interactive (CI) as a valuable guide; she also identified CI as a 'user-friendly' expert with the ability to bridge the gap for those with little experience working with outside vendors.
That's been an important part of our unique selling proposition, and she understood that from day one. She takes her job very seriously and never misses an opportunity to make her words work for you."
Nancy Cavanaugh, Cavanaugh Interactive
www.cavanaughinteractive.biz

The Word Forge turns assignments around quickly and doesn't need a lot of babysitting. I know when I'm expecting a project, I'll get it. Mary has also helped LanierThinking, Inc. meet extremely tight deadlines on very short notice. She’s professional, flexible and easy to work with.
Peggy Lanier, President
Lanier Thinking

I am amazed by your work and ecstatic with the results. The report absolutely needs to generate sales so the strong call to action and marketing-oriented content should help us meet that objective. The photographs you emailed should also help with this -- thank you for taking the time to research and send them to us. Thank you once again for the fast turnaround time on this project and the incredible job.
Pat Walkington, Principal

Services

You are doing what I do with clients – helping move them forward. Your thoughtful, inspired, straight-to-the-bone questions; your ability to elicit and refine my responses; and the speed with which you began to formulate the big picture… You are quite amazing, Mary, and you are making our continued working together not only enlightening, but fun – and very productive.
Sheryl Van Haren, MSW

Mary has been my business writer since we each started our own businesses in 1986. Ms. Shafer can take my few kernels of an idea and nurture them into an effective marketing piece. And, she stays within production budgets! What more could a small businessperson ask?
John A. Geiger, President
Home Examiner, Inc.

The asset Mary Shafer has been to our business is beyond words! Her professional approach and knowledge of what makes the public respond is clearly indicated in our success. We would be lost without her!
Christopher & Jennifer Wiegand, Owners
Serenity Day Spa & Wellness Center

Mary Shafer’s personal attention and unique approach to my marketing needs resulted in an ad campaign so clever—and edgy—that it successfully distinguished my business from competitors in the area.
Sheryl Van Haren, MSW
Wauwatosa, WI

We needed a change in our business logo, someone to help us with our tired newspaper ads, and someone to help us with all of our advertising. We asked Mary Shafer to do the job. She was the perfect choice. Mary is helping us put our best face forward by creating a bolder logo. Our ads are becoming more informative and have more appeal to the reader. Mary has put herself out to help us meet an ad deadline. We at THE TIRE KING look forward to working with Mary Shafer at The Word Forge for years to come.
Anne M. Lyons, Vice President
The Tire King
Kintnersville, PA

You did a great job. I love the content, descriptions and the romance you've created. I'll use it for ads, website and flyers. Thanks so much.
Adam Shapiro, GRI
Weidel Realtors

As a person who makes a living with my words and ideas, I'm inherently critical of others who do the same. Yet, when I chose to bring Mary Shafer in on some critical marketing communications work, she was able to challenge me both as a peer and as an objective observer of my business requirements. The results for me were fantastic — I got excellent work in a timely manner and, best of all, I was able to collaborate with Mary to get ideas and concepts essential to my business clarified and codified. Please don't hire her, then she won't have any time to work with me!
Martin T. Focazio, President
Center Hill Services, Inc.

Authors & Publishers

"Mary Shafer of The Word Forge gives dead-on advice about marketing and promotion. Her service is invaluable for the new author. Mary is the friend in the industry you need to avoid all those newbie mistakes."
Laurel Bradley
President, Wisconsin Chapter RWA
www.laurelbradley.com

The Arts

I want to thank you for all the help you’ve given to me with my website. Within a short number of days, after you formulated new meta search keywords, I received a significant wholesale order from a gallery in Texas. They found me via the Internet, because of the work you did with the website. I know if it hadn't been for your expertise, they never would have located me!!! Thanks from my heart.
Diana Contine
Dakota Moon Custom Jewelry
New Hope, PA

WE LOVE THE PUBLIC RELATIONS PROPOSAL!!!!!!! I was amazed at how thorough it is (and how well your ideas fit our playhouse!) Thanks again for all of the great work you did...it is beautiful.
Curt Herr, Vice President
The Langhorne Players
Newtown, PA

Corporate Identity

I am so pleased with our logo and corporate identity package. They turned out much better than my expectations. Mary also wrote a powerful brochure that has brought immediate results. But the best item was the press release. The day this wonderful article showed up in a monthly publication the phone did not stop ringing. Thank you for everything Mary!
Laura Kalfas, Owner
Allure Cleaning Services, Inc.
Doylestown, PA

Industry Trade Associations

It has been inspiring to observe you create and develop a new image for an old program. For this we will always remain indebted to you. What has been equally impressive has been your total dedication and commitment to the INSTALL program. You shouldered a heavy load and yet you never faltered.
Tony Prince & Arnold Dickson
Co-Chairmen, INSTALL Committee

Manufacturers

Since the inception of working with Mary Shafer, she has taken the time to understand our needs and to offer suggestions that have helped our business to flourish. The quality of our new company logo, brochure and sell sheets has far surpassed our dreams. Mary is very creative in putting the finishing touches on a project.
Patti Stasiak, President
All American Wood Register Co.

Non-Profit Organizations

"How do you put your business on a clear, concise path to success?
You call Mary Shafer. Mary Shafer of The Word Forge is a communication expert with almost 35 years of advertising, marketing, and public relations experience. Her broad skills run a close second only to her genuine love of helping others tell their story in a compelling and persuasive way.

Mary developed a marketing plan for us that was so detailed, yet so clear, that even a novice such as myself could follow it and implement her ideas. Hiring Mary was truly the smartest business decision I have made. Not only will Mary put you on the correct path to success, but she will stand on the sidelines to cheer and guide you all the way, as well."

Jo Greenawalt, Director of Marketing and Charity Relations,
Impact Thrift Stores Inc.
www.impactthrift.org

When our Community Center began a complicated re-branding process, we knew we would need a consultant to guide us through the complex decisions that would follow. Our agency interviewed three professionals and at the conclusion of the interview process our clear choice was Mary Shafer of The Word Forge. The ensuing process involved countless decisions, but had we not made Mary our “first” decision, I wonder if all the rest would have come so easily.

Our process included a name change for the agency, a new tag line, a new logo, a new website (first time for us), and a concentrated effort to introduce this re-branding to the public. From the beginning, Mary challenged our committee to define our organization’s core message and service so that we could communicate that creatively and clearly. As if working with one client would not have been hard enough, Mary took on the challenge of working through all these stages with our full 17-member Board of Directors. Imagine the difficulty of reaching consensus on branding concepts with 17 people! But Mary led this effort masterfully – encouraging our good ideas and redirecting our hare-brained ones!

At the end of a lengthy working relationship, we have much for which to be grateful. A name that the public likes. A distinctive logo that brings consistent praise from members and professionals alike (Land’s End loves it!). A website that presents us, warmly, to a broader public than we might have imagined. And a new colleague to whom we can turn for ongoing guidance and support – Mary Shafer. I can assure you that your organization would be equally well served.

Based on your recommendation, I read the article Home Work: Life in the CSF Residential Program by Mary Shafer. What an awesome article! The writing style made it believable and down-to-earth and Mary really got a strong understanding of what they do.
Bob Costello, Director of Training & Consulting
Community Service Foundation/Buxmont Academy

Mary Shafer's knowledge and experience have proved invaluable to our marketing efforts. Her energy and enthusiasm invigorate the process.
Ted Wachtel, President
International Institute for Restorative Practices, A Graduate School

Retail

We hired Mary to write copy that would differentiate our consumer catalog from those of our competitors. She succeeded in establishing a personal voice for our first-page letters that communicated our foremost concern for customer satisfaction. Best of all, she brought a consistent sense of style to product headlines and descriptions that helped define in print the essence of Lizell. Mary understands that giving each product a story helps customers connect with that product. Creating such stories in the limited space of a print catalog isn't easy, but Mary's broad background showed in her careful choice of just the right words to communicate features while highlighting benefits. We often asked her to help us choose new product names, as well. She was with us for five years until we brought the project completely inhouse when we went all-digital, dropping the print catalog in favor of our website.
Lizell, Inc.

Editorial

I’ve just given a careful read of your article, and I've just gotta say that it's the very best yet, and right on the money! Excellent info from respected sources and, needless to say, fab writing. Thanks again.
Carla Waldemar, Executive Editor
LBM Journal
Minneapolis, MN

...was delighted with the article. Always a little bit of a nail-biter working with writers, but you got it just right. Thank you very much.
Alan K. Gay, CEO
ProBuild Systems Inc.
Atlanta, GA

Mary – I just looked at the proofs for (your article) and wanted to let you know I thought it was a great story. It's probably the most helpful and informative profile we've had in PRO since I took over. And I have heard that the COLE president liked it a lot too. Just wanted to let you know how much we appreciated it. I hope you'll continue to be interested in profiles for our publications. Again, kudos on the fine profile!
Jim Kneiszel
Editor, Portable Restroom Operator magazine

Mary, you're wonderful! How great it is to receive an article that is not only well-researched and targeted, but written so that I have hardly a comma to change. I'm thrilled! Right on the money! Great voice and pertinent, useful info. Many thanks.
Carla Waldemar, Editor
Building Material Dealer magazine

Satisfaction.