Beauty Chronicles: Inside Leslie Hoffman's Copywriting Odyssey

Show Notes: In this episode of the Dilly Dally podcast, host Anne interviews Leslie Hoffman, Senior Director of Coffee at Kendo Brands, about her career in beauty copywriting. Leslie reflects on her journey from editorial to leading copywriting for Marc Jacobs Beauty at Kendo. They discuss adapting to short-form writing, the importance of feedback, and maintaining authenticity across different brand voices. Leslie also shares her perspective on AI in copywriting and her aspirations for personal writing projects beyond her beauty industry role. About Leslie Hoffman: Leslie Hoffman is the Senior Director of Copywriting at Kendo Brands. Throughout her career as a beauty copywriter, she has had the privilege of working with brands including Fenty Beauty, Fenty Skin, OleHenriksen Skincare, Lip Lab, Marc Jacobs Beauty, Bite Beauty, KVD Beauty, Formula X Nail, Elizabeth & James fragrance, and DHC Beauty. Timestamps: Introduction (00:00:05) Anne introduces Lesley Hoffman, Senior Director of Coffee at Kendo Brands, a division of LVMH, and expresses excitement to have her on the podcast. Lesley's Creative Journey (00:01:03) Lesley shares her childhood influences, early creative endeavors, and transition from editorial to copywriting. Transition to Copywriting (00:03:12) Lesley discusses her start in editorial, transition to copywriting, and her role as a style editor at a lifestyle magazine in Pittsburgh. Transition to Beauty Industry (00:05:43) Lesley talks about her move to California, transition to copywriting in the beauty industry, and her role at DHC, a beauty brand in San Francisco. Joining Kendo and Marc Jacobs Beauty (00:13:30) Lesley shares her journey to joining Kendo Brands, managing copywriters, and leading the copywriting for Marc Jacobs Beauty. Creative Work and Feedback (00:19:38) Lesley discusses the creative mindset, storytelling, and the importance of feedback in creative work, offering advice on receiving and giving feedback. The challenge of personal branding (00:22:14) Lesley discusses the challenge of separating personal brand from the brands she represents as a copywriter. Switching brand voices (00:23:33) Lesley and Anne talk about the excitement and challenge of switching between different brand voices in copywriting. Reflecting the brand founder's voice (00:25:10) The discussion revolves around the importance of reflecting the brand founder's voice in copywriting and the challenges associated with it. Advice for aspiring beauty copywriters (00:26:29) Lesley shares advice for aspiring beauty copywriters, emphasizing the importance of writing ability and passion for the beauty industry. AI in copywriting (00:28:12) Lesley and Anne discuss the role of AI in copywriting, its capabilities, and the importance of the human touch in creative work. Future aspirations (00:30:45) Lesley shares her aspirations for her career, including exploring personal writing and bringing joy to others through her work. Conclusion and gratitude (00:33:39) The conversation concludes with Anne expressing gratitude to Lesley for sharing her insights and advice. This podcast is produced by the team at Dillie: a marketing agency with a niche focus on beauty and personal care brands https://dilliecreative.com/